ISPs and PTCL Customers Bear the Brunt of Strikes

PTCL customers who were already suffering from worst possible sale and after support facilities at PTCL are left in middle of nowhere during ongoing employees’ PTCL employees’ strike  against the management for not increasing their

salaries in accordance with the government decision.

Country wide lock-down of PTCL exchanges has resulted into a complete shut-down of after sale and support services for voice, IPTV, broadband, Wireless Internet and Dial-up.

Not a single voice or data related complain has been addressed during the strike.

Effected customers include the DSL base of other ISPs due to no activity at PTCL exchanges. Hence,

• No new DSL connection is possible
• Repair work of DSL lines is impossible
• Changing of ISP for a customer during strikes is impossible

EVO customers who pay their bills at OSS centers (as not all EVO customers can pay through prepaid cards and MCB bank) are waiting for restoration of services to pay their bill.

Those miserable customers who rely on PTCL for their voice needs are also left with no option but to wait for the strike to get over.

The PTCL system has been severely damaged in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa due to floods but the rehabilitation works has not started there due to various reasons, including workers’ strike.

In this tussle of employees and management, end customer is looking at PTA as regulatory authority to get their issues resolved, however, regulator has not played any role to mediate between PTCL employees and management for the sake of customers.

Broadband ISPs are worried on their end for loosing their business due to strikes, as they largely rely on PTCL for offering DSL services.