Crackdown on illegal cables hits Net in parts of Goa

The state police headquarters, the state transport department, and several health centres were left without internet connectivity after the electricity department took action claiming several of the cables were installed illegally, and many of the providers have not paid past dues.

Panaji: Large parts of Goa went “dark” on Tuesday after the Goa Electricity Department started cutting fibre internet cables belonging to major private players such as Airtel, Jio and Ethernet Express among others, rendering hundreds thousands of establishments -- including businesses, and those essential providing such as hospitals, educational institutions and government offices -- without network services.

The state police headquarters, the state transport department, and several health centres were left without internet connectivity after the electricity department took action claiming several of the cables were installed illegally, and many of the providers have not paid past dues. (HT PHOTO)

The state police headquarters, the state transport department, and several health centres were left without internet connectivity after the electricity department took action claiming several of the cables were installed illegally, and many of the providers have not paid past dues.

“We have cut the cables from 43 poles -- that too old poles which were damaged, cracked, etc which are to be removed,” executive engineer of the Goa Electricity Department, Kashinath Shetye, said.

“Our plan is to clear the poles across Goa -- we will do it little by little. They have not paid their dues. This issue has been going on for the last few years. We are going as per our rules. We issued them notices, we asked for the money to be paid. Till date, not a single paisa has been recovered,” he added.

However, in the process, the department cut cables connecting the central node belonging to the Goa Broadband Network, a government-run network that establishes connectivity from Panjim to districts and talukas, village gram panchayats, government offices, and educational and research institutions, disrupting services across large parts of the state.

The drive was initiated by the electricity department after the All Goa Internet Service Providers Association, which approached the Bombay high court at Goa, was given March 18 as the date to argue its case, but was on Monday denied the request that no action be initiated until then.

The department has alleged that the fibre optic cables have been illegally strung on the electricity poles without prior permission and without any regard for safety.

“There were new rules which came into force in 2024. Under the rules they (Internet Service Providers) are supposed to apply to the competent authority for permissions to put these wires or cables. So far they have not applied to the competent authority, which is their problem,” state advocate general Devidas Pangam said.

“The second problem is that they did not have any permission from the competent authority prior to 2024 to put these lines or lay these lines and they have not paid licence fees to any authorities,” he said.

The internet operators, however, said they were willing to comply with the rules, provided there is clarity on the nature of the monies asked for and compliances to be adhered to. “All we are asking is for a moratorium on the cutting while it is in court. We will follow your rules. At the end of the day the only one that is suffering is the end customer that is paying the bills,” Mervin Britto, the president of The All-Goa Internet Service Providers Association, said.

“We have the permissions. We are paying AGR, we are paying GST. We are also okay with paying pole rental. People are coming and giving vague figures for pole rental, that is absolutely not the right thing. Stakeholders should sit across and conclude amicably so that people can keep getting essential services,” he added.

Meanwhile, it was hundreds of thousands of common people who suffered.

“My ISP (Ethernet Xpress) tells me the internet is down due to cable-cutting in my area. They are non-committal about timelines for restoration of service,” Gasper D’Souza, a freelance video editor based in Calangute, lamented.

By late evening, the Goa government issued an order appointing two superintending engineers -- one each for north and south to function as nodal officers “as a point of contact for all stakeholders related to utilization of the Electricity Department infrastructure for laying optical fibre cables, etc and related activities, thus relieving Shetye of the charge. Internet services were restored in some parts by night.

.