Bescom removes over 7,000 kilometres of cables passing over its infrastructure in Bengaluru

Bescom and the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) are presently taking up drives to remove illegally laid OFCs.
| Photo Credit: file photo

The Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (Bescom) removed a total of 7,175.48 kilometres of optical fiber cables (OFC) and data cables out of the total 9,250.25 kilometres of cables found on electrical infrastructure in Bengaluru since August 2023. 

Bescom and the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) are presently taking up drives to remove illegally laid OFCs. Even among cables passing on electrical infrastructure, OFCs had the bigger share. Around 4,714 kilometres of such OFCs were identified, out of which over 3,994 kilometres were removed. 

Apart from this, over 2,989 kilometres of dish cables were identified, and over 1,843 kilometres of the same were removed, while over 1,336 kilometres of data cables were removed out of the identified 1,546 kilometres.  

Bescom started this drive after a 21-year-old student from Christ University suffered severe burns in a freak accident in August 2023. When the student was walking, a tanker pulled the overhanging OFCs on an electricity pole, which led to the pole breaking and one of the live wires falling on her. Bescom had then ordered the clearance of all cables which were passing over its electrical infrastructure.  

“We have removed these cables after an electrical accident, which occurred last year. We are continuing our drive to remove all of it,” said a senior official from Bescom. 

UG ducts to be rented out for OFC 

Offering a partial solution to the OFC menace, Bescom will rent out its underground (UG) ducts to telecom service providers (TSP) to lay their OFCs. After the power utility recently called for an expression of interest, two companies – Airtel and Honeycomb – have reportedly expressed their interest.  

Bescom is now in the process of fixing rental rates. “We are working out the rates and once we get the approval from the board, we will go ahead with it. We will have 24 or 48 feet ducts. Depending on the size, those many cables can be accommodated inside it. The rent will be fixed either per metre or per kilometre of cable,” said a senior official from Bescom. 

In the Bengaluru Metropolitan Area Zone (BMAZ), around 6,000 kilometres of duct space can be rented out to service providers. Bescom also looks at this as a way to boost its alternate sources of revenue (non-tariff income).