YOU unveils INR6bn investment plan

Indian cable broadband provider YOU Broadband, owned by Vodafone India, has earmarked CAPEX of INR6 billion (USD92.3 million) for the next two fiscal years – up from CAPEX of INR540 million in FY 2016/17 – as part of the company’s expansion plans, the Economic Times writes, citing the Television Post. According to the report, the investment will be funded through a vendor financing arrangement that will have a credit period of a year. The report also notes that YOU will remain of ‘strategic importance’ to the Vodafone-Idea combined entity when Vodafone India completes its long-planned merger with Idea Cellular – potentially bringing the enlarged firm more in line with its chief rivals Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio Infocomm (Jio), with Airtel already having a major presence in the fixed broadband market and Jio scheduled to launch fibre-based broadband services by the end of this month.