Frequent internet disruptions in HSR Layout as miscreants keep cutting fibre optic cables

By Qamar ZJ

At a time when working from home is the ‘new normal’, the availability of internet is crucial. However, miscreants are cutting fibre optic cables in neighbourhoods, such as HSR Layout. While some allege that the competitors are doing it, others suspect that it could be the handiwork of sub contractors whose contracts were not renewed. Complaints of poor restoration service against Act Broadband are rampant across HSR Layout. And now, Spectra is facing the same connectivity issues.

Competitors hand?

One resident had this cable cutting issue on three occasions in a month. It took Spectra two days to fix the problem the first time, one day the next time, and just half an hour the third time. When we asked the Spectra engineer about the culprits behind the frequent cable cutting, they alleged that the competitors are behind the frequent disruptions. While it is true that residents also cut the cables running across their terraces and balconies, the engineer reiterated that this was the handiwork of their competition without naming them.

Abandoning services

In HSR Layout, there are many players offering internet, including Airtel, and Hathaway. Reliance Jio is yet to debut here. However, the frequent disconnections are bothering the residents to such an extent that they have been abandoning the service providers to move to another. One tip is to only go to a service provider whose cables are completely underground. The other service providers like Spectra try to resolve the issue within 72 hours, and usually within 24 hours. While cables getting cut during rains due to fallen trees is quite common across the city, the intentional cable cutting is making it worse. It is time for the OFC firms to work together cohesively and stop these unhealthy practices for the common good, particularly in the times of corona. One service provider said that they are making sure that they attend to technical outages immediately and try to resolve before their stipulated turnaround time.

Bescom should lease its fibre optic lines

Two years ago, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) had decided to cut all the illegal fibre optic cables running along electricity poles, trees, and walls. But the telecom industry opposed the idea. Some experts believe that the 2019 decision of the Bangalore Electric Supply Company (BESCOM) to lay fibre optic cables besides their power cables below the ground could help them lease it to the telecom service providers and avoid frequent road digging and service disruptions.