Posing challenge to Fastway, Hinduja group enters Punjab cable TV market

Posing a challenge to the monopoly of Fastway network that is already mired in a controversy, the Hinduja Group on Friday launched its cable business in Punjab under the banner NXT Digital.

While announcing its operations in Punjab and Chandigarh, the group claimed its cable network venture opens up avenues for the existing cable operators, who want to continue to own their networks.

“We have the state-of-the-art technology for digital TV viewing and our network in Punjab would ensure the viewers get uninterrupted world-class viewing experience at economical price in the market” Ashok Mansukhani, MD and CEO of Hinduja Media Group told mediapersons here.

The entry into cable business has put Hindujas in direct competition with Fastway network that is having monopoly in Punjab and allegedly has complete backing of the Badal family that ruled the state for ten years before the Congress came to power in March this year.

Local bodies minister Navjot Singh Sidhu has already advocated strong action against the Fastway after accusing the company of tax thefts of many crores.

When asked if the company was ready for a face-off with Fastway, Mansukhani said, “We don’t like to talk about competition in a negative way. We are

FASTWAY DOMINATES MARKET AND ALLEGEDLY HAS BACKING OF BADAL FAMILY THAT RULED THE STATE FOR 10 YEARS BEFORE CONG CAME TO POWER IN MARCH

confident of our technology and business model.”

The company has announced to provide only set-top boxes, satellite signals and back-end technical support. The operators will be free to provide cable connections at the local level.

“Our rates will be cheaper than the other companies,” a company release said.

Narinderpal Singh, senior vice-president of the company, claimed that they have the active co-operation of the state government and they would welcome the existing and new cable operators to join them.

The group has offered 500 channels and will ask the operators to bundle the package with local content as per the market requirement.