Cybernet-owned internet service provider StormFiber has allegedly notified customers of an upcoming 8% price increase on base monthly package charges effective May 1, 2026.
It marks the company’s first official price revision in over half a decade, according to customer notifications circulating on social media. A billing notice shared on the r/PakistaniTech subreddit shows monthly charges for the 20/25 Mbps triple play package increasing from PKR 2,876 to PKR 3,106, representing a PKR 230 monthly increase that applies to base package charges only while taxes, add-ons, equipment charges and other fees continue to be billed separately.
StormFiber operates as the consumer-facing fiber-to-the-home brand of Cybernet, a subsidiary of the Lakson Group that became Pakistan’s first Tier-1 internet service provider in November 2022 after launching the PEACE submarine cable connecting Pakistan to Europe, Southeast Asia, East Africa and the Middle East.
The company expanded to 25 cities across Pakistan as of January 2025 including Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Faisalabad, Peshawar, Multan, Quetta, Hyderabad, Rawalpindi, Chitral and more than 15 additional urban centers, leveraging GPON-based fiber optic infrastructure that provides over 600 Gbps of international bandwidth capacity.
The fiber-to-the-home provider cited increased operational costs as the primary driver behind the price adjustment, stating in the customer notification that the revision is necessary to reflect higher costs for operating, maintaining and upgrading the fiber network. The company specifically mentioned escalating expenses for network equipment, energy, fiber cables and associated materials, field operations and service delivery as contributing factors. StormFiber emphasized its commitment to providing reliable high-speed fiber broadband and continuing to invest in the quality and performance of its network infrastructure operating under its “Built in Pakistan, Building Pakistan” mission statement.
The timing of the price increase comes as Pakistan’s fiber broadband market experiences rapid growth with subscriber counts reaching 2.6 million as of February 2026 compared to fewer than 70,000 in 2018 according to Wikipedia.
The broader market context shows Pakistan’s internet ecosystem serving 161 million users with 3.6 million fixed broadband subscribers and over 200 internet service providers competing for market share, however StormFiber has positioned itself as a premium alternative to state-owned PTCL and other competitors including Nayatel and Transworld Home through its unlimited data packages with no fair usage policy caps.
Industry observers note that other major internet service providers including PTCL, Nayatel and Transworld have implemented similar price adjustments over the past 18 months amid inflation pressures and rising energy costs. Although StormFiber had maintained stable pricing for a longer period compared to competitors.
The company faces ongoing operational challenges common to Pakistan’s fiber optic providers including obtaining no-objection certificates for network expansion, resistance from local cable operators and infrastructure deployment costs in non-premium areas despite coverage in 25 cities.
Customer reaction data and broader market impact remain unclear as the price change has not been widely publicized through official channels.
As one commenter lamented:
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The May 1, 2026 implementation date gives affected subscribers approximately two weeks’ notice to evaluate alternative service providers or adjust to the higher monthly costs, while StormFiber continues to offer packages ranging from entry-level 10 Mbps plans starting at PKR 1,749 to premium offerings exceeding PKR 14,399 monthly across its coverage footprint.
