Centrosur Says 60-70% of Cuenca's Overhead Cabling Is Unused
Cuenca Expat Staff
Cuenca's messy overhead cables are getting a formal cleanup push.
Centrosur says it has removed more than five tons of unused telecom cabling in the last two months across different parts of Cuenca.
The company's executive president, Diego Morales, says between 60% and 70% of the aerial cabling is obsolete or no longer actively connected.
Where Work Has Happened
Removal work has been carried out with telecom operators in areas including:
- Avenida Unidad Nacional
- Remigio Crespo
- Guayas
- Tungurahua
- Centro Historico
- Sucre parish
- Totoracocha
The next Cuenca area listed for continued intervention is Yanuncay.
Why It Matters
Centrosur says the accumulation of cables, tapes and other elements on utility poles affects technical operation, makes infrastructure harder to access and reduces crew efficiency.
The cleanup also aims to reduce visual pollution and improve maintenance of the electrical system.
Older copper cables can be recovered and moved into a circular-economy process. Fiber optic cable must be handled by authorized environmental operators.
Proposed Ordinance
Centrosur is preparing an ordinance for presentation to the Cantonal Council.
The proposal includes:
- Mandatory transition from aerial to underground networks where technically feasible
- Municipal rules and sanctions around land-use authority
- Regulation of access, use and occupation of electrical infrastructure by operators
- Charging registered operators for pole use
- Requiring operators to declare support points used
Centrosur would coordinate the process, while sanctioning authority would involve Arcotel.
What This Means For Expats
This is one of those city-quality issues you notice every day without thinking about it: tangled overhead wires, cluttered poles, and slow maintenance.
If the ordinance moves forward, the practical result could be cleaner streetscapes and easier infrastructure maintenance, especially in older and denser parts of Cuenca.
