Ladies and gentlemen, good day, welcome to Q1 FY 2024 results conference call of GTPL Hathway, hosted by Emkay Global Financial Services. We have with us today Mr. Anirudhsinh Jadeja, Promoter and Managing Director, Mr. Piyush Pankaj, Business Head, CATV and Chief Strategy Officer, Mr. Anil Bothra, Chief Financial Officer. As a reminder, all participant lines will be in the listen-only mode, there will be an opportunity for you to ask questions after the presentation concludes. Should you need assistance during this conference call, please signal an operator by pressing star then zero on your touchtone phone. Please note that this conference is being recorded. I now hand the conference over to Mr. Pulkit Chawla from Emkay Global Financial Services. Thank you, over to you, Mr. Chawla.
Thank you, Nitav. Good evening, everyone, and welcome to the Q1 FY 2024 GTPL Hathway earnings call. I'd like to take this opportunity to welcome the management. Without any further delay, I shall now hand over the call to the management for their opening remarks. Over to you, gentlemen. Thank you.
Thank you, Pulkit. Good evening, everyone. A warm welcome to everybody to earnings call of GTPL Hathway to discuss financial performance of Q1 FY 2024. Before we start with the quarterly highlights, I would like to invoke the memory of late Mr. Bharat B. Chawatia, the independent director of our company, who unfortunately passed away on 5th June. As chartered accountant, he served the company well as member of audit committee. All of us at GTPL will miss his presence and guidance. GTPL Hathway continues to be a largest MSO in the country and largest digital cable TV and broadband player in Gujarat. In this quarter, the company strengthened its footprint in existing market of Maharashtra and Karnataka by strategically acquiring 34.34% of Metrocast and an independent MSO operating in this market.
Further subscription of 15.76% of Metrocast share will be completed by December 2023, taking the aggregate stake at 15.10%. I will now hand over to the call to Mr. Piyush Pankaj, who will take you through the quarterly business and financial performance of the company.
Thank you, Mr. Jadeja. Good evening, everyone. The company has recorded its highest ever quarterly revenues. Our KPIs have also increased both on quarterly and yearly basis. Our active digital cable TV subscriber base as on 30th June 2023, it stands at 9.05 million. On a YOY basis, the increase in active subscribers is 650K. In the broadband business, we have added 115K new subscribers, an increase of 14% on a YOY basis. HomePass stands at 5.40 million as on 30th June 2023, of which 75% are available for FTTH conversion. HomePass grew by 550K on a YOY basis. The broadband ARPU for Q1 FY24, it stands at INR 460, an increase of INR 10 on YOY basis.
The average data consumption per customer per month stands at 310 GB, a 19% increase YOY. On a consolidated level, excluding EPC contract in Q1 FY24, the revenue grew by 21% YOY to INR 7,806 million. The digital cable TV subscription revenue is at INR 2,981 million, up by 9% YOY and 8% QOQ. We saw double-digit yearly growth in our broadband segment, increasing by 13% YOY. The broadband revenue is at INR 1,292 million. The consolidated EBITDA is at INR 1,258 million, with an EBITDA margin of 16.1%. PAT for Q1 FY24 is at INR 360 million.
The standalone revenue, excluding EPC, for quarter one, FY 2024, is at INR 5,118 million, an increase of 25% YOY and 13% QOQ. EBITDA, it stands at INR 697 million, and PAT for quarter one, FY 2024, stands at INR 230 million. This is all from my side. Thank you, everyone. We can now begin with question-and-answer session.
Thank you very much. We will now begin the question and answer session. Anyone who wishes to ask a question may press star and one on their touchtone telephone. If you wish to remove yourself from the question queue, you may press star and two. Participants are requested to use handsets while asking a question. Ladies and gentlemen, we will wait for a moment while the question queue assembles. Participants, you may press star and one to ask a question. Ladies and gentlemen, you may press star and one to ask a question. The first question is from the line of Gaurav, individual investor. Please go ahead.
Hello, am I audible?
Yes, you are.
Yes, Gaurav, please go ahead.
Sir, first of all, congratulations for the results. This is my first time meeting online. Sir, I have a question regarding results of annual year, financial year 23. My first question is that, last year, FY 23, INR 265 crore revenue increase. Our expenses also same line increase, sir. Total revenues increase INR 300 crore, expenses increase, sir. Last meeting, NTO 3.0, INR 9 crore-INR 10 crore difference. Difference, sir, this is my first question. Expenses, types, operating expenses, over INR 300 crore expenses increment, sir. Sir, second question, company litigation matters, sir, two major matters, sir. One, sir, Supreme Court guidelines regarding AGR dues, regarding application filed, INR 975 crore liability. What is the status, sir? Second, sir, another case, broad internet service case, sir, license fees regarding. There is no demand.
What is the status, sir? Basically, my two questions, sir, regarding litigation and regarding expenses of last year. Thank you, sir.
Last year expenses, as you simply said that, we are going for the expansion. If you see there is an increase in the expensive side, mainly in the admin and the infrastructure side, which we did. Apart from that, there is some one-time in the quarter four, which we have already said that around INR 15-INR 16 crores, one-time expenses, which we have taken. Those expenses, we have seen that there is a gap between revenue and expenses in FY 2023. I will say that, if you can see our last investor script, transcript, you will get to know the exact differences which we have discussed in our last call in April. That's the case.
Coming on second, Gaurav, on the AGR cases, as you know, that we have explained about this in AGR cases, there is no movement in AGR in the both the cases. First is, just to give you the explanation, that the first is related to cable TV revenues before FY16. Because the license of broadband was same in the GTPL Hathway, and FY16, that the subsidiary has been created, broadband, and the license has been procured there, and this license has been abolished. DOT has put that demand after taking the all cable TV revenue, also for the AGR as a miscellaneous revenue, which is, I think, already that case is going on. This is an industry problem.
I will say the whole industry, they have issued the this demand. The whole industry is fighting on that. Already a lot of explanation has been given there. It is related with the telecom, with the PSUs and everything. That's the first thing, but no movement has happened on those cases in last last quarter. The second case is in the licenses for that the, for the broadband company, which is on the single users of internet company. There also there is no movement. Still, the case is going on into the courts. We can't comment much on that. We are waiting. We are very positive. According to us, you can see that we are very positive that those cases is.
Those demands will be taken up. We have not received any demand in the second case, but yes, we have gone ahead ourselves and given this disclosure for the better communication to the investor and for the conservative accounting. Thank you.
Sir, regarding the issue number one of INR 10 crore case. What is the ratio of the amount? Like, INR 975 crore is, amount is there. What is the ratio like, related to cable TV and related to internet? We have some figure regarding ratio in this?
No, no, we don't have any figure on that. It's INR 975 crores, that demand is given, the add-on demand which they have given. That is the case.
Okay. Thank you, sir.
Thank you. Participants, you may press star and one to ask a question. The next question is from the line of Saket Kapoor, from Kapoor and Company. Please go ahead.
Namaskar, sir.
Hello, Namaskar.
Yes, Saket, please go ahead.
Sir, firstly, sir, if you could explain, slide number 22, wherein you have given the revenue breakup for all the vertical subscription income, CATV, broadband, placement, carriage, activation, other operating income and other income. If you could give us some color on the factors that drive these segments, and how are they likely to shape up for the current year?
Subscription income, CATV is mainly the CATV incomes, which we are getting it from our subscribers and MSOs. That is the CATV revenue, direct CATV revenue. Broadband ISP revenue is from the broadband subscribers, which we are getting it. Placement, carriage, and marketing incentive is mainly we are getting it for from the broadcasters, for the carriage and placement and marketing. Marketing incentives, which we are getting it from the broadcasters, right? Activation revenue is it's from when we are activating the first time, you get the activation and installation income. For the new subscribers, those revenues are coming from there. Other operating income consists of your advertisement income, your EPC income, that is more of O&M income and all.
Other income is more or less like a one-time income, which is interest and others, which is coming there in the other income. Here we are going to look at the subscription income, broadband, and placement and carriage income is the main revenue source for the company. There you will see that the always the growth will come on those three lines, which will drive the company's revenues.
Sir, when we look at this number on a Q-on-Q basis, is it the growth in the subscriber base that is only the key reason for the 8% growth in the subscription and 18% growth for the placement and carriage charges? Would like to understand the factors and how are what kind of growth numbers are we going to see on the sequential quarters going ahead?
See, I always explain in the call that whenever you are talking about placement and marketing incentive income, you should relate it with the pay channel cost, because both are coming from the broadcasters. One is income of us and one is expense for us. Whenever you're going to analyze this, you do pay channel cost minus placement, carriage, and marketing incentive, and see the margin on that basis, the gross margin on that basis. Means subscription income CATV, plus placement, carriage, market incentive, minus pay channel cost, is your gross, your gross margin. That gross margin has to be maintained. You have to look into that data. Broadband, as you know, broadband is a totally different business, and broadband ISP is going to have their own growth based on their volume and value on the broadband side.
Same subscription income, CATV, is depending upon the volume and value, both.
This time, basically, the growth for subscription side in cable TV, especially for new tariff order implementation, effective 1st of April, right? Of that, there's 8%-9% subscription income which grows with that. Not for subscriber base more or less. Subscriber base more or less, here and there, 50,000. Major growth is for the NTO 3 implementation.
So like- We implemented NTO 3, and, the effect this quarter is of around two months for that. Still, the full effect of NTO 3 implementation, we will witness in quarter two.
Just to sum up, sir, this subscription income on the on the cable TV front is will be occurring again, and that would be more substantiated as a full quarter for the next quarter itself. This impact will be see on a full-fledged full quarter basis. This is only subjected to two months for this quarter.
Yes. Agar aap dekhe toh standalone mein partially two mahine ka subscription growth aaya hua hai. Our subsidiary company like GTPL, KCBPL, partially one and a half months ka subscription growth. Yes, quarter two will be completely full.
Sir, aapne jo net off kaha tha, woh aapne bataya hai ki subscription income aur placement marketing ko net off karna hoga pay channel cost se. That will give us the real picture. That is what.
That's right. Net jo aapko karna hai woh pay channel cost aur placement, carriage, marketing incentive se karna hai. That is the net net cost, you will say, which is to monitor, and the future income CATV to be monitored.
Sir, if we look at your the growth in the CATV business which you have outlined, what kind of CapEx are we going to do in terms of the structural cables purchases? I think so that is the key component laying off when you are acquiring new geographies or even when you are penetrating into new areas. What kind of CapEx in the structured cable segment or FTTH are we going ahead with for this year?
We have already given the guidance for the full year CapEx last time. It is like INR 450 crores, we are going to do the CapEx. Out of that, around INR 250 crores is in the broadband and INR 200 crores is going to be in the cable side. This quarter, we did around INR 99 crores of CapEx, on which INR 50 crores of CapEx is the broadband and INR 49 crores is of the CATV.
... for the CATV, it is the structured cables are only, the FTTH and the structured cable are the same?
Yes, mainly for that.
Okay. Sir, how many vendors do we have for the same, from whom we are sourcing the structured cable?
You're talking about vendors for CATV business?
Yes, yes. Both, both. For CATV as well.
We have vendors for different equipment, for.
Different, like Nokia, like Juniper, like in the cable TV, like Nagra, like Changhong, like Zizou, Verimatrix, different.
Sir, for the cable segment, domestically, where are we sourcing? For the OFC also.
It's like Sterlite.
You're talking about the fiber?
Yes, sir. Optic fiber cable as well as structured cables for the cable TV business.
Sterlite. Sterlite is the main. Sterlite is there, Polycab is there. Birla and Sterlite. Birla, Sterlite, Polycab, all are there. From all we are taking.
Sir, I'll come back to you for follow-up. Thank you, sir.
Thank you. Participants, remember star and 1 to ask a question. Next question is from the line of Ranjit Zaveri, individual investor. Please go ahead.
Yeah, hi, sir.
Hi, Ranjit.
Hi. Sir, I have a question on the New Tariff Order. How it will affect our top line as well as pay channel cost? Will we fully pass on the rising channel MRP to our customers?
See, NTO 3, we have started implementing from April onwards, and we have seen that there is a increase at the customer level also, LCO level also, around 15% increase that happened at the customer level, and 7%-8% has happened at the LCO level. That's the average which has happened. That we have seen. It has gone very smooth. We have got the experience of T1 implementation, and we have put into that place. There is no chaos, very smoothly, all the implementation has happened. All the increase in the prices and all have been taken well with the, by the customers and by the LCOs. It's a smooth implementation which has happened. That's why.
Okay, sir. My second question is regarding the for INR 1,400 CapEx, will it primarily be infrastructure upgradation in both cable TV and ISP side? How it will help us counter high customer attrition seen in the industry?
In cable TV, primarily, it's because of the set-top box procurement. The broadband is more on a FTTH for new. Going forward, we are installing only FTTH customers. Majorly, it's like last mile equipment, CPE, all that, and fiber, and backend, like core upgradation, not primarily for that.
Okay. Thank you.
Thank you. Ladies and gentlemen, remember star and one to ask a question. The next question is from the line of Rahul Shah, individual investor. Please go ahead.
Thank you for the opportunity. As regards to improving subscriber base, how much of it going forward will be natural, and how much of it will be through acquisitions and consolidation of smaller MSOs and LCOs?
Yeah. As we said that, on the strategic side, we are focusing on both. Yes, from, you can say from quarter three, FY 2022, FY 2023, we have started doing the acquisitions. That is one of the purpose which we have said earlier on, that consolidation of industry is required, and for upgrading the customers also, for the quality level upgradation and everything, and we are going ahead and doing that. Yes, we are keeping the target in such a way that 50% should come from the acquisition, and 50% should come through the organic increase in our current market. That's, that's the way we are working towards that, and already that is getting reflected in our numbers.
Last YOY, we have increased our subscribers by 650K, and we are looking forward that that trend will continue, and it will increase up to that, in a YOY basis, it should be around 1 million somewhere.
Okay. Thank you, sir.
Thank you. Next question is from the line of Ram Manohar Reddy, individual investor. Please go ahead.
Hello.
Hi. Hi, Ram Manohar.
Hi, sir. Just this is regarding the question, Metrocast subscribers of four and a half lakhs, those numbers are included in the 8.3 lakhs, or, still those numbers are not?
Those are not included, because we have concluded our acquisitions on 30th June evening, and that's why we have not taken the profit and loss account also.
Considering that. That all will come in the quarter two, or in the numbers also, that will come into the quarter two in the consolidation. All the consolidation will start, line to line consolidation will start from quarter two on the Metrocast.
I have another question, that's, during the last call that, we discussed that, operating income will be around INR 600 crores. This quarter, I think company made around INR 126 crores. Still, are you on track to reach the INR 600 crores there?
Come again with your question, Ravuna?
Operating income, expected income will be around INR 600 crores, as per the last time that the company is expecting. Current quarter, we made around INR 125 crores. Still, do you think because income went up around 11%? But I think, still, operating income is somewhat low at this quarter. Still, are you going to make up that by next three quarters?
Yeah. As we said, that the implementation of NTO 3 has happened, and still the full effect of that has not come. The cost side, the full effect has already come. On the revenue side, still the full effect has to come, and some of the markets we have implemented the NTO 3 very late. That is in June. For those market, the whole implementation will come. That way, I will say that, yes, we are on the path of what we have said, and we should achieve that.
I think even operating administrative expense also are not coming down. Actually, I think last quarter, Q3, I think they went up drastically, Q3 of FY23. Still every quarter they are going up. Is there any other reason as then because you said that, I think we are setting up new business and all those things, so those things are coming up. Is it possible for those expenses to come down? Other operating, admin, and selling expenses.
Yeah, that is going to come down. If you see this quarter, it is 4% high on the... If you say, I talk about, from INR 168 crore- INR 174 crore, around INR 6 crore has gone up. Yes, we are putting those things there, which I, that cost should not increase, and that should be at this level somewhere, so that we can increase the markets.
Okay, sir. Thanks from my side. Thank you.
Thank you. Participants, you may press star and one to ask a question. Next follow-up question is from the line of Saket Kapoor, from Kapoor and Company. Please go ahead.
Yes, sir. Sir, if you could explain to us this Metrocast transaction slightly more in detail, wherein you did mention about the first payment of INR 25 crore, and then to subscribe to some in lieu of the transfer of set-top box. How does this all work? I think so 34% is what it is as on June, and then it will move up to 50%. If you could explain to us the entire transaction and how have you valued Metrocast in terms of the subscribers base and the assets that we have acquired?
We have already given that in the presentation, that currently, Metrocast has four and a half lakh subscribers spanning in Karnataka and Maharashtra and Goa market. They are mainly higher in the Karnataka market. We have acquired 34.32% at INR 25 crore. You can get the equity value straightaway on that way. We are supplying the boxes of around INR 23 crore to them for getting the 50.1%. This is the purchase, and that is the subscription. The INR 23 crore is the subscription. Through that, we are getting the 50.1% stake in Metrocast, and Metrocast will become a subsidiary of GTPL anyway on that way. That's the whole sum up of the transaction.
Sir, in terms of this transfer of set-top box, can you explain the process? I didn't get that one.
The first INR 25 crore is the purchase from the shareholder of Metrocast. The rest, INR 23 crore of equipment, set-top box, we will provide to Metrocast, which will in the lieu of getting around 50%-60% equity in the company.
Okay. Sir, what is the current market share of Metrocast in the geographies where they are operating? I think the Karnataka is the main market for them.
Yeah, Karnataka is the main market. There they have around 300+ , 300K+ subscriber base.
What is the current market share?
450K subscribers there.
No, sir, existing market share kya hai?
The Karnataka.
Haan.
The Karnataka market, if we talk about, there is five million, more than five million, subscriber base. Out of that, 300K is Metrocast. They are into the strategic area, and they are dominating on those areas. There's no competition on those areas. That is like some of the pockets of Karnataka, we are there dominating.
Sir, when you look at your depreciation and amortization expense, there's a part of it that is actual cash burning in terms of the set-top box that gets, I think so, the losses on account of they getting expired, they getting redundant. What should be the amount that we should considering in terms of this INR 351 or INR 35 crore quarterly that we have?
No, there is no set-top box getting redundant. It's, you can say the churn is happening on that way. Churn is happening, again, we are adding it. We are retrieving the boxes also from the ground. All those things are going on. Right now, as per the policy, which is the industry policy, is the eight years is the depreciation, straight line method of the set-top box, which is going on. Whatever boxes which company has procured before 2015, that has already got depreciated fully. The rest is on the verge of depreciation. Which is like, every years you are getting one year back. Next year, it's going to be 2015, the boxes which are procured in 2015 got depreciated fully.
Whatever the boxes which we are scrapping, because that is happening, those boxes are already getting out of here. Those are not the part of the depreciation and all. They are fully depreciated. That's the policy on which we are working, and I think that's the whole industry which is working on those policies. That is the case.
Sir, you mentioned about the CapEx in both the segments. The that is the incremental CapEx or is it the maintenance CapEx? What portion is towards maintaining the current infrastructure, and how much is about deepening of the network?
Yeah, that's, that I have given the figure earlier, that, right now, if 15%-16% is our churn, based on that, around INR 50 crore-INR 60 crores going into the maintenance CapEx right now of INR 200 crores, and which we are reducing with the time as we are retrieving more and more boxes from the ground. Yes, around INR 50 crore-INR 60 crores is going into the maintenance CapEx, you can say, where we are maintaining the customer base, the same customer base. The rest is going into the acquiring the more and more customers. That is there.
Sir, I was also looking for the number for the laying of cables. How much is about the is towards maintenance CapEx for cables, and how much is towards the new geographies where we are not present, in laying of new cables? Can we differentiate between the two?
If you talk about the maintenance of the cable, the cable cutting is happening and we are replacing it with that is coming into the straightway into the OpEx. When we are laying the new cable, new areas and all, that is coming into the CapEx.
Mm.
That is, you can say, the whole CapEx part, that is, hardly around 5%-7%, which is on the cable laying.
The operation, the maintenance CapEx, 5%-7%?
That's right. 5%-7% is the CapEx.
Okay. Sir, we are always hearing this technological advancement that is happening in the space where we operate. What is the thought process of the management going ahead? How could technology take over things the way today, optic fiber to wireless, and then to this satellite part coming into play? What should investors read into this, how technological advancement have changed to the business model, going ahead?
Basically... We believe on one thing that, and that's what we are working on, that we believe that fixed wireline, whether it is cable side or whether it is broadband side, is going to remain there. Till date, the most robust technology which has been proven for the broadband is FTTH, and that is the fiber one, that whole thing is going on the fiber, and that is the most robust thing. satellite technology, your wireless technology on the broadband, which is through 5G and all. That has to be tested fully, and that has to be tested fully in the Indian environment. In Indian environment, we have to see, because everywhere, it's not the all over India. If you talk about hardly 10% of India has the high rises.
90% India has, don't have the high rises. There you require more of the fiber to go into the home rather than going into the wireless and all, because the spread out is very high. We believe that fiber is going to remain there, and that's what we are working.
Any technology, whether it is a 5G, whether it is an air fiber, anything, backbone has to be a fiber. It's a by proven technology, it's a backbone to fiber.
Thank you very much. Sorry to interrupt you, Saket. I'll request you to join the queue again for a follow-up question. The next question is on the line of Rikesh Parikh from Rockstud Capital. Go ahead.
Yeah. Thanks for the opportunity. I just wanted to understand, this the new NTO, which the full benefit by when we can expect. How can we see the impact on the ARPU for the full year, if you want us to complete?
Implement effectively, partially, just like Piyush said, we started on 15th April. In some states, we did it from 15th April, in some states, we did it from 25th of April. Our subsidiary company, DTPL, KCVPL, which we did effective 1st of May. That is why he said that in Q1, whatever revenue came in, it came in partially for 1.5- 2 months, not the full complete quarter. That is why Piyush said that Q2 will be a completely full realization for NTO 3 implementation.
Sir, I wanted to know approximately, where our ARPU should increase up to. Can we look at it INR 475, INR 480 kind from INR 460?
I think, as I understand, if you look at the cable TV ARPU, then proportionately it will be around 8%-10% growth.
Okay. Q2, we will get that.
Yeah, you see the cable TV ARPU, which is around INR 120, INR 122, INR 123. There you have to see that. Yeah.
Yeah. Second, sir, relating to our receivables, what was the data point as such, year quarter end please?
Can you repeat the question, please, sorry?
Sir, our net receivables, how much was it this quarter ending, which March 2019, March 2022, it was around INR 292 crores.
We talk about receivables has gone up to INR 481 crores. In March, it was at INR 292 crores, so it has gone by INR 189 crores. That is mainly due to the broadcasters' receivables, which is around INR 190 crore, which has to come in.
Both receivable and payable.
Yeah, receivable and payable both, as we have implemented the NTO 3. The usual three months has gone up to around five months right now, on the receivable side and payable side. Payable side is more of the marketing, receivable side is more of placement value and the marketing, and payable side is the more of the pay channel cost. Both have gone up in this quarter. As you see, this is cyclical. Always you will see that the trade receivable and trade payables, because of the broadcasters, increases in quarter one and quarter two, and start declining from quarter three and quarter four. By quarter four, again, you achieve that 90 days credit which is their prevailing.
Sir, the last question, which last quarter, which last year, because of Deloitte, we had a return of some INR 19 crores, INR 18, INR 19 crores. Any recovery out of that INR 16 or INR 18 we have?
No, that will come, but, this quarter, no recovery has come from.
Okay. We are still hopeful. Okay, thank you. That's it from my side.
Thank you. Next question is from the line of Ketan Athavale from Global Capital. Please go ahead.
Hello. Thank you for the opportunity. I just wanted to know effective tax rate going ahead.
Effective tax rate would be around 26.2%, and that we will actually going forward in Q2, Q3, Q4, we will try to maintain.
Okay. For FY 25 also, if you can.
The same rate, actually, we are targeting.
Okay.
If suppose we are going for RTU assets, to that extent, actually, it will vary. Otherwise, it will remain in the same range.
Okay, thank you. That's it from my side.
Thank you. Participants, you may press star and one to ask a question. Next follow-up question is from the line of Ram Manohar Reddy, Individual Investor. Please go ahead.
Sir, any reason for delay in AGM this year?
No reason for that, but we wanted to do it earlier, but as you know that Mr. Chawatia, our one of the directors, has deceased, and then the new director has to come into the board and everything. That's why we have delayed it a bit right now.
Okay, sir. That's all my side, sir. Thank you, sir.
Thank you. Participants, you may press star and one to ask a question. The next follow-up question is from the line of Saket Kapoor, from Kapoor and Company. Please go ahead.
Yes, sir. Sir, as you were saying, for our network, fiberization is the key, and it has to go through the backbone is the fiber. Sir, going ahead, like the telcos are investing in 5G, especially to increase the fiber count just to compete with them in terms of providing the broadband services. Have you factored in this 5G rollout going ahead in terms of the CapEx we are going for the broadband, and how are we going to showcase our products when 5G broadband services comes into play? I mean, there will be a real comparison between the broadband services provided by us and telcos in the 5G format.
Saket, you're right, that there is a lot of analysis on this, on air fiber versus fiber versus satellite and everything.
Sir, I can't hear you. Hello?
Everyone, I will be glad that we can have one-to-one chat on this, and I'll give you this. I think I have given you the last call with you, some of the aspects. I'll give you more, but, how we are looking forward and how it is going to expand, what are the pros and cons and with the technologies. Okay?
Fine. I'll get back to the II team.
Sure, sure, Saket. Look forward. Thank you.
Thank you, sir, and all the best.
Thank you. Participants, you may press star and one to ask the question. Ladies and gentlemen, you may press star and one to ask the question. Anyone who wishes to ask a question may press star and one. The next follow-up question is from the line of Ram Manohar Reddy, individual investor. Please go ahead.
Sir, is company reaching out to existing cable customers? Many customers may be having a different broadband and other things. As far as I am concerned, I'm not using cable TV for the last five years, even my family members and other things. I think because the technology, the persons who has internet connection, who are, who know something about who can operate TV and other things, definitely they won't prefer cable TV as such, because the cost is, there is no much cost difference, right? Basically, if you go for broadband, you will get internet, and if you go for cable TV, just, okay, only, this, it's not on-demand other things. Are you reaching to the existing system?
You always were saying that there is a nine million customer, there is a potential to convert those customer to broadband care customer. There is no guarantee those customers might be already having broadband connection. How you are reaching the customers and then saying that why not from GTPL? Are people who are, who may be, how we can educate our... Is there any effort from company side to reach those customers?
Hi, Ram. Ram, see, the wire broadband, we call it startup still in the industry, as you know that, right now, there's 35 million homes are on wire broadband out of 350 million, which is like 10%, 11%, 10% hardly for the country like India.
If you compare it with the other countries, which has more than 50%, you talk about China, Europe zone, more than 65%, U.S. and other countries which have already at 70%-75% on the fiber broadband.
India has still has a lot to go. Yes, you are right, but still, if you talk about internet customers, it's like 672 million India is showing right now. Those are more of mobile on the mobile side, on the internet, which is like a low internet. As country is going more and more on digital, and everything is happening on the digital, and the then the requirement of higher bandwidth, higher speed is going to be there. There, we are going to see the spark which fiber broadband will bring in. Yeah, because, you can say for 3 years back, the fiber broadband was at 20 million, now it has gone up to 35 million, and we are hoping that in the next 5 years, it's going to be close to 100 million, somewhere.
That's we are looking forward into the this thing. You talk about your our 9 million subscriber base in the cable side. If I talk about around 35% or 33% is in the phase one and phase two market, which is more of a capital market and a metro market. 65% market is in the rural market, phase three and phase four, where still the penetration of broadband is very low.
There, the opportunity comes for us to bring those all our customers into the real broadband, which is the fiber broadband. We are looking forward to that. We are working towards that how we can bring those customers into the broadband, because already we have the relationship.
My concern is, sir, sorry. Just my concern is, okay, we may miss those existing customers to our competitors. If you don't, if you are not taking any initiative urgently, because those 9 million customers may not come to GTPL. Like, even if you get some 2 million, 3 million, that is well and good. That is just I want to point out to the management so that you can take action.
That is, yeah. The cable will remain the same. That's not a problem, because the cable still we have close to around, if you see the paid TV customers in cable and satellite homes put together, still it's almost 120 million houses, versus wireline broadband is only 35 million homes.
Okay, sir. Okay, sir. Thank you. Thank you for my side.
Thank you. A reminder to all the participants, you may press star one to ask a question. Follow-up question is from the line of Saket Kapoor, from Kapoor and Company. Please go ahead.
Neeraj, you mentioned about that the fiber story plays out in the rural more and in cities where there are less high-rise buildings. What do you want to convey there? I mean, it will be high-rise buildings and the complex, the fiberization, the fiber to home does not reaches the home in the fiber format. I mean, what were you trying to explain us?
Maybe, Saket, the fiber to broadband, fiber to home, everywhere we are in the same,
The comparison you were making, sir, between the low-rise and the high-rise buildings, what were you trying to explain?
No, low-rise, high-rise, it's more of like a concentration of customers we are talking about. See, in India, if you go to the rural, the concentration of customer is not there. It's far, far, far.
Sure.
Urban, you will say there is a concentration of customers.
Correct. cost goes down.
That way we are talking about, on the concentration of customers in India.
The cost is also going to go down, with more concentration of customers. When you build the infrastructure once, and then the revenue starts building up every month. The cost also goes down considerably, in a complex or a high-rise, that the number of customers are more.
Yes, you are right, and you have to put lot of efforts to put the quality more there. That is the time. Both have pros, cons. That's what I say, let's have a discussion one to one.
Fine, sir.
Lot of aspects are there to discuss on those things. Okay?
Okay, sir.
All right. Great. Thank you.
That's all from my side.
Thanks.
Thank you. Other participants, you may press star and one to ask the question. A reminder to all the participants, you may press star and one to ask the question. There are no further questions, I now hand the conference over to the management for closing comments.
Thank you. I would like to express my thanks to every participant who take their time out to attend the call. We will work hard to ensure the company will continue its journey of sustainable growth in the upcoming quarters as well. For any queries, please feel free to connect with Orient Capital, which is our investor relations advisor. Thank you once again. Good evening.
Thank you very much. On behalf of Emkay Global Financial Services, that concludes this conference. Thank you for joining us. You may now disconnect your lines. Thank you.