Telecom News Bulletin

Country’s Telecom sector has decided to ‘knock’ at the ‘doors’ of federal government and ministry of IT and S& T for what they termed as in human decision to replace more than 1,5000 cell sites in a mere gap of ten days by the end of June.

Sources in the telecom sector revealed that although they favour the decision but the time span allocated for completion of the activity is not possible even if they work round the clock. So the last resort available to them is Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication for its prompt action in the defence of cellular phone operators and their millions of subscribers.

The correspondent when approached Telenor for its official version on the issue, its Manager Integrated Corporate Communication Areej Aurangzeb Khan came out with following version.

“Telenor Pakistan can confirm that it has along with other mobile operators received a letter from the Government of Punjab which asks mobile operators to switch all of their BTS towers  and billboards to solar energy usage within only 30 days. Telenor Pakistan is contacting authorities for details about this apparently impossible task. After getting details, we will review and revert to the competent authority in due course of time.”

All Telecom operators are clueless as government of Punjab haphazardly managed to send letters to operators leaving them puzzled and clueless.

The Irrigation and Power Department, Ministry of Punjab ordered recently that all mobile phone operators switch their cell sites and advertisement billboards over solar energy from electricity, otherwise Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) will cut off their electric supplies across the province by June-end.

The operators have also received notice from National Energy Conversation Centre (ENERCON), asking them to provide details about their cell sites and number of billboards across Punjab.

Telecom Sources said operators showed their agreement on the transition of electric-run cell sties from solar-run in different phases as part of long-term strategy in the largest interest of the country but operators said they could not replace its thousands of cell sites this short span.

Punjab Outdoors Advertiser Association President Imran Jafary told that the billboards in Punjab had been operational on self-generation since 2007. He said on the instructions of the Punjab chief minister, the Punjab government has been removing billboards in Lahore. The billboards have already been switched over to solar power or generators and, therefore, they fear no action.