MUMBAI: Hathway Cable & Datacom may get the exclusive rights to use and lease out electric poles in Hyderabad and Secunderabad for laying optic cable. In a tender invited by the Hyderabad Municipal Corporation, the multi system operator (MSO) has emerged as the highest bidder, having quoted Rs 15 million.
 
 

Though other players can use the electric poles, the tender requires that the company winning the bid will charge from those interested parties. This is for the first time that the city's Municipal Corporation has decided to award a single player the exclusive rights to use electric poles. There are approximately 1,00,000 electric poles in Hyderabad.

Interestingly, Siticable and Incablenet did not participate in the tender which is valid for a year. Iqara Broadband, a subsidiary company of British Gas, was among the three companies who bid, sources said.
 
 

The bids were opened on 18 August but Hathway has still to receive intimation from the Hyderabad Municipal Corporation. It remains to be seen how this will work out because the other MSOs may oppose this move. In many cities, the municipal corporation charges a fee per electric pole used by the cable and broadband companies.