Mobile Signal Goes During Load Shedding in Pakistan? Why, and How to Complain
Mobile signal gone in load shedding? Learn why towers fail in power cuts, what PTA began checking on 24 September 2026, and how to complain and stay reachable.
If your mobile signal goes every time the electricity goes in Pakistan, the tower near you probably has weak or missing battery backup. Note the times and your exact location, complain to your network, and if nothing changes, go to PTA on 0800-55055. PTA teams in nine zones began checking tower batteries, generators and solar systems on 24 September 2026, with a focus on load shedding areas.
The fan stops, the lights go, and a few minutes later the phone shows "No service". In areas with long load shedding, it can happen several times a day. It feels like two outages, but it is one. Mobile towers run on grid power, and when the grid goes they depend on batteries, generators or solar panels. Where that backup is weak or stolen, the tower switches off with your street. Load shedding has grown worse this month, with reports of up to four hours a day in some areas. Here is what PTA says it is doing, and what you can do about it.
Why the signal goes when the electricity goes
A mobile tower needs power to run. When the grid supply stops, the tower runs on its backup. If the batteries are old, the generator has no fuel, or the equipment has been stolen, the tower shuts down and every phone near it loses signal.
PTA has said this plainly. In its report on the April to June 2026 quality survey, released on 18 September 2026, it named prolonged load shedding as a persistent challenge for mobile service. It listed it alongside theft and vandalism of telecom equipment, fibre cuts and delays in getting permission to lay cables. PTA said it is working with the federal and provincial governments on steady commercial power for towers.
That is why the problem is worse in some places than others. One street can keep full signal through a four hour cut, while the next loses it in ten minutes. It depends on the tower serving you, not on your phone. Current power cut reports are covered in Pakistan's power shortfall and load shedding.
What PTA started checking on 24 September 2026
PTA said on 24 September 2026 that its teams had begun physical checks of power backup at telecom towers. They check batteries, generators and solar systems, in urban and rural areas, with particular attention to areas hit by load shedding.
| Detail | What PTA said |
|---|---|
| Start date | 24 September 2026 |
| Zonal offices doing checks | Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi, Quetta, Abbottabad, Peshawar, Multan, Faisalabad, Muzaffarabad |
| What is checked | Batteries, generators and solar power systems at towers |
| Focus | Areas affected by load shedding |
| Who joins the teams | Local representatives or their nominees, to point out weak signal spots |
| How often | The PTA chairman directed zonal offices to keep checking regularly |
The local representatives part matters for you. PTA says they help the teams find places where signal becomes weak or disappears during power cuts. So a well-documented complaint from your area, sent to your network, PTA or your local representative, can put your tower on the list.
PTA's statement did not say what happens to an operator whose backup fails a check. Nor did it give a deadline for fixing it.
How to complain when signal drops in power cuts
Complain to your network first, with the times of each outage and your exact address. If the problem continues, take the complaint reference number to PTA. A precise complaint about a pattern is much harder to close than "no signal".
- Keep a short log for a week: date, time the electricity went, time the signal went, and time both came back.
- Note your exact location: house, street, area and nearest landmark.
- Check whether people on other networks lose signal at the same time. If only your network fails, say so.
- Complain to your network: Jazz in the SIMOSA app or on 111, Zong on 310, Ufone on 333.
- Write down the complaint reference number the network gives you.
- If it is not fixed, complain to PTA on 0800-55055 or its online complaint system, with your log and reference number.
Say "during load shedding" in the complaint itself. It tells the network exactly where to look, at the tower's backup, and not at your SIM. The steps to complain about your mobile network to PTA show what PTA asks for.
Ways to stay reachable during a power cut
The simplest fix is a second SIM on a different network. Different networks may use different towers, so one can stay up when the other goes down. Your home Wi-Fi can also carry calls, if the router has power.
| Option | When it helps | Catch |
|---|---|---|
| Second SIM on another network | Your network's tower fails but another's stays up | Both may fail if they share a tower site |
| Wi-Fi calling | Home internet stays on during the cut | The router and the fibre box need backup power |
| Small UPS for the router | Keeps Wi-Fi on for a few hours | Your internet company's own equipment may also go down |
| Move to another spot | A different tower covers the next street | Not practical at night |
Wi-Fi calling works on your normal number and costs nothing extra on Jazz, Zong and Ufone. The steps to turn on Wi-Fi calling cover each phone brand. If you are buying a second SIM, PTA's survey results in the best mobile network in your city help you choose.
Keep your phone charged before scheduled load shedding. If your area is in Karachi, you can check the K-Electric load shedding schedule and plan around it.
When it is not the power cut
If signal goes at the same time every day, whether or not the power is off, the cause is something else. It may be a busy tower, a fault, or an internet suspension ordered by the government. If data is off for everyone in your city, see what still works when mobile internet is suspended.
And if your signal is weak all the time, inside one room, a power-cut complaint will not fix it. That is a coverage problem, and it needs a different complaint.
Common questions
Why does my mobile signal go during load shedding?
The tower serving you runs on grid power. If its battery, generator or solar backup is weak, it switches off when the electricity goes.
Is PTA doing anything about towers going down in power cuts?
Yes. On 24 September 2026, PTA said its zonal teams had begun checking tower batteries, generators and solar systems, focusing on load shedding areas.
Where do I complain about no signal during load shedding?
Complain to your network first with times and your location. If nothing changes, call PTA on 0800-55055 with the reference number.
Which cities are covered by PTA's tower checks?
PTA named its zonal offices in Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi, Quetta, Abbottabad, Peshawar, Multan, Faisalabad and Muzaffarabad. They cover urban and rural areas in their zones.
Will Wi-Fi calling work during a power cut?
Only if your router and the internet company's equipment have power. A small UPS for the router helps.
Do operators have to keep towers running in power cuts?
PTA's statement did not set a rule or deadline. It said it is checking backup and working with governments on steady power for towers.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
Last checked on 9 October 2026. Sources: PTA's press release of 24 September 2026, PTA begins checking telecom towers' power backup; and PTA's press release of 18 September 2026 on its Q2 2026 quality of service survey, on the PTA press releases page. The helpline numbers come from the networks' own support pages and PTA's website. Load shedding figures this month are press reports, not official data.
About the author
Technology Journalist & Multimedia Producer
Ahmad Ali is a technology journalist and multimedia producer at Pakistan Era, joining the team in October 2026. He covers consumer technology and digital life for Pakistani readers, combining research with hands-on product testing.
