The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has lifted the ban on installation of Optical Fibre Cable (OFC) by telecom companies in the city.
The ban was put in place in October after the civic body found that contractors working at the behest of telecom companies like Airtel and Jio had allegedly dug up newly laid roads while laying OFCs. An FIR was registered against both telecom companies and they were asked to pay a fine.
Subsequently, the BBMP withdrew all permissions to lay OFCs and directed telecom companies to specifically mention the areas where OFCs will be laid before permission is given.
However on Tuesday, BBMP conducted a meeting to discuss the issue after complaints from residents about internet outage in parts of the city.
BBMP decided to limit the installation of OFCs to a 2 km stretch in one go with a time limit of 60 days after approval. Earlier, the civic body permitted installation of OFC for a 6 km stretch.
The BBMP, meanwhile, banned overhead installation of OFCs and asked telecom companies in the city to remove all overhead cables and take them underground, Deccan Herald reported.
BBMO Commissioner BH Anil Kumar said that service providers like GAIL, BWSSB, BESCOM will be brought under the same platform as telecom companies in granting permission to dig up roads.
Rajan S Mathews, director general of Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), who was present at the meeting, said that the BBMP has given adequate time to take overhead OFCs underground, The Hindu reported.