Goa faces internet disruption as power dept cracks whip on ‘illegal’ cables

Goa faced broadband internet disruption across the state on Tuesday as the electricity department began cutting fibre cables of service providers citing safety reasons, lack of permission and non-payment of licence fees.

The affected broadband internet users include hospitals, government offices including the state police headquarters and the state transport department, educational and business institutions etc. The service providers who faced the action included major private players like Airtel, Jio, Ethernet Express, etc.

“We have cut the cables from 43 poles,” Goa Electricity Department executive engineer Kashinath Shetye said.

The department also cut the cables connecting the central node of the Goa Broadband Network, a government-run network establishing connectivity from Panjim to all districts, disrupting services all across the state.

“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,” Shetye said.

The drive was initiated by the Goa Electricity Department after the All Goa Internet Service Providers Association, who had approached the Bombay high court at Goa, against the electricity department’s drive to cut the cables, were given a date (March 18), to argue their case, but were denied a 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. If they apply, the authorities will have to consider those applications in accordance with law,” the state’s advocate general Devidas Pangam said.

“The second problem they are facing 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 matter is adjourned to March. In the meantime, they were requesting that no action should be taken against them, but the court did not grant them any relief. But the court has given them the liberty to make a representation to the appropriate authority raising their grievances and problems,” Pangam added.

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 for is 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 (Adjusted Gross Revenue), we are paying GST (Goods and Services Tax). We are also OK with paying pole rental. People are coming and giving vague figures for pole rental, that is absolutely not the right thing. All the people who are stakeholders should sit across and conclude amicably so that people can keep on getting essential services. There is no disruption for the people,” he added.