NA Committee Seeks Measures to Protect Telecom Towers From Load Shedding

The National Assembly Standing Committee on IT and Telecom has raised concerns over the impact of load shedding on telecom services and called for measures to ensure an uninterrupted power supply to telecom towers.

The committee meeting was held under the chairmanship of Syed Amin-ul-Haque. IT Secretary Zarar Hasham briefed the committee on efforts to address power-related problems faced by telecom companies.

NA Committee Seeks Measures to Protect Telecom Towers From Load Shedding

The committee discussed the possibility of providing express feeders to telecom infrastructure to reduce the impact of load shedding. Officials said discussions had already taken place with the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) and the Power Division regarding separate electricity connections for telecom infrastructure.

The IT Secretary said the ministry was working with K-Electric on ways to protect telecom towers from load shedding. He noted that power outages do not only affect electricity supply but also disrupt businesses and digital services.

Committee members also questioned why telecom towers continue to face problems despite companies maintaining battery and diesel backup systems.

A committee member, Atiq Ahmed, said diesel backups had been discontinued in some cases because of diesel theft. As a result, some telecom sites now rely mainly on batteries during power outages.

Members expressed concern that load shedding was affecting a large number of people, including freelancers and businesses that depend on reliable internet services.

The committee member Sadiq Memon said the committee was not satisfied with the performance of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and the Ministry of IT in resolving the issue. He called for responsible officials to provide clear solutions instead of repeatedly discussing the same problem in committee meetings.

Memon also criticized the use of technical language during committee briefings, saying lawmakers needed clear explanations that could help them understand the problems and possible solutions.

The committee also discussed the status of telecom companies as an industry. Officials said the telecom sector received industry status in 2004, while the Finance Act 2021 also recognized telecom as an industry.

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However, NEPRA has not accepted the industry’s claim for an industrial electricity tariff, according to ministry officials. Committee members questioned why the issue remained unresolved after more than two decades.

The committee directed the Ministry of IT to complete the required paperwork on the matter. It also decided to summon NEPRA officials over the issue of not providing industrial tariffs to telecom companies.

The IT Ministry said it was also working to secure express feeders for telecom companies. The secretary said an industrial tariff could help telecom operators reduce their electricity costs.

He added that the ministry would encourage telecom companies to use these savings to invest in batteries and strengthen backup power systems.

The committee’s discussions highlighted the growing importance of reliable electricity supplies for Pakistan’s telecom and digital economy, particularly as more businesses and freelancers depend on uninterrupted internet connectivity.