DSCC halts drive to remove overhead internet, TV cables until November

The Dhaka South City Corporation has decided to pause its drive to lay overhead internet and satellite television cables underground.

The initiative has been put on hold until November. It came after a day after internet service providers and cable operators rowed back on their threat to enforce a daily three-hour outage over the plans.

A compromise was reached in a meeting between Dhaka South Mayor Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh, Internet Service Providers Association and Cable Operators Association of Bangladesh on Sunday.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Taposh said, "No overhead cables on the streets of Dhaka South will be cut down from today. It was decided at our meeting that they [internet and cable TV providers] would move the wires underground at their own expense and immediately remove the hanging wires."

"They have given us a commitment to lay the cables underground by November. That's why we won't take them down moving forward."

In order to facilitate the transfer of cables underground, the city corporation has also given permission to dig its roads, according to Taposh. The city corporation will later carry out the repairs at its own expense.

ISPAB President MA Hakim said, “From today, we will take down the overhead cables and start the work of connecting it underground. I hope this will be done by November."