MUMBAI: It was a government announcement that was expected and so there it came as no surprise when the Centre issued a notification today putting the rollout of the conditional access into indefinite deep freeze.

The notification follows a recommendation made by the broadcast regulator on Monday (23 February) that the 10 July 2003 notification on CAS in the country be either denotified or kept in abeyance for a period of three months.

"The Central Government, having been satisfied that it is necessary in public interest so to do, hereby suspends the operation of notifications of Government of India......from the date of publication of this notification until such date as may be notified by the Centre," the notification said.

The reaction of the head of a leading multi systems operator to the latest developments well reflected the mood in the cable industry at this point. Despondent was how he sounded.