ISLAMABAD: A government-established task force on Thursday held its first consultative meeting to explore a framework for extending industrial electricity tariffs to Pakistan’s telecom sector, as authorities seek to reduce operating costs and improve the resilience of communication networks, sources familiar with the discussions said.

The meeting marked the beginning of work on a proposed framework aimed at providing electricity tariff relief to telecom operators, with participants discussing mechanisms for bringing the sector under an industrial power tariff regime.

According to sources, telecom industry representatives presented a detailed case highlighting the importance of industrial electricity rates, arguing that commercial power tariffs have significantly increased financial pressure on operators and constrained investment in network infrastructure.

The task force also reviewed measures to ensure uninterrupted telecom services during prolonged power outages, including proposals related to smart grid integration, dedicated power feeders for telecom infrastructure, and the adoption of industrial electricity tariffs.

Sources said the task force will formulate recommendations covering smart grid deployment, dedicated electricity feeders, and a sustainable tariff structure to strengthen the country’s telecommunications infrastructure.

The Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication will prepare the task force’s Terms of Reference (ToRs), while participants agreed to convene the next meeting within the next 10 days.

Representatives from the Power Division, the telecom industry, the telecom regulator, and the Ministry of IT and Telecommunication attended the consultative session, according to sources.