| CABLE NETWORK |
| Zee operates the largest cable distribution
system in India through its 100% owned subsidiary, Siticable Networks Limited
(Siticable). Multichannel News International has rated Siticable as the
second largest cable network in Asia in terms of C.I. |
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| Siticable commenced operations in 1994 as
an MSO in Delhi. A year later Newscorp acquired a 50% stake in the Company
in an equal joint venture with Zee. In 1999, Zee re-acquired the 50% stake
from Newscorp and Siticable became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Zee Telefilms
Limited. Siticable is a Category A ISP license holder which enables it to
distribute Internet over cable across the country and in its first phase
of operations in 2000 started providing Internet over cable in the city
of Bangalore. |
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| Siticable currently operates 68 headends in
38 cities and has an approximate reach of 6.5 million households (NRS survey,
June 2002). Siticable has entered into joint ventures with more than 6,000
cable operators across the country to distribute television channel signals
received from various satellites through an aerial network of approximately
8,000 km of coaxial plant. Siticable relays its proprietary cable channel,
Siti Channel, a city specific local channel for its local audiences. |
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| Siticable has entered into distributor arrangement
with dominant local cable operators. Under these agreements, Siticable owns
the head-end assets, which are operated and maintained by its joint venture
partners who are responsible for providing services to the local cable operators. |
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| Siticable has been an early mover in the Hybrid
Fibre Coaxial (HFC) project as well as Internet-over-Cable (IOC) deployments
and has high quality HFC plant of over 280 Km already deployed. It also
has headends equipped with Cable Modem Terminal Servers and associated devices
to provide Internet services. The roll out is completed in Bangalore where
HFC layout has been completed in three areas and Internet over cable using
HFC is already being offered. The roll out in Bangalore utilizes three cable
rings with an approximate length of 120 kilometers of fibre. The connectivity
is progressively being extended. The network in Bangalore provides 20 mbps
of bandwidth and has more than 6,700 dedicated customers. |
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| Last Updated - May 7, 2003 |
