Goa Experiences Internet Cut As State Electricity Department Target Defaulters

Many households, government offices, hospitals, businesses and educational institutes in Goa lost internet connectivity for several hours on Tuesday after the state electricity department started a drive to cut fibre optic cable that is allegedly being put in illegally. The move to tackle the illegally hanging internet service provider fibre optic cables on electricity poles left many affected throughout the day within the state. The services were ultimately restored around 9 PM.

The electricity department said that the internet service providers were using electricity poles without obtaining prior permission or paying the license fee. The department demanded several crores of rupees in rent from 10 service providers and cable TV operators for stringing cables on the government, electricity infrastructure illegally

New Draft Bill

This step by the energy department came a day after the All Goa Internet Service Provider Associations requested the High Court of Bombay at Goa to seek directions to restrain the electricity department from cutting the fibre optic cables until its Right of Way (RoW) application is decided by the IT department.

Under the new rules, internet service providers are supposed to apply to the competent authorities for permission to put these wires or cables. But the problem is that these service providers do not have permission from the competent authority, prior to 2024, to lay these lines and neither have they paid license fees to any authorities.

The plan is to clear electricity poles across Goa from unnecessary wires and cables.