Give telcos adequate time for laying cables underground: K'taka govt tells Bengaluru municipal body

Karnataka government has directed Bengaluru municipal body to provide adequate time to telecom operators for laying cables underground, amid the authority snapping cables laid overhead, according to an industry body.

Against the backdrop of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) deciding to cut telecom cables laid overhead citing that such connections violate existing norms, telecom players had raised the issue with the state government.

Telecom players grouping COAI's Director General Rajan S Mathews told PTI that the Karnataka government has now asked the BBMP to prepare a road map for routes where ducts have to be laid for telecom cables.

Mathews said Additional Chief Secretary of Urban Development Department Mahendra Jain has asked BBMP not to take any action without serving notice and giving sufficient time to telecom service providers.

"He (Jain) has also asked the BBMP to provide route for laying ducts (for telecom cables) in 15 days," Mathews said.

The development ...