Some Facts about Pakistan Telecom Industry

  • pakistan-telecomPTA successfully liberalized the telecom sector of Pakistan in an efficient, transparent and fastest deregulation of telecom in the region
  • The Government of Pakistan gave the status of Industry to Pakistan Telecommunication Sector
  • With de-regulation of telecom sector, PTA awarded 14 Long Distance and International licenses, 38 fixed local loop licenses and 17 Wireless Local Loop licenses.
  • Under the deregulation process PTA awarded two new Cellular Mobile Licenses to Warid Telecom and Telenor Pakistan for US$ 291 Million through open auction, while renewed other 2 licenses for Mobilink and Paktel against same value.
  • In 2007 Azad Jammu and Kashmir council adopted the Pakistan Telecom Act 1996, and PTA’s jurisdiction was expanded to reach AJK and NA.
  • PTA awarded five Cellular Mobile Licenses for AJK and NA while 13 companies were awarded total of 24 licenses for Long Distance International, Fixed Local Loop, Wireless Local Loop and Class Value added services categories.
  • Pakistan Telecom Authority is capable of tracking gray traffic (illegal traffic) thanks to a technical facility installed, after which PTA in collaboration with Police has raided and closed many illegal telecom businesses.
  • PTA got implemented IMEI system to curb handset thefts, through this facility, customers can block their mobile phones if they provide IMEI and other details.
  • Pakistan Telecom Sector successfully implemented the Mobile Number Portability (MNP) and became first country in South Asia to have MNP
  • There is a Consumer Protection Directorate (CPD) at PTA to protect telecom consumer
  • Almost 92 Percent of Pakistani Population has access to telecom services
  • Total teledensity of Pakistan for Cellular, fixed, WLL is 60.4 percent (as of October 2008)
  • Total Mobile Subscribers in the country are 90.5 million with cellular teledensity of 56 percent (as of October 2008)
  • Total fixed line subscribers stand at 4.4 million
  • PTCL share more than 90 percent share in Fixed line market
  • There are total of 2.3 million Wireless Local Loop subscribers in Pakistan, WLL teledensity is 1.5 percent
  • Total payphones working in the country, both fixed and wireless are 449,121
  • Total broadband subscribers in Pakistan are 170,000
  • Total dial-up users in Pakistan are 3.7 million
  • Telecom sector of Pakistan has a share of almost 2 percent in National GDP
  • In 2007/08 Telecom sector fetched total of US$ 1,438 million Foreign Direct investment, that counts 27 percent of total FDI coming in the country
  • Total Investment made during 2007-08 in all segments of Telecom Sector was US$ 3,113 million
  • Total Telecom revenues of Pakistan in 2007-08 reached Rs. 278 billion, which were 18 percent more than of previous year
  • Mobile Cellular Companies share 56 percent of total telecom revenues
  • Telecom sector is also a major contributor to national exchequer and deposited more than Rs. 111.63 billion only in year 2007-08
  • Telecom sector submitted total of Rs. 44.61 billion as GST/CED to Federal Board of Revenue in 2007-08

Source: PTA’s Annual Report

Tech and telecom reporter for over 15 years


  • koi GPRS ka esa pekij hai jis jo sasta bi ho dosry internet cable ki nisbat thek ho downloding ic sy achi ho jis ko har jgahn istamal karny main aasani ho Thanks

  • well all the facts and figures speak for themselves.. the teleocm sector is truly a positive force in the country providing cheapa dn hard to believe extremely reliable serives all throughtout and even more shockingly out of the ocuntry as well..

    byt we have to wonder where all this money is going in the end…

    Do we have any local Pakistani company that is making this revenue…

    i think PTCL should have been left as a gov organization and UFONE should be a gov op Mob Service provider…

    as i said before the numbers speak for themselves…

    i think that a local pakistani company would be more of a positive force for the pakistani economy than all the other outside companines….


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