Hyderabad internet outage continues, disrupts banking and businesses

Hyderabad continues to face a major internet outage after power utilities indiscriminately cut cables on electric poles. At least one lakh connections are affected, crippling UPI payments, online banking, and small businesses. Restoration may take two more days, officials said

Hyderabad: The internet outage crisis in Hyderabad, triggered by the indiscriminate cutting of cables on electrical poles by power utilities, has continued to escalate, affecting various sectors and individuals.

On Thursday, there were no reports of power department authorities taking up fresh cable-cutting activity in other parts of Hyderabad. However, the impact of the actions over the past two to three days continued. Frustrated subscribers, still without internet access, expressed anger over the slow pace of restoration.

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“It is not easy for service providers to restore internet services on this scale. We estimate that at least one lakh internet connections might have been affected. Restoring so many connections is a huge task and requires additional manpower. My guess is that it will take another two days to restore some normalcy,” said an official familiar with the sector.

The official also pointed out that while some service providers rent electrical poles from TGSPDCL, a few companies have their own infrastructure. However, the power utility workers on the ground were not differentiating, leading to major losses for all service providers.

The impact of the internet blackout has been severe. Apart from internet and cable TV disconnections, it has also disrupted financial transactions. Many small and medium business establishments have been struggling to accept digital payments, leading to revenue losses. Social media posts have reported failures in UPI payments, online banking, and card transactions.

“It is very difficult to estimate exactly how much financial impact has been caused by the indiscriminate removal of cables. The matter has now reached the courts and we are hoping that normalcy will return in the coming days,” a sector expert said.