Cable TV operators are unable to meet the sudden surge in demand for set-top boxes after a blanket ban on transmission of analogue signals since Wednesday.

Digital set-top boxes have been installed for just half of the Patna Municipal Corporation area’s 4 lakh television sets. So, around 2 lakh homes are left with nothing to watch on their TV since Wednesday.

Multi-system operators (MSOs) say they do not have enough manpower to install so many set-top boxes.

“Though around 5,000 digital set-top boxes are being installed every day in our network over the past three days, the demand for boxes is higher. Most local cable operators pick up around 500 boxes every day, but are unable to install all due to a manpower crunch. Considering the heavy demand, we have asked operators to install the boxes on first come, first served basis,” said Rajnish Dikshit, director, SITI Maurya Cablenet Pvt. Ltd.

“Many people had not been serious about installing set-top boxes even though the deadline was postponed repeatedly. Now that transmission of analogue signals has been stopped, they are making a beeline at our office.

“From installing 10-15 set-top boxes daily, we are suddenly installing around 25 a day over the past two days and there is some backlog everyday,” said Prafull Kumar Singh, owner of Kankerbagh-based Dilip Cable Network.

Ahmedabad based Gujarat Telelink Pvt. Ltd (GTPL), which began operations in Patna from April, is training local cable operators’ staff on how to activate set-top boxes to speed up the process.

“I asked a local cable operator to install a set-top box on my TV set today but was told their staff is busy and it would take a day or two before someone turns up,” said Rajiv Nagar resident Saurav Kumar.