Since 2020, the country has been reorganizing the wiring on the poles with the aim of improving the quality of services, increasing visibility in the airspace and, above all, guaranteeing greater security to mitigate the risks to which the population is exposed. Only in June of this year, the tragic death of a minor was reported due to wiring in poor condition.
The National Chamber of the Electronic Telecommunications and Information Technology Industry (Canieti) detailed that, of the approximately 14,000 kilometers of wiring that constitute the telecommunications infrastructure in Mexico City and that have been subject to intervention, service providers fixed lines, such as Telmex, Megacable, Izzi and Totalplay, have managed to remove just over 11 kilometers of cables that are no longer in use.
In addition, this implies a reduction of 22 kilograms and 300 grams in the load supported by the electrical tension poles, according to information provided by the government of Mexico City.
The municipalities in which wiring rearrangement work has been carried out include Álvaro Obregón, Azcapotzalco, Coyoacán, Cuauhtémoc, Miguel Hidalgo and Benito Juárez. Currently, work has begun in Tlalpan, Iztapalapa and Venustiano Carranza.
What happens to the removed wiring?
Canieti assured that during the wiring removal process, users have not been left without connectivity service. “This is very important since no user should be left without service with these works, in addition to preventing, by mistake, a concessionaire from removing the cable that is not his property,” explained the Chamber.
In the case of the cables that are laid on the poles of the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE), the companies have tried to execute it in a coordinated manner in order to “make an even sweep” and avoid network sabotage.
Once the cable has been removed, telecommunications operators move the material to their own collection centers, where proper classification and management of the materials is carried out. These locations are typically designed to ensure that all environmental regulations are met and that materials are given appropriate environmental treatment.
What will happen to the wiring in good condition?
Canieti, which groups companies such as Telmex, Totalplay and others, explained to Expansion that the wiring rearrangement is limited to the adjustment and removal of obsolete cables, while the fiber optic burial will require coordination with authorities or will be carried out in new development projects.
“It must be said that the immersion in the subsoil of infrastructure belonging to networks or systems for the provision of public services on routes, corridors or surfaces of the City, is an extremely complex process that requires the particular analysis of each project, as well as the commitment between authorities and service providers, public and private, for coordinated work and the contribution of what corresponds to each party,” said Canieti.
To bury the 14,000 kilometers of cables deployed in Mexico City – for electricity and connectivity services – and put them underground will involve an investment of 46.2 billion pesos, according to estimates by the consulting firm The Ciu. Added to potential effects on connectivity services and possible price increases.
To date, Canieti does not have a precise evaluation of the resources invested by operators in the process of rearranging aerial wiring. This is because each company adapts its budget according to its financial capacity and the human resources currently available.