Stormfiber and other cable operators have shut down internet and cable services in Karachi for two hours from 7pm to 9pm in protest of K Electric cutting down their wires for using their infrastructure.
UPDATE 14 July: Cable & Internet in Karachi to remain shut for 3 hours.
Stormfiber released a statement regarding shutting down their internet service for two hours saying:
“As you must be aware, a utility company operating in Karachi has undertaken a highly irresponsible and disruptive step of cutting, aerial drop cables of various fiber broadband providers deliberately. This activity carried out without any prior intimation is posing a serious challenge for all broadband and cable tv providers across the city in delivering quality connectivity to customers. This destruction of operators’ infrastructure has also been carried out despite service providers having had started the migration of fiber cables underground in agreement with DHA and KMC as well as aerial bunching of cables on standards approved by the utility company itself. Fiber cables, which conduct no electrical current are being wrongly blamed for causing electrocution, which is farthest from the truth. Furthermore, StormFiber and Cybernet have over the past decade of operating in Karachi, already buried approximately 90% of its fiber network.”
“While we are committed to beautification of the city of Karachi, and are signatories to the DHA and Karachi Telecom Common Corridor projects to migrate the remaining 10% of our network underground, these projects were only commenced after the COVID-19 lockdown was lifted recently and work in both projects is progressing as rapidly as it possibly can.”
“As a member of All Pakistan Telecommunication Access Providers Associations (PTAPA), StormFiber will be participating in this protest through the association’s directive to its members– whereby all broadband and TV services will be temporarily inactivated today i.e. 13th July 2020 from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM in Karachi. Mandatory voice services necessary to reach emergency services will not be suspended during this time.
We assure you that the objective of this activity is to express solidary with PTAPA’s mission to stop the damage to telecom and internet infrastructure and to obtain a reasonable amount of time for operators to streamline aerial network or migrate their networks underground.”
“We are confident that our esteemed customers will support us in this cause and urge all parties to reach a reasonable compromise that is acceptable to all parties and in the best long-term interest to all our valued customers.”
“We deeply appreciate your patience and your understanding.”
Stormfiber and all other operators will resume internet and cable services from 9pm.
Read more: K Electric’s response to PTAPA Cable Operators in Karachi
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