Daijiworld Media Network-Mangaluru (RJP)

Mangaluru, Jan 1: December 31 was the last day to install set-top boxes for television (TV) viewers with cable connections. As the day was ending, hectic activities could be seen in many houses around the city getting the set up box installed. Thousands of houses who waited for the last day, managed to buy the set-top boxes and get them installed.

The district administration had said that deadline could not be extended and all the cable connections without set-top boxes will be disconnected at midnight of December 31. Though many wanted to install the set-top boxes, some people could not do it since they had to invest Rs 1,700 for the set-top box. As it is not a small amount for majority of people, they had to postpone the installation. And some people, who could afford, could not do it due to long holidays. In some cases, cable operators did not turn up in time as they were fixing thousands of set-top boxes in city.

So far only 80 % of cable TV consumers have fixed set-top boxes in Udupi and Mangaluru cities. 20 % of the consumers are facing disconnection today. The district administration says that while they are aware that the connections will disconnected, they do not have any control over the same. Only ministry of broadcasting and information has the control over the disconnection of cable TVs and extension of the deadline. State government had made a request to the ministry for which there was no positive reply.

The digitalization process has been going on since 2011. This is the third phase of digitalization and cities like Mangaluru and Udupi were part of this phase and the deadline in these cities was December 31.

As per cable operators, during the last ten days around 1 lac set-top boxes were in demand while they had a supply of only 65,000. Balance of 35,000 set-top boxes are yet to be fixed.

It is not yet known if the connections have been disconnected or not. A cable operator said that the connections are yet to be disconnected. Out of these 35,000 subscribers it is obvious that most of them are poor. And that is the problem in all the deadlines- poor remains the last.

As the demand outstripped supply, some cable operators or their workers charged an unofficial premium or tips of minimum Rs 200 on the last day. It is expected to go up today.

In Udupi alone 8000 set-top boxes were installed on December 31. In Mangaluru it was twice more than that, said cable operators. Operators say they need at least three months to install set-boxes in all the houses in Udupi and Mangaluru.