Telecom operators have objected to steep increases in charges for telecom cable infrastructure at Quaid-e-Azam Industrial Estate (QIE), Lahore, with the annual rent for aerial cables rising by 600%.

The Pakistan Telecommunication Access Providers Association (PTAPA) has asked authorities to review the revised charges, warning that higher costs for telecom infrastructure could add pressure on the cost of providing internet and other communication services.

According to the association, the annual rent for aerial cable installations has increased from Rs50 to Rs300 per meter.

Charges for underground cables have also witnessed major increases. The one-time buried right-of-way (ROW) charge has risen from Rs300 to Rs1,000 per meter, while the annual rent has increased from Rs100 to Rs300 per meter.

The one-time supervision fee for buried cables has also been raised from Rs80 to Rs250 per meter.

PTAPA said the revised rates, which were made effective from December 18, 2024, are not consistent with the federal government’s Public & Private Right of Way Policy Directives.

The association argued that ROW fees charged by public authorities should generally be based on the cost of providing the relevant service rather than being used as a source of commercial revenue.

It also pointed to provisions of the federal policy stating that telecom licensees using electricity distribution companies’ poles and paying the applicable approved tariffs should not be required to pay additional NOC or permission fees to the owner of the area.

PTAPA said the QIE management was charging telecom operators for both underground and aerial infrastructure and claimed that the revised rates were unjustified.

The association further alleged that telecom companies were being pressured to pay the new charges and were facing difficulties in obtaining permissions to install new infrastructure.

PTAPA warned that delays in approving new telecom infrastructure could affect the expansion of internet and communication services in the industrial estate.

The association has urged the relevant authorities, including the Punjab Board of Revenue, QIE management, PTA, the Ministry of IT and Telecom and the Cabinet Division, to intervene and ensure that the charges comply with the federal ROW policy.

The complaint was submitted on behalf of 14 telecom operators, including PTCL, LDN, Cybernet, Wateen Telecom, Multinet, Nayatel, Transworld, Brain Tel, Web Concept, KK Network, Vision Telecom, Hellium, Redtone and Nexlinx/Telenex.