Surabaya (ANTARA) \u2013 The skies above Surabaya, East Java, tell a story\nof progress that is not always orderly. Among buildings, residential\nareas and roads, communications cables stretch, cross and pile up on\npoles.<\/p>\n
The network connects residents to the internet, supports economic\nactivity and is an important part of urban life. But when installation\nrules and aesthetics are disregarded, digital progress creates problems\nin public spaces.<\/p>\n
The Surabaya City Government is continuing to bring unauthorised\nfibre-optic cables into compliance. Installing cables or poles on\ngovernment-owned land and roads requires the relevant permits.<\/p>\n
Enforcement is being carried out by the Surabaya City Communication\nand Informatics Office alongside other local government agencies,\nincluding the Water Resources and Highways Office and the Civil Service\nPolice Unit.<\/p>\n
This is no trivial matter. Behind the tangle of cables lie questions\nof business compliance, use of regional assets, road-user safety and the\nresponsibilities of network providers.<\/p>\n
The operation should therefore be understood not merely as an effort\nto improve the city\u2019s appearance, but also as part of enforcing the\ngovernance of urban infrastructure.<\/p>\n
The problem of illegal cables in Surabaya is not new. On 8 February\n2026, the city government began clearing unauthorised fibre-optic\nnetworks while also tidying cables belonging to service providers that\nhad met the requirements.<\/p>\n
The initial operation targeted the area from Jalan Dharmawangsa to\nJalan Kertajaya, with further enforcement on 10, 11 and 14 February\n2026, before being expanded to other roads.<\/p>\n
During the operation, the city government continued to find cable\nnetworks without permits or which had not met their obligation to pay\nrental fees for using regional assets.<\/p>\n
On 20 February 2026, enforcement targeted 45 fibre-optic poles on\nJalan Ngaglik and along the northern and southern sides of Jalan Kapas\nKrampung.<\/p>\n
These findings show that illegal cables are not merely an aesthetic\nissue. They also concern compliance with rules governing the use of\nregional assets and the need for ongoing oversight.<\/p>\n
Surabaya needs a strong digital network, but that need does not mean\npublic spaces can be used without limits. Roads, pavements and\ngovernment-owned land are shared spaces that must be used in an orderly\nmanner.<\/p>\n
Companies\u2019 right to build networks must go hand in hand with an\nobligation to respect the public interest.<\/p>\n
Fair enforcement<\/strong><\/p>\n Surabaya City Regulation No.\u00a05 of 2017 on the Provision of Utility\nNetworks provides a framework for controlling the construction and\nmaintenance of utility infrastructure.<\/p>\n The regulation covers telecommunications networks, underground and\noverhead cables, cable ducts, poles and other supporting facilities.\nAmong its aims is to prevent damage to city infrastructure and threats\nto safety, comfort, security, public order and aesthetics.<\/p>\n The city government therefore has a legal basis for taking action\nagainst installations that breach the rules. But enforcement must be\naccompanied by clear procedures, accurate records and consistent\ntreatment of all network providers.<\/p>\n Verifying who owns each pole or cable, and issuing warnings in stages\nbefore removal, are important parts of the process.<\/p>\n This approach shows that firm action need not come at the expense of\nlegal certainty. Enforcement backed by administrative procedures is more\nrobust than action that produces only a short-term visual change.<\/p>\n Here the government faces a more fundamental challenge. Cable\nnetworks may belong to many service providers, while a particular pole\nor route may be shared.<\/p>\n When ownership is unclear, it becomes harder to determine who is\nresponsible. Disused cables may also be left behind because no party\nopenly claims them.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/cable-knots-governance-knots-1792115515",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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