Hathway launches broadband service in Pune

Chitra Padmanabhan / Mumbai

Jayant Changrani

Hathway Cable Internet has launched its broadband Internet service in Pune. The service called Webtime is primarily targeted at the residential user with charges starting at Rs 249 per month.

The Webtime package comes in three levels starting from 10 hours at level 1 to unlimited usage at the third level. “These offers are aimed at lowering the entry price of broadband cable Internet. Hathway’s Internet access speed has increased from 64 kbps to 128 kbps,” said Jayant Changrani, general manager-networks & ISP, Hathway Cable Internet. With Pune, the company has extended its broadband reach to eight cities. These include—Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Nashik and Ludhiana.

Cable Internet providers are in a position to bring down the overall charges because the prices of cable modems have fallen by at least 50 percent. For example, a cable modem priced at Rs 6,750 last year, costs just Rs 3,000 today. This makes Hathway’s current offering an attractive value proposition when compared to dial-up. Analysts expect the prices of cable Internet offerings to fall further, boosting the number of cable Internet users.