Telecom operators resent 300pc hike in router prices

The Telecom Operators Association (TOA) has raised concerns over a 300 per cent increase in the price of fibre broadband routers, warning that the hike contradicts the government’s Digital Pakistan Vision and could jeopardise the broadband expansion in the country. In a letter to the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunications and the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), the TOA argued that the valuation set by the customs department is unrealistic. The association said that Valuation Order No. 1931/2024 issued by Pakistan Customs has raised the price of optical network terminals (ONTs) with RF (cable TV) ports from $50 to $165 per unit, while the rate for Wi-Fi-only ONTs has also increased from $27 to $44. These ONTs are specialised networking devices used exclusively by fibre broadband operators like PTCL, Nayatel, Cybernet and Transworld, among others.