Internet Packages May Get Expensive Soon

Concerns have been raised about potential price hikes for internet and telecom packages in Pakistan, as infrastructure operators warn of steep increases in the costs of laying and maintaining telecom cables. The Pakistan Telecommunication Access Providers Association (PTAPA) has turned to Punjab authorities and the federal government to address these rising costs, which are being imposed on telecom operators at the Quaid-e-Azam Industrial Estate (QIE).

Under new rates introduced by the QIE management, the annual rent for aerial telecom cables has skyrocketed from Rs. 50 to Rs. 300 per meter, while underground infrastructure charges have also surged. The one-time right-of-way (ROW) fee for buried cables has jumped 333 percent, from Rs. 300 to Rs. 1,000 per meter, and annual rent has doubled from Rs. 100 to Rs. 300 per meter, a 200 percent increase. Even the one-time supervision fee for buried cables has climbed 213 percent, from Rs. 80 to Rs. 250 per meter.

PTAPA argues that these revised charges violate the federal government's Public & Private Right of Way Policy Directives and urges authorities to enforce the approved policy. The association contends that ROW charges should be based on a no-profit-no-loss principle, covering the cost of providing the service rather than serving as a source of commercial revenue.

Moreover, PTAPA claims telecom operators already paying approved tariffs for using electricity distribution company poles should not face additional permission or NOC charges.

The association has called on authorities to intervene urgently to facilitate permissions for laying new infrastructure that are currently being withheld, as such restrictions could hinder the expansion of telecom infrastructure and impact the availability of essential internet and communication services to businesses in the industrial estate. PTAPA urges for a review of the revised charges in accordance with the federal ROW policy.