HYDERABAD: The president of the Hyderabad Chamber of Small Traders and Small Industry (HCSTSI), Mohammad Saleem Memon, has strongly criticised the persistent failure of mobile networks and internet services in the city, stating that poor telecom performance has left citizens and the commercial sector in severe distress.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, Mr Memon highlighted that consumers have long endured weak signals, dropped calls, slow internet speeds and abrupt service blackouts. He cited a recent 10-hour network suspension on June 15 as definitive proof of the service providers’ failure to maintain reliable infrastructure.

The chamber chief emphasised that digital connectivity is now the backbone of commerce, banking, e-commerce, education and healthcare. He noted that the network is particularly vulnerable during electricity loadshedding, when mobile data services become almost entirely paralysed. This, he argued, indicates a widespread lack of functional backup power systems at local mobile towers.

Mr Memon also raised serious concerns over the pricing and billing strategies of telecom operators.

Published in Dawn, June 18th, 2026