Conditional Access System (CAS) that has already been implemented in south Mumbai will also be made mandatory between Bandra and Dahisar in three months.
Cable operators at various suburbs are already selling up set-top boxes (STBs), which, when placed at a consumers house, monitor what is watched.
Deepak Badlani, a cable operator who services Andheri, Lokhandwala, Vile Parle and Oshiwara, said, Since CAS will be implemented within four months, we are already providing STBs to consumers.
Ramanlal Upadhaya, a cable operator from Kandivli, said, I have also placed an order for 100 STBs to meet the expected demand.
The prices of STBs vary from area to area. Kandivli and Borivli residents get them for Rs 1,500 each, while areas in Andheri get them from Rs 2,500 to Rs 4,000 each.
Most cable operators allow three to six months free viewing of free to air channels. As per CAS, every pay channel has to be aired at Rs 5 to consumers.
As per the SC order, CAS was implemented only in south Mumbai from January 2007. Pradip Velankar, a resident of Charni Road, said, CAS has regulated the operation of cable operators. Earlier, we paid Rs 500 per month, but now we pay Rs 250 per month.
So whats cas?
 It enables the provider and buyer to deal directly without go-betweens.
From the hundreds of channels on offer, the subscriber ticks what he wishes to watch for the stated price.
The company providing the channel gets an exact idea of what channel is desired, at what price, by how much.
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