VISAKHAPATNAM: The TRAI’s new regulations on increasing rates of cable TV and DTH are a blessing in disguise for the AP State Fibre Grid (APFG), which is now in demand in Visakhapatnam.

Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu’s pet project providing TV channels, Internet and landline for Rs 236 per mensem is getting huge demand in the city, with at least 100 connections taken daily in the city and rural areas.

With 80,000  connections given so far, officials say that Visakhapatnam is getting the highest number of connections in Andhra Pradesh. While the six lakh households in the city use private connections, including 50,000 Dish TV connections, another 80,000 households have converted to Fibre Grid. The TRAI regulations have also made many households shift their connection to Fibre Grid.

For record, the APFG was launched two years ago. The officials had initially failed to provide set- top boxes to the required households due to non-availability of the boxes. Now, the APFG is ready with set-top boxes in huge number to provide connections on demand in 24 hours.

Of the 2.5 lakh households having television in rural areas, 40,000 households have the APFG connection. “More than the city, rural households are taking the APFG connections. Of all the districts, APFG connections are more in demand in Visakhapatnam. Going by the trend, our target is to complete 50,000 connections in rural and urban areas by April 2019. Apart from the current status, we are also planning to get more HD channels,” said Bhanu Prakash, the AGM of fibre  network (five districts).

With 300 channels, including 80 Telugu channels, the user will get 15 GB Internet with 15 Mbp speed and landline phone, with free calls all through AP for fibrenet landline, 50 paise for other landlines and Rs 1 for cell phone. The basic package for households is Rs 149, which includes GST and set-top box charge, which totals Rs 236 and Rs 436 is another package with 30 mbp speed. The commercial package is Rs 1,000 with 300 GB internet with 100 mbp speed.

According to Ramakrishna, who took franchise for AP fibre net, the demand has increased to 100 connections a day in urban and 200 per day in rural areas. The user can record TV programmes and connect cable to computer or laptop also. This can also be used for CCTV camera, where the people can see the footage in TV.