Due to the excessive gasoline costs and strict restrictions on the import of batteries, telecom firms have warned the government of probable connectivity problems if the power crisis persists.
Leading cellular mobile operators (CMOS), according to Dawn, have submitted a letter to the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) underlining that despite having generators and batteries as backup, they are unable to handle the situation due to the significant power outages. According to the telcos, power disruptions have lasted longer than their backup capacity.
The availability of backup for their base transceiver station (BTS) locations has reportedly been further restricted by the large increase in gasoline prices, according to the telecom companies.
The telecoms have cautioned that the scenario has made maintaining network availability a "huge problem," adding that the extra fuel consumption to ensure backup also goes against the government's goal of rationalising fuel consumption in the continued difficult economic circumstances.
The State Bank of Pakistan's requirement for a 100% cash margin restriction on the import of network/backup equipment, including batteries, was noted in the letter as having made matters worse.
The scenario, according to CMOs, has seriously hindered their ability to launch additional sites in order to comply with the approved quality of service standards. The letter said that it has also seriously hampered the deployment of additional backup capacity to handle power disruptions.
PTA has been requested by the telecom firms in order to continue offering the public necessary telecom services. The operators have informed PTA that they will be "forced to report scenario under special circumstances" if the outages persist and other problems are not fixed.