Residents rejoice as telecom providers remove unauthorised OFCs in Bengaluru

BENGALURU: After multiple complaints and an FIR against telecom providers for laying optical fibre cables (OFC) unauthorisedly, causing a hindrance to pedestrians, Bellandur’s residents can finally breathe a sigh of relief as these companies have now started removing these cables.

Telecom providers met residents last week and assured them that they would get rid of all the these cables and ensure that they would not no longer be a hindrance. They zeroed in on some spots in Bellandur, where these cables are present, and have started removing them.

They have sent teams to Sarjapur Main Road, Hosa Road, Harlur Main Road and Doddakanalli Main Road to remove OFC cables. The team has decided to clear each area within 10 days and has slotted October 12 as the deadline.

One of the telecom providers, on condition of anonymity, said, “We are tying up cables which are dangling. Many cables are on the footpaths. Now, we are clearing it up and will make sure that the people don’t face any problem. Unauthorised cables will also be removed.”

Vishnu Prasad from Bellandur Development Forum said, “We are glad the work has begun. The cables posed a serious threat to residents. We are hoping for horizontal directional drilling where the OFC cables go underground. We have told the telecom providers about the same and they said that they would look into it.”

Prasad said that on April, former Additional Chief Secretary, Urban Development Department, Mahendra Jain had released a letter which said that BBMP should form a detailed policy regarding OFC cables. However, it never materialised. This apart, the BBMP started to remove OFC cables after the FIR was filed and that stopped too after a few weeks, he said.