Mumbai, March 20 -- Commuters on the 33.5-km Aqua line or Mumbai Metro 3 may soon face total mobile and internet blackout as the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MMRCL) has terminated its contract with the firm which built and maintained infrastructure for mobile and internet connectivity in the fully-underground metro corridor, MMRCL officials told Hindustan Times. "We have terminated the contract with ACES India as there was a lot of opposition from telecom companies who have been complaining of being arm-twisted for months now," a senior MMRCL official said on condition of anonymity. ACES India, a subsidiary of the Saudi Arabia-based ACES, was engaged by MMRCL to install centralised telecom infrastructure on the Aarey to Cuffe Parade Aqua line, reportedly at a cost of Rs.120 crore. Under terms of the contract, the company was supposed to receive fees from telecom providers who used the centralised system to provide mobile and internet services. Despite the passage of nearly five months since the entire Aqua Line became operational, mobile and internet connectivity has been non-existent or choppy. "The bone of contention between telecom companies and ACES India was the payment of fees," the official quoted earlier said. "Telcos said the fee was too high. They even offered to install their own equipment rather than use the centralised system." Telecom company representatives raised similar concerns. "The rents are exorbitant and commercially unviable. Users expect cheap connectivity," said a telecom company representative on condition of anonymity. MMRCL sources said that over the months, telecom companies had been pressuring the authorities to do away with the infra provider who was acting like a middleman and instead directly deal with them. Telecom companies had, in the past, also said that the centralised system could have been set up for only Rs.30-40 crore. MMRCL chose to terminate the contract with ACES India after multiple negotiations between telcos and the infra provider failed, sources said. "There is a possibility that ACES India may deactivate the centralised system and take back the equipment and assets," a second MMRCL official said. "If that happens, commuters could face blackouts for some time." As a way out, MMRCL might ask telcos to build their own infrastructure at the 27 stations and in the tunnel, which could take some time, the official explained....