Hyderabad, Jan. 25 -- There was a time when the cable mafia was ruling the roost in the old city. Now it is the Internet mafia who is calling the shots. There is none who can challenge the hegemony of this mafia in the old city who seemed to have powerful political patronage behind them.

Unlike the new city, the cable laying works ACT, BSNL and JIO was not possible so far thanks mainly to this mafia. As a result, the people in the old city are forced to use the slow and costly internet service.

Private internet providers have laid their optic cables in many areas of the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad. Airtel fibre optic service too had commenced elsewhere. About the lack of optic cable service in the old city, it is said that...