Multi-service operators and broadcasters are expected to reach an agreement on revenue sharing in the next couple of days, thus removing one of the main hurdles to the implementation of the conditional access system from September 1.
"In the next one or two days the entire content tie-up will happen," K Jayaraman, CEO and managing director of multi-service operator Hathway, said.
"Once that happens we will be able to approach our customers with a list of pay channel prices by Monday or Tuesday," he added while talking to reporters at a function to announce the launch of Hathway's digital CAS.
Star India CEO Peter Mukherjea, who is a member on the Hathway board and Information and Broadcasting Secretary Pawan Chopra were was also present at the function.
Chopra said the CAS would be implemented from September 1.
The system would not only ensure an overall improvement in cable TV services, it would also give consumers greater say in the pricing of the different channels, he added.
On the monthly bill those living in the non-CAS areas of the four metros were likely to pay after September 1, Chopra indicated that it would be decided by the cable operators of the respective areas.
Cable TV homes in the CAS-notified areas of south Delhi, south Mumbai and the whole of Chennai would now be able to avail of Hathway's special introductory schemes for digital set-top boxes, Jayaraman said.
Under their 'early bird scheme', Hathway would provide digital set-top boxes for a fully-refundable security deposit of Rs 999 and a daily rental cost of Re 1.
Subsequently, the would introduce another scheme, whereby a digital set-top box could be obtained for a fully-refundable deposit of Rs 2,600 and a monthly rental cost of Rs 18, the Hathway CEO said.
In the CAS-notified areas of Delhi, the Korean-made set-top boxes can be used to receive signals only from the WIN Cable network.
Those living in the areas covered by Zee's SitiCable or Hinduja TMT's InCable will have to buy the set-top boxes being provided by the respective multi-service operators to access pay channels in the post-CAS regime.
In Delhi, Hathway would distribute its digital cable TV signals through Bharti's fibre optic network, while in Mumbai it was going to use Tata Power's fibre optic network, Jayaraman said.
