The pace of set top boxes (STB) installation has accelerated over the last few days, but lakhs of cable TV subscribers could still face a small-screen blackout next week, According to the govt.'s latest weekly progress report on the digitization drive.

The report says that the pace of STB installation accelerated to average of 50,000 per day in the last few days, but only 85 per cent of the total 67 lakh cable subscribers in Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai and Chennai ready for the shift so far.

The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting said in a statement, "Daily installation of DTH connections in the above mentioned 4 metro cities has gone up to 8,000 boxes per day from an average of about 2,000 boxes a few weeks back."

But as the November 1 deadline to make the shift from analogue to digital mode has drawn very near, as many as 10 lakh cable TV subscribers could still suffer a small-screen blackout next week.

Mumbai has already achieved around cent per cent digitization, while New Delhi, Kolkata and Chennai have achieved nearly 87 per cent, 82 per cent and 85 per cent digitization.

The switchover policy has not only increased STB installations but also encouraged a great number of customers to choose to move out of cable television completely, with DTH (direct-to-home) sector emerging one of the leading benefactors of the change.