Uruguay's state-owned utility is removing fiber optic cables on its infrastructure that was installed without its permission.

The Administración Nacional de Usinas y Transmisiones Eléctricas (UTE) this month announced it is to remove the fiber cables laid illegally by several private companies that use its columns and power lines without official authorization.

The measure follows a complaint filed by the state-owned telecommunications company Antel, which warned about the improper use of public infrastructure by television operators and Internet providers in different Uruguayan departments.

The board of directors of UTE approved the resolution after noting the irregular installations made by cable operators, some of them linked to foreign groups such as the Argentine broadcaster Grupo Clarín. These companies have allegedly used the state-owned power lines to deploy fiber optic services and compete commercially with Antel, reducing their infrastructure costs at the expense of legality.

The practice was detected in areas of the interior of the country, especially in the departments of Salto and Paysandú, where workers hired in Argentina carried out the installation works.

In addition to the economic damage to Antel, it was pointed out that this activity represents a risk for the operators, due to the proximity of the electrical cables during the installation of signal repeaters.

The president of Antel, Alejandro Paz, took the complaint to the board of directors of UTE, which in turn transferred the case to the executive branch. The Minister of Industry, Energy and Mining, Fernanda Cardona, confirmed that her portfolio is supervising the removal process and will analyze possible sanctions against the companies involved

The state agency emphasized that the use of public infrastructure without a permit constitutes a serious infraction and that the tasks of removing the wiring will begin in the next few days in the locations where the illegal wiring was detected.

With this decision, UTE seeks to reaffirm its control over its distribution network and to guarantee that the expansion of private telecommunications services is carried out within the regulatory framework in force and with adequate safety standards.