ISLAMABAD – Sky-high fuel prices in Pakistan started to squeeze Pakistanis and now Telcom companies, who depend heavily on diesel generators to keep mobile towers running during power shortages, demand increase in tariffs.
Two of leading telecom companies officially approached Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) with a demand for mobile and internet tariff increases.
Telecom operators lamented mounting fuel and energy costs, and warned that the quality and continuity of telecom services are now at risk, especially in remote and underdeveloped regions. The companies revealed that their biggest burden comes from diesel-powered generators, which are essential for keeping cell towers running in far-flung and non-grid-connected areas.
With ongoing electricity load shedding and power shortages across Pakistan, reliance on these generators has increased sharply, causing operational expenses to spiral out of control.
They warned bluntly that if tariff adjustments are not approved, service degradation will become unavoidable, particularly in regions already suffering from energy shortages.
Operators also linked the crisis to ongoing geopolitical tensions between US-Iran, saying these tensions disrupted global oil supply chains and triggered a surge in fuel prices worldwide.
PTA is currently reviewing the request, and a 10% to 15% increase in telecom tariffs is now on the table, pending regulatory approval.
The fuel price situation has already been turbulent. In the first week of April 2026, petrol prices surged to Rs. 458.41 per litre After partial relief through petroleum levy adjustments, it dropped to Rs. 378 per litre. Current petrol price stands at Rs366 per litre.
Diesel prices also saw extreme volatility. HSD peaked at Rs. 520 per litre in early April, and was reduced to Rs385 per litre.
If approved, this could mean the next mobile recharge may cost significantly more than before, adding another burden on already strained household budgets.
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News Desk
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