Acetrax prepares TVoD launch

Multi-region digital movie retailer Acetrax is to launch a TVoD (Transactional VoD) movies service across the UK, France, Italy and Germany via the Inview Technology connected TV service this spring. The Acetrax movies App will offer viewers using the Inview platform access to an unrivalled range of blockbuster movies, without being tied in to a subscription service. The Inview service runs on Tier 2 TVs and set-top boxes, turning these low-cost products into connected devices. 

MEN-FTV spat in Supreme Court

The Supreme Court (SC) will hear a decade-long dispute between international fashion channel FTV BVI and its Indian licensee Fashion Television India Pvt Ltd (FTV India) on 20 January 2012, after FTV India sought relief from the apex court.

FTV India wants the apex court to restrain FTV BVI from entering into any third party agreements for distribution and licensing of the channel in India till the dispute over termination of a contract is resolved between them.

HC orders Nimbus to pay 305 crore security to BCCI

The Bombay high court on 19 January, directed Nimbus Communications to provide security for the amount of Rs 305 crore, claimed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) as its dues from the advertisement revenue for matches already telecast on their sports channel Neo.

The BCCI moved the high court to claim the advertisement revenue from Nimbus and the lawyers representing the cricket board, Raju Subramanyam and PV Raman, urged that Nimbus and Neo TV owed it the money which was their right.

Dish TV Q3 revenues rise 31%

Dish TV India, India’s first DTH service provider, reported a 31.4% rise in operating revenues for the third quarter ended December 31 at Rs490.5 crore as against Rs373.16 crore in the year-ago period. Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (Ebitda) grew 81.5% to Rs120.1 crore year on year while Ebitda margin stood at 24.5%.

The company registered a net loss of Rs43 crore in Q3 owing to foreign exchange losses of Rs15.6 crore.

India to have 175 million broadband connections by 2014

“India will have 175 million broadband connections by 2014,” said R Chandrasekhar, Secretary, DoT and DIT & Chairman Telecom Commission, Ministry of Communications and Information

Technology at the launch of a report titled India: The Impact of Internet at the India Digital Summit, 2012 held in New Delhi on 19 January 2012. The report has been jointly prepared by ICRIER, DIT and IMAI. This tentatively translates to 700 million internet users in India vis-a-vis shared connections. The Government has already laid down optical fibre in majority of rural areas, and the rest of the villages in the country will be covered within the next couple of years.

According to the report India stands to add US$ 17 billion in GDP annually for every 10% increase in internet and broadband penetration. Further, an additional US$ 87 billion in GDP during 2012-2014 can be generated if targets are achieved as per TRAI’s National Broadband Plan. However, missing the targets set by the National Broadband Plan in 2004, India lost approximately US$ 100 billion in GDP in the interim. The report shows that States with higher internet penetration can grow by 1.08% points for every 10% increase in the number of internet subscribers. Developing States of India have chances of greater growth dividend than developed States if there is higher internet penetration. E.g., if Bihar had half as many as internet subscribers as that of Punjab, it would have resulted in an increased growth of 7.02% in the State’s per capita income.

Dish TV tapping investors for Rs 1,000-cr fund

According to media reports, Dish TV, the country’s largest direct-to-home television company, is reaching out to private equity and institutional investors for a fresh round of fund raising, which could turn out to be the highest in the sector.

Dish is believed to have appointed investment banks UBS and Macquarie to help raise around Rs 1,000 crore ($200 million) of equity to fund expansion and investment in upgrading technology, said sources.

No more roaming in 3G services

Bharti Airtel, Vodafone and Idea Cellular have suffered a severe setback with the department of telecommunications (DoT) ordering them to immediately stop 3G services in telecom circles where they don’t have spectrum. The three operators have roaming pacts and offer pan-India 3G mobile services without having spectrum in several circles. 

“We have come to a conclusion that 3G roaming deals are in violation of the terms and conditions of the licence and will ask operators to stop their services through such arrangements with immediate effect,” DoT Secretary R Chandrashekhar said.