Soccer fever puts cable connections on demand

Guwahati, Jun 8 (UNI) Football World Cup means money for all, some earn it, while others spend it.

This year's edition of the FIFA World Cup may be played in Germany and India may be unrepresented. But the soccer fever has gripped the entire country, with Asom being no exception.

While bigger cities are planning largescale celebrations during the month-long soccer festival, football lovers in this part of the world are busy ensuring that they get to see the matches live.

In a state where cable TV connection is still a relative luxury, the cable operators are raking in the moolah in the football fever.

Security deposit ranging from Rs 500 to Rs 2,000 and monthly bill of Rs 200 to Rs 400 makes it difficult for all households to afford a cable connection on a regular basis.

Hence, the people of the state have come up with the novel idea of getting a temporary connection for soccer and cricket world cups.

Not that the operators are complaining.

Says Ranjit Mandal, an employee of a city-based operator, '' We are providing cable connections for the world cup duration. The subscriber does not have to deposit any security money. '' This offer by city cable operators had been lapped up by all soccer enthusiastics.

State government employee Shankar Majumdar say, '' I cannot afford to pay the cable bill every month but I don't want to miss the world cup also. So, I am getting a connection for this one month. '' College student Dipankar has a different reason for opting for the temporary connection, '' My parents don't allow a regular connection as it may hamper studies. But they have allowed the special connection for football. '' The cable operators are also not complaining.

Adds Khanin Das, a city-based cable operator, '' We can easily give the temporary connections with the infrastructure available.

These connections only help us in earning extra money. '' With the Doordarshan announcing just today that it will carry the opening ceremony and match and the semi-finals and finals live, soccer fans of the city had already arranged for their four-yearly dose of world's best football.

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