Daijiworld Media Network- Panaji
Panaji, Feb 26: An overzealous cable-slashing drive by the Goa electricity department triggered a major internet blackout across the state on Tuesday, disrupting services in government offices, courts, hospitals, casinos, and businesses. Around 1.5 lakh customers were affected as key optic fibre cables (OFCs) were severed, leading to widespread connectivity issues.
The move not only caused massive financial losses to internet service providers (ISPs) but also hit government revenues, as digital payments could not be processed. Even the office of Goa’s IT Minister, Rohan Khaunte, was left without internet access.
The indiscriminate cutting of cables left several major ISPs struggling to restore their networks. UTL, which operates the Goa Broadband Network (GBBN) for the state government, reported a complete shutdown of its internet network, impacting 20,000 customers, including government offices and businesses.
“The backbone of our network was severed. We have around 20,000 affected users, primarily government departments and business clients,” said a senior UTL official.
Adding to the woes, ongoing sewerage network work in Panaji damaged underground fibre cables, compounding the disruption.
Members of the All Goa Internet Service Providers Association (AGISPA) expressed frustration over the department’s arbitrary actions.
“We had prior permissions from the electricity department, yet our cables were cut. When we sought clarification, they claimed they couldn’t identify our cables. A prior warning should have been issued before such drastic action,” said Srinivas Reddy, CEO of UTL.
Ethernet Xpress, a major ISP in the state, suffered a statewide blackout, affecting customers in Panaji, Revora, Benaulim, and beyond.
“The cable cutting disrupted the main feeder line in Panaji, which supplies bandwidth from telecom providers to our network. As a result, over 40,000 customers lost access. Shockingly, we were also prohibited from restoring the damaged lines. This action was taken without proper approval from the designated nodal agency, the department of information technology,” stated Mahendra Tiwari, CEO of Ethernet Xpress.
With damaged cables worth several crores and an estimated revenue loss of ?2 crore, the incident has left ISPs reeling.
Most corporate and government offices with backup ISPs managed to stay online, but several departments relying on a single provider faced severe challenges.
Following a meeting with Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, authorities assured that no further cables would be cut, allowing ISPs to begin restoration efforts.
Despite operating legally under the Indian Telegraph Act for over two decades, paying adjusted gross revenue (AGR) and GST, ISPs were branded as illegal operators by the power department, adding to their frustration.
The incident has raised serious concerns over the handling of essential infrastructure, with ISPs demanding clear regulations and coordination between departments to prevent future disruptions.