Hathway Cable ties with Motorola for cable modems

Venkatachari Jagannathan
16 April 2001

The Mumbai-based multiple services operator (MSO) Hathway Cable & Datacom, which is a major player in the cable television market, has signed a deal with Motorola, Bangalore, for sourcing cable modems. This is part of the opeartor’s plans to deliver Internet over the cable to the city.

Under the deal, Hathway Cable will supply its subscribers of the Internet-on-cable, Motorola’s open standard cable modems for Rs.12,000 a piece. Interestingly, the price is Rs.3,000 cheaper than what Hathway Cable is currently charging.

According to Hathway Cable officials, there is still scope to reduce price provided the volumes support the same. The Motorola deal is not restricted to only modems. Says Mr. A.K.Shekar, general manager, Motorola, "We will also later supply set top boxes and addressibility boxes."

Set top box is a gadget that brings Internet on the television via TV cable. Initially supplying only to Hathway Cable, the telecom equipment company will later get into retail sales too, Mr. Shekar adds. And again, it hinges on the volumes.

Meanwhile, Hathway Cable plans to expand its net operations in Chennai. According to officials, the company will soon offer its broadband service in the Mount Road/Anna Salai area, a prime commercial locality- and Kilpauk, an upmarket residential locale.

Currently the MSO has around 300 net subscribers in Chennai with an average revenue per subscriber ranging around Rs.2,500 per month. Hathway Cable has tied up with billjunction.com for online billing of its subscribers. This is in keeping with one of the major customer complaints against the ISP that bills do not reach on time.