Hyderabad Internet Outage Sparks Anger: IT Work, Banking and Digital Payments Disrupted

A massive internet outage in Hyderabad on Wednesday left thousands of professionals, banks, and households stranded, triggering widespread anger across the city. The disruption hit hard on a working day, forcing IT employees, businesses, and digital banking services to a standstill.

🚨 What Happened?

Internet service providers (ISPs) reported that the outage was not due to technical failures within their networks but resulted from indiscriminate cutting of optical fiber cables by the Telangana Southern Power Distribution Company Limited (TGSPDCL).

The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) confirmed the issue, warning that such actions cause “severe disruptions” to essential services like internet connectivity.

💻 Impact on Daily Life

IT sector hit: Employees already working from home due to heavy rains were left without connectivity.

Banking crisis: Online transactions were stalled, leaving both individuals and institutions unable to process payments.

Digital services stuck: UPI payments, online classes, and other essential services were disrupted.

Frustrated citizens vented their anger on social media, criticizing authorities for cutting cables without prior notice.

🗣 Public Outrage

“Hyderabad is called India’s Silicon Valley after Bengaluru. But today, it has no internet. They cut cables across the city without any heads-up. Even ISPs can’t say when it will be fixed,” complained Sreekar, a resident, on X (formerly Twitter).

📢 COAI’s Statement

Lt. Gen. Dr. S.P. Kochhar, Director General of COAI, issued a statement saying:

“The industry is actively working to restore services as quickly as possible. We urge the department to stop cutting optical cables, as these disruptions severely affect internet connectivity, an essential service today.”

📌 What’s Next?

With restoration timelines still unclear, the outage has exposed Hyderabad’s dependence on stable internet services. For a city positioning itself as a global tech hub, the disruption has raised serious concerns about coordination between utilities and telecom operators.