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Spike in demand for high-speed internet chokes bandwidth

The lockdown, which is seeing lakhs of professionals from diverse fields working from home, has exposed the IT capital’s spotty internet connectivity. With most people working from home, the demand on bandwidth has skyrocketed.

According to telecom operator sources, Bengaluru’s internet consumption has witnessed a sudden spike of 100% in certain areas. The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) estimates that demand has gone up over 30% on an average across India since the lockdown.

“Bengaluru is currently witnessing choking on internet and telecom networks,” said Rajan Mathews, Director General at COAI. With more than a week left till April 14 when the lockdown officially ends and people looking at working from home even after that, internet connectivity is a challenge.

A source in a telecom company confirmed that there are hundreds of areas in the city where network remains patchy and signals are inadequate. “We are working towards access and quality. India has never seen this kind of a surge in internet usage. It came up on us all of a sudden. We are trying to keep networks up and going with the available spectrum.”

The COAI blames the civic body for the problem. “The BBMP demands outlandish charges and they often do not give the requisite permissions on time. Very often, after the cables are laid, the civic body goes on a cutting spree. Bengaluru is clearly one of the leading consumers of internet in the country, but when it comes to supporting ISPs with permissions for towers, fibre, boosters and other infrastructure, the BBMP is very rigid,’’ said Mr. Mathews.

He expanded on some of the other challenges that telecom operators face in the city while trying to ensure a healthy network. “The infrastructure requires that the telecom operators are able to use public spaces, especially for erecting telecom towers and for laying optic fibre cables (OFCs). Thus, it is imperative for the local civic body to be accommodative,’’ he added.

Senior BBMP officials, however, dismissed allegations levelled by COAI. “The entire administration of the civic body has been focussing on managing the COVID-19 situation. For the past month, there have been no enforcement activities. Though there are blatant and large-scale violations by various telecom and internet service providers, the BBMP has not taken up any disconnection drive off late; more so because many people are working from home,” said a Special Commissioner.

In the past, the BBMP had issued warnings and directed service providers to take all the optic fibre cables underground after getting the required permission. “However, many cables can still be found bundled on trees, streetlights, flyovers. Service providers have not adhered to the BBMP’s deadlines but only continue to blame the civic body,” the official added.

―The Hindu

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