Telecom tower manufacturers on Tuesday expressed concern over the stoppage of LPG supply, warning that it may impact the continuity of mobile and internet services across the country. LPG supplies for telecom tower manufacturers have been stopped by oil firms following a government order directing that the fuel be provided solely to domestic LPG consumers, digital infrastructure industry body Digital Infrastructure Providers Association (DIPA) said.
The telecom tower infrastructure sector has expressed apprehension that the fuel crisis, triggered by the current geopolitical developments, may affect the continuity of mobile and internet services nationwide. The industry has sought government intervention to prioritise power supply for the sector.
DIPA seeks urgent government intervention
The digital infrastructure industry body has written to Telecom Secretary Amit Agarwal seeking urgent intervention in the matter.
“LPG supplies to telecom tower manufacturing companies from Oil Marketing Companies have been discontinued with effect from March 5, 2026, following the order issued by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas directing that LPG procured by public sector OMCs be supplied solely to domestic LPG consumers,” DIPA said in response to a PTI query.
Impact on tower manufacturing operations
According to the industry body, the suspension of LPG supplies has created a serious operational challenge for tower manufacturing units, as galvanisation operations used in tower production are largely LPG or LNG-fired.
“To prevent damage to galvanisation plants and maintain zinc in molten form, some manufacturing partners have shifted to low-flame operations. However, if the disruption continues, plants may be forced to remove molten zinc and shut down operations entirely. Restarting these facilities requires significant time, which could lead to prolonged disruption in tower manufacturing,” DIPA said.
Risk to telecom network expansion
DIPA, whose members include Indus Towers, Ascend Telecom Infrastructure, Vodafone Idea and Gentari India, said a continued halt in LPG or LNG supplies is likely to affect the telecom tower manufacturing supply chain and delay ongoing and planned tower deployment.
“This could affect network expansion and efforts to strengthen telecom connectivity, particularly in uncovered and capacity-constrained areas,” the industry body said.
Request to restore LPG and LNG supplies
DIPA has requested the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to take up the issue with the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas so that LPG and LNG supplies to telecom tower manufacturing units can be exempted from the order dated March 5, 2026, and restored at the earliest.
Concerns over power and fuel vailability
The industry body has also raised concerns regarding the dependence of mobile towers on diesel generator sets during grid outages.
“Telecom towers form the backbone of India’s telecom networks and digital public infrastructure, and any disruption in fuel availability could affect network uptime and the continuity of essential digital services,” it said.
Telecom connectivity critical for essential services
DIPA emphasised that uninterrupted telecom connectivity is vital for voice and data services, 5G networks, national security operations, emergency and disaster response systems, digital governance platforms, financial transactions, healthcare and telemedicine, and other mission-critical services.
The association has also requested the Department of Telecommunications to take up the matter with the Ministry of Power and advise state utilities and DISCOMs to ensure priority electricity availability for telecom infrastructure and mobile tower sites across the country.
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