Gujarat Telelink Private Ltd. (GTPL) Ushers In Cable Digitization with Next-Generation Cisco Set-Top Boxes

HDTV, Video on Demand Among New Services to Be Available to Consumers

NEW DELHI, India - Cisco today announced that it has been chosen by Gujarat Telelinks Private Ltd. (GTPL) to usher in cable digitization across the key states of Gujarat, West Bengal, Maharashtra and Jharkhand. As part of this digitization program, GTPL will deploy more than 300,000 next-generation digital set-top boxes from Cisco over the next 12 months in these markets.

Digitization will help GTPL transform into a lifestyle-experience provider and help enable services like residential TV, HDTV, gaming, digital video recording, video on demand and future ’connected home’ services to retail consumers. The new digital platform will also allow cable and Internet service providers to offer enhanced services to consumers and increase their subscription revenue.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Aniruddh Sinh Jadeja, GTPL managing director, said, “Digitization will help us address several issues that have been dogging the industry and strengthen our competitive edge in the market over direct-to-home players. Combining GTPL’s expertise as a cable and Internet solutions provider with Cisco’s leadership in Internet Protocol Next-Generation Network technology will enable us to offer improved value-added services such as digital video recording, video on demand and a host of other experiences to our subscribers.”

Commenting on the roll-out, Mr. Vish Iyer, vice president, Service Providers, Cisco India & SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation), said, “Our engagement with GTPL is a matter of great pride and excitement and has brought about several firsts in the industry, potentially changing how subscribers consume and experience television and other digital services across key markets that GTPL has a presence in. Changing consumer preferences in the home entertainment segment is leading to a rapid growth of cable digitization in India. Our engagement with GTPL demonstrates Cisco’s ability to help transform cable service providers into experience providers, offering superior content and enhanced interactive services to consumers.”

In addition to being one of the largest cable digitization projects in the country, the engagement resulted in a product built with the optimum feature set and at affordable price points for India.

About GTPL

GTPL is India’s fastest-growing MSO (multiservice provider) in India with dominant market shares in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Vidarbha, Kolkata, parts of West Bengal, and has very recently penetrated markets of Jharkhand and Assam regions. GTPL is very proud of its strategic acquisition of KCBPL which has grown steadily in terms of markets shares. Its near-future plan includes important cable networks in large cities and towns of eastern India. GTPL is committed to bringing in the latest digital technology in both existing and new markets to its valued business partners and has the highest penetration of digital subscribers in the respective markets. GTPL is continuously engaged in offering the highest-quality digital service to its valued subscribers, who largely comprise local cable operators.

About Cisco

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