In Odessa, residents demanded a plan from the municipal utility company regarding buildings tangled in cables

In Odesa, city council members are demanding that the municipal utility “Odesa Engineering Networks” provide a concrete plan for organizing the cables that are tangled around building facades, as they have yet to see any noticeable results from the work.

This issue was discussed at a meeting of the Odessa City Council’s Committee on Emergency Situations and Their Consequences, Ecology, and Digital Transformation.

For six years now, I’ve been trying to understand what the “Odessa Engineering Networks” utility actually does. As far as I understand, its main task is to combat illegally laid cables on building facades, in building entrances, and on rooftops. However, I currently see no results from this work,” said the council member, who is also a member of the committee.

The council member noted that one need only walk into any courtyard in central Odesa to see facades tangled with cables, which mar the appearance of the buildings and are gradually falling into disrepair. According to him, there is no systematic, planned work being done. 

As reported by a representative of the municipal enterprise, 257 on-site inspections related to the removal or relocation of equipment have been conducted since the beginning of the year.

He also cited a scandalous case in which someone illegally installed a pipe on the roof of a high-rise building and anchored it to the floor slab. Local authorities and the prosecutor’s office investigated the situation; the pipe was removed, and there have been no complaints from residents.

Committee Chair Mykhailo Karpenchuk asked about funding. The municipal enterprise representative replied that the enterprise does not receive budget funds and operates solely through its own commercial activities. According to him, these revenues are fully sufficient to cover the salaries of 19 employees.

The company receives funds under contracts with operators and internet service providers for the installation of telecommunications networks. The representative did not specify the annual amount. He explained that the cost is calculated individually for each contractor. As an example, he cited a provider with 700 locations, where a single location might cost 52 hryvnias.

When asked by a council member who issues permits for installing cables in courtyards, on building facades, and on roofs, the representative replied that the company does not do so.

According to him, in most cases, these are networks for which “Ukrtelecom” grants installation permits, since the city’s cable ducts remain under its control. Inspectors visit the sites and invite representatives of the providers to determine who owns the networks.

When asked by a council member whether providers were laying cables without authorization, the company representative replied that this was essentially the case.

Consideration of the issue was postponed until the next meeting. By then, company representatives are to prepare an action plan and report on their progress.

Ірина Глухова