The State Electricity Department in Goa has resumed its drive to remove cables from electric poles in Panaji, particularly in the Azad Maidan area. By afternoon, cables mounted on 15 to 20 poles had been cut, causing significant disruptions to broadband services in the region. Department officials have confirmed that the drive will continue without pause in Panaji and across the state.
This action comes after the High Court declined to provide interim relief to internet service providers, with a hearing scheduled for March 18. The Electricity Department initiated the clearing of cables to ensure the safe and proper use of electric poles. However, this has resulted in substantial service disruptions for local residents and businesses.
Mahendra Tiwari, CEO of service provider Ethernet Xpress, commented on the impact of the drive: “The cutting of cables has resulted in the disruption of the main feeder line in Panaji, which supplies bandwidth from telecom providers to our network. This led to a complete network outage, impacting over 40,000 customers.”
The All Goa Internet Service Providers Association (AGISPA) has called for immediate government action to halt the cable cutting and ensure that service providers can operate without interruptions.
cable removal causes internet outage
AGISPA President Mervin Britto estimated that at least 1 lakh people across Goa were affected by the internet outage. Britto stated, “All we are asking is for a moratorium on the cutting of cables while the matter is in court. We will follow the rules.
The only one who is suffering is the end customer, who is paying the bills. We have the permissions. We are paying AGR; we are paying GST.
We are also okay with paying pole rental…”
The situation highlights the ongoing conflict between internet service providers and the state electricity department, which has impacted thousands of users and critical services across Goa. As the situation develops, further updates will be provided.
