The deadline set by Telecom Regulation Authority of India (TRAI) for cable TV subscribers to install set-top boxes is likely to be postponed due to supply problems of the Chinese-made units. The deadline was set for March 31, but the development could push the date further.

The current number of set-top boxes supplied by private companies in China are not enough to cover the existing legal 2.5 lakh cable network subscribers in the district. According to Vasant Patwardhan, former chairman of the Maharashtra and Goa Cable Network Association, the delay is due to loopholes arising in the supply, and questions are being raised whether the set-top boxes would be beneficial for the customers.