Hyderabad: Cable and internet providers across the state, who were gravely affected by the ongoing cable-snapping drive by the state govt, staged a massive protest against the prevailing situation, near Indira Park on an overcast Saturday afternoon.More than 4,000 cable operators from across the city gathered for the demonstrations to vent their frustrations against the Telangana State Southern Power Distribution Company’s (TGSPDCL) actions, in a protest organised by the Telangana Federation of Aerial Cable Operators, which lasted for more than three hours. Chants of ‘We want justice’, and placards displaying slogans ‘Cutting the cable is cutting people’s hopes’ and ‘TGSPDCL rolling back Hyderabad to analog life’ filled the air.Service providers who participated in the event expressed dissatisfaction with the way the state govt was dealing with the issue. “The least they can do is inform us beforehand so we would at least have the time to make necessary alternate arrangements. Indiscriminately cutting off cables without giving us prior information gives the impression that they don’t care about us,” said Ramakrishna Naidu, a local ISP employee.For Subash Lingampally, a pioneer cable operator working out of LB Nagar, the cable-cutting drive has become a costly affair. “It costs around 12,000 to lay just one kilometre of cable, and more than 1,000 connections of my customers have been cut off. If the state govt had given us enough time to relay the cables, cutting them off wouldn’t have been necessary. Where am I supposed to get this kind of money when my customers are unwilling to pay the bills?” he asked.He added: “More than 60% of the cables in the city are useless and don’t provide connections to anybody. In Kerala and Karnataka recently, they gave four months to cable operators to remove such cables, but in Telangana, we were hardly given 10 days, which is extremely insufficient as Telangana has 26 lakh poles. If neighbouring states can afford so much time, why can’t ours too?” he asked.BJP MP Boora Narsaiah Goud, who also attended the dharna, said the livelihoods of more than five lakh people were affected due to the govt’s actions. “The govt keeps saying we are one of the most developed states in the country. If we were really developed, we would have had an underground cable system and this entire situation could have been be avoided. I request the govt to stop the drive immediately, and engage with the cable operators to arrive at a permanent solution,” he said.AIFISPA promises to restore servicesMeanwhile, the All India Fixed Internet Service Providers Association (AIFISPA) has promised ISP customers that work to restore services is ongoing and would be completed as soon as possible. The association also pointed out that broadband optical fibre cables, which are used to provide internet and cable services and do not pose any threat to human safety, are also being brought down in the drive.This indiscriminate cutting of cables has led to the disruption of several essential services, including connectivity to industry establishments, offices, lakhs of customers, work from home, entertainment, and e-surveillance in the city for police, etc. In addition, citizens are severely impacted every day — be it students attending online classes, job seekers appearing for interviews, or families working from home, officials from the association stated.They also expressed gratitude to Musharaff Faruqi, the chief managing director of the TGSPDCL, who convened a meeting of all internet service providers on Sept 11 to amicably resolve this issue through positive discussions. As per his request, all service providers have agreed to provide manpower to help TGSPDCL ensure safe fibre routing across the city.AIFISPA spokesperson Harpreet Singh Kainth said: “We want to assure our customers that all ISPs are working in close coordination with the authorities to ensure safe and swift restoration of services. Ground teams have already been mobilised across the city, with priority being given to critical and high-demand areas. We are also collectively engaging with local authorities to arrive at sustainable solutions that balance both safety and service continuity. We urge the Telangana govt and TGSPDCL to immediately stop the indiscriminate removal of cables and support the restoration of internet in the city.”
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