Mobile, internet blackout looms over Aqua Line as MMRCL junks contract with infra firm

MMRCL has terminated its contract with the firm which built and maintained infrastructure for mobile and internet connectivity in the fully-underground metro corridor, officials said

Mumbai: Commuters on the 33.5-km Aqua line or Mumbai Metro 3 may soon face total mobile and internet blackout as the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MMRCL) has terminated its contract with the firm which built and maintained infrastructure for mobile and internet connectivity in the fully-underground metro corridor, MMRCL officials told Hindustan Times.

Despite the passage of nearly five months since the entire Aqua Line became operational, mobile and internet connectivity on the route has been non-existent or choppy (Anshuman Poyrekar/HT Photo)

“We have terminated the contract with ACES India as there was a lot of opposition from telecom companies who have been complaining of being arm-twisted for months now,” a senior MMRCL official said on condition of anonymity.

ACES India, a subsidiary of the Saudi Arabia-based ACES, was engaged by MMRCL to install centralised telecom infrastructure on the Aarey to Cuffe Parade Aqua line, reportedly at a cost of ₹120 crore. Under the terms of the contract, the company was supposed to receive fees from telecom providers who used the centralised system to provide mobile and internet services.

Despite the passage of nearly five months since the entire Aqua Line became operational, mobile and internet connectivity on the route has been non-existent or choppy. At present, only Vodafone Idea and BSNL customers enjoy connectivity on restricted stretches while Jio and Airtel users face outages across the entire route.

“The bone of contention between telecom companies and ACES India was the payment of fees,” the official quoted earlier said. “Telcos claimed the fee was too high. They even offered to install their own equipment rather than use the centralised system, which they said was overpriced and unfair.”

Telecom company representatives raised similar concerns.

“The rents are exorbitant and commercially unviable. Users expect cheap telecom connectivity, which is not possible under this model,” said a telecom company representative on condition of anonymity.

Telecom companies had, in the past, also claimed that the centralised system could have been set up for only ₹30-40 crore.

Sources in MMRCL said the company chose to terminate the contract with ACES India after multiple negotiations between telcos and the infra provider failed. Over the months, telcos had also been pressuring the authorities to do away with the telecom infra provider who was acting like a middleman and instead directly deal with them, the sources added.

“There is a possibility that ACES India could deactivate the centralised system and take back the equipment and other assets,” a second MMRCL official said. “If that does happen, commuters could face network blackouts for some time.”

As a way out, MMRCL might ask telecom companies to build their own infrastructure at the 27 stations and inside the tunnel, which could take some time, the official explained.