Senate panel alarmed by widespread internet degradation, fuel theft at telecom sites

ISLAMABAD: A Senate subcommittee expressed alarm Monday over deteriorating internet services and rampant fuel theft from telecom sites, revealing that over 9,200 incidents have affected about 16% of Pakistan's cellular infrastructure in just 11 months. Senator Sadia Abbasi's subcommittee reviewed challenges to nationwide telecom service continuity.

Officials from the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) reported that Sindh province suffered the most, with 3,938 fuel theft cases. Punjab followed with 2,827 incidents, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with 1,668, and Balochistan with 716. Persistent loadshedding exacerbates the problem, rapidly depleting backup batteries and generators.

The PTA is collaborating with the energy sector to secure dedicated power feeders and deploy smart transformers for critical telecom nodes. Meanwhile, the Universal Service Fund (USF) is implementing infrastructure projects in Balochistan, though severe security vulnerabilities and diesel theft continue to hinder operations. The committee urged strict legal action against those involved in theft and vandalism.

In parallel, the panel reviewed network modernization efforts, including recent spectrum auctions that expanded bandwidth and the upcoming issuance of 5G licenses. Targets include significantly increasing average 4G speeds, mandating the rollout of 1,000 new sites annually, and introducing advanced services like Voice over LTE. Stringent network downtime thresholds have been set for mobile operators, with penalties for non-compliance. The committee emphasized that internet access should be classified as an essential service.