Telcos face intentional fibre cuts by cable operators in Kolkata: COAI

The telecom industry is facing critical network downtime in the metropolis, as service providers are suffering from widespread intentional fibre cuts by local cable operators (LCOs) across several localities, the Cellular Operators Association of India claimed on Thursday.

Such unwarranted coercive actions from unauthorised entities to skew fair competition and limit the customers' choice of service providers, is completely unfair and unjustified, it said in a statement.

The telecom service providers (TSPs) are not even being allowed to acquire fresh connections by the LCOs, the COAI claimed.

The telecom industry is facing a critical network downtime situation in Kolkata, as the TSPs are suffering from widespread intentional fibre cuts/damage by Local Cable Operators (LCOs) across several localities within the Kolkata Municipal Corporation and surrounding non-KMC areas, which is resulting in the customers suffering due to lack of essential digital connectivity, it said.

The field team(s) of our member TSPs are also being prevented from restoration work, by being threatened/manhandled and hostilely obstructed by the LCOs, leading to exorbitant delays, which is affecting their commitment to restore connectivity within the minimum turn-around time, COAI Director General Lt Gen S P Kochhar was quoted as saying in the statement.

The association appealed to the West Bengal government and local authorities to urgently intervene and prevent such unlawful practices by the LCOs.