Ms Jayalalithaa had offered Cable TV for only Rs 70 a month. The scheme became a super hit.
For Chennai entrepreneur A Kasilingam, broadband internet has become 50 per cent cheaper. After Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa's latest populist scheme, broadband is available for as low as Rs 300 a month across Tamil Nadu.
"I used to pay 1500 for a private Internet service and now I get it for 900. I save Rs 600. Now everything is on internet and the government should do this," he said.
Earlier, Ms Jayalalithaa had offered Cable TV for only Rs 70 a month. The scheme became a super hit, drawing seven million subscribers across the Tamil Nadu. The chief minister's Amma brand of canteens, pharmacies, cement and baby kit are said to have won her goodwill and a sweep in the Lok Sabha elections two years ago.
However, the opinion is divided among the residents of Chennai.
Anaga, a college student says "The government should instead be giving better quality education, job opportunities etc."
"Many have free laptops but can't afford Internet. This helps. But my worry is if DMK wins elections they would stop this just like how Jayalalithaa abandoned the secretariat Karunanidhi built," said another student Sai Eswari.
Government sources say Vodafone provides the bandwidth to every control room in district headquarters. As of now, only 1000 connections have been given on a pilot basis. In Chennai, a meagre 13 connections have been given in an apartment at RK Nagar, Ms Jayalalithaa's constituency.
The cable operators have not shown great interest in providing internet connectivity as they would get 38 per cent from what customers pay them. Out of the 26000 operators across the state, only around 6000 have signed up.