India’s telecom infrastructure providers have raised concerns about a sudden halt in the supply of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) to telecom tower manufacturing units. They have warned that the disruption will affect tower production and slow nationwide network expansion.

Industry body Digital Infrastructure Providers Association (DIPA) has urged the government to intervene, saying the fuel restriction may affect manufacturing operations that support telecom networks and digital connectivity.

The association has written to the Department of Telecommunications seeking urgent action and requesting that LPG supplies be restored to telecom tower manufacturing facilities.

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LPG Supply Halt Disrupts Telecom Tower Manufacturing

According to the industry body, oil marketing companies stopped supplying LPG to telecom tower manufacturers from March 5 after an order from the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas directing that LPG procured by public sector firms be supplied only to domestic consumers.

Telecom tower production relies on LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) for galvanisation, a process that coats steel structures with zinc to prevent corrosion. Without a continuous fuel supply, manufacturing units face operational difficulties.

Industry representatives said some facilities have shifted to low-flame operations to prevent damage to galvanisation plants and maintain molten zinc. However, prolonged disruption could force plants to shut operations, as restarting these facilities requires significant time and resources.

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Industry Warns of Impact on Connectivity Expansion

DIPA said continued disruption could affect the telecom tower supply chain and delay ongoing and planned deployments. That could slow network expansion, particularly in uncovered or capacity-constrained areas.

The association also flagged concerns about the availability of energy for telecom infrastructure. During power outages, many mobile towers rely on diesel generators to maintain network uptime. Any disruption to fuel or electricity supplies could affect essential services, including voice and data connectivity and emerging 5G networks.

The industry body has asked the telecom department to take up the matter with the petroleum ministry and explore exemptions for telecom tower manufacturing units to enable the resumption of fuel supplies without affecting domestic LPG distribution.