Pakistan Telecommunication Authority has suspended Braintel’s LL license with immediate effect for violating license’s terms and condition.
PTA also directed all LDI, LL/WLL and Mobile operators to suspend all the telecommunication facilities given/exchanged with Braintel till further orders of the Authority.
Braintel’s license is suspended for developing a VOIP platform and providing Network Access and switching services to customers beyond Lahore.
It merits mentioning here that Braintel bears LTR LL license, which means it can provide telecommunication services in Lahore region only. In contrary to its license, through a SIP based telecom switch location in UK, braintel was allowing termination and origination of calls to its customers beyond Lahore through internet access.
Earlier PTA served Braintel a show cause notice dated 5th May, 2010 against the said violations. The Licensee submitted its preliminary reply on 7th May, 2010 and denied the allegations.
Braintel, in response, also approached Lahore High Court by filing a writ petition against PTA’s show’s cause notice, which was disposed of by the high court.
Here is the copy of PTA’s recent suspension determination (PDF File – 490 KB) issued to braintel.
It is totally wrong why PTA block these VOIP they provide cheap calls instead of expensive calls from mobile and landline.
I question if those who made this decision ever lived abroad and if they lived, did they notice how Pakistanis call Pakistan mostly and why before making such a stupid decision one knowing facts can ever imagine.
Well Done PTA for another action against public /overseas Pakistanis and directing flow of their money to overseas VoIP operators which will not bring a single penny to Governemnt.
How?
1- Grey telephony operators always terminate calls illegally and will now be on rise, this will get nothing to local operators/government in form of termination charges and tax.
2- Money paid to Braintel previously will now go to VoIP operators abroad (like DellMont, Betamax who offer very cheap call rates to Pakistan using grey telephony routes where Government and operators get nothing in tax or in termination charges) as only a small percentage of Pakistanis call Pakistan using their landlines/Mobile from abroad (which is always a legal telephony route) due to very high termination charges for Pakistan while India has actually brought it to zero promoting its International image and a very cheap way for overseas Indians to call their homeland.
Over these VoIP services abroad overseas Pakistanis can receive calls as well by caller calling a US/UK number even if called party is in middle east. So any local operator will not get paid for a call to middle east but for US/UK landline. PTA again has abosolutely no control over it.
PTA will never be able to see how positively its decision affected economy (which in fact will affect is very negatively as money will go to VoIP operators abroad from their pockets and not to a local VoIP operator which pays to Government in tax) and those VoIP operators terminate illegal grey traffic to Pakistan and pay not a penny to Government of Pakistan nor to local operator for termination.
When in world you can start your own VoIP service in just two hours and when many countries have brought termination charges to almost zero (India, Bahrain) to promote economy and link with the world and its overseas citizens with people back home,
PTA decisions are only meant to protect revenue of local LDIs and PTCL and has intentionally neglected facts which India, Europe, US and now some middle east countries have considered when allowing complete freedom of VoIP.
P.S. I lived years abroad and I know 99% Pakistanis don’t call using mobile/landline and only VoIP operators originating from Europe mostly and this gives 90% of their call money paid to go to these operators.
thats bullshit , how can u say 99% goes to abroad ?? its all shared among the voip abraod and local voip and the cellular companies have their normal tarrif , and if ur talking about govt. then just dont turn ur face of the realities , Malik’s voip r on the top , and reminding u cybercrime law is still NOT intact , WHY ? jus to do business freely these 2 3 years ,
y voip is banned in PAK , give me a single solid reason ..
if u wana keep banning it , shut the telecom Voip universities ist …
Not Good for over seas Pakistanis
Another bullshit decision by Illiterate Govt officials…
I agree with you Ahmed. Our Govt. is really illiterate.
Like we know how patriotic our politicians, Government and Military Generals are to this nation and country, this decision of PTA is based to benefit PTCL and local LDIs but in case of complete VoIP freedom what will happen ?
1 – PTA will give local VoIP operators licenses and Government will earn in fee and taxes that these operators will pay.
2- Pakistanis abroad will have local Pakistani numbers anywhere in the world and will pay to Pakistani companies and not to “gorras” and Indians (even Indians and Bangalis are into Grey telephony routes providing to Pakistan).
3- Pakistanis will be linked to their loved ones and will have a more strong bond with people back home calling at cheap rate, no doubt this will benefit and will cause more flow of money in Pakistan from expatriate Pakistanis.
But PTA intentionally neglected these facts and this intention needs investigation to raid on those who intentionally or due to lack of knowledge make such decisions.
can we guys rays voice against this on some plateform like face book or use media influence ….as it is not for the company rather it is for our counrty….as these poor labors having salary 600-1000 riyals will be paying to actionvoip …lowrate voip…or sauidi local operators ….they will work hard and return that moeny to saudi arabia or any other foreign country and pakistan will get nothing out of it….even if it is illegal …our laws can be modified…and voip operators may be allowed…as Voip/sip calls are future generation network calls….so oneday they have to change this ….so why not now …why not save our country from crises by opposing such actions…..
Being an engineer what i know this local networks systems is to be unified oneday …..why PTA does not consider these facts…
lets raise voice against PTA,s actions on voip oeprators in Pakistan…
i can bet they will come back in few days. its pakistan
First these _______ put our country in crises and people are forced to leave their loved ones and go abraod to earn….. {technical people not developing our own country rather others) then they try to sqeeze financially to get more and more financial difference…so that they have always things in control…
they never care for overseas etc.. they just want their benifits to be prioritiesed….. if braintel does not bribe …they will off course do this….but they never see their neighbor india who provides internet calls less .5 PKR/min to overseas indians…… if this was dangerous for the economy….why USA UK and India would allow so huge market of Voip operators….
[Comment Edited]
i dont know where these pakistani rulers will take pakistan…no one is sincere… each drop of blood is being sucked out of people of pakistan…we had a great facility of braintel while living abroad but these stupids has even taken it away…what the heck man…they have forgotton that one day they have to die…have just frogotton it…
It is beyond my comprehension that how can PTA segregate Voice with DATA. How can PTA stop DATA call. It is foolish. I think PTA will force the operator to stop charging termination charges. When there is no termination charges it mean no illegal call after it.
No termination Charges= No illegal Calls.
NOT GOOD
Net Neutrality key maa key
Grey routes wins again as you know it is big mafia
Hi
I am wondering why everyone is thinking about his pocket? Why not we are thinking about Country Pakistan???
BrainTel is bypassing the international Gateway and That is against the rules and all the revenue money is going to BrainTEL Pocket. Illeagal is always Illeagal.
BrainTEL is able to carryout this business because of the Black Sheeps in PTA and Paksitan Govt.
If BrainTel will continue like this WHERE DOES THE LEAGAL VOIP PROVIDER WILL STAND?? WHO ARE PAYING A HELL OF MONEY FOR LICENSE AND VOIP CHARGES.
Dear Mr. Asif specially for you….can you plz tell me how it is illegal ….and why did they give braintel a liscence to issue numbers if it was illegal….whole world is shifing to voip calls ….as voip calls are future generation global network…if it would be illegal then USA, Canada and UK would never have allowed it….inida our neighbor is has call rates less than PRs.0.5/min….actually PTA is not saving money they are contributing towards loss of economy…beings an overseas Pakistani, i would never call Pakistan through usual GSM network rather i would call through voip provider…if not brain i ll call through future-nine, TPAD, and frings out ….through all these calls, these voip operators will not pay anything to pakistan rather pakistan will be lossing money interms of foreign currncy….while braintel pays sales tax as well as withholding tax…around 31% on call charges was tax being paid to pakistan govt…conflicting issue is only that braintel cannot issue numbers outside lahore….and the number issued by braintel should be actually be present in lahore …PTA allowed braintel to use these numbers on internet…..but they cannot use outside lahore….if i can have USA Newyork number while sitting in Saudi Arabia through bramatelecom …and US govt. has no problem with it …rather why should they have problem as all of us are paying for this serives in dollers which contribute to their (USA) economy …why cannot i take pakistan local number and use it overseas and pay in Pakistani currency to braintel or any other voip operator…who is charging meny is Pakistani rupees …as this will eventually go to pakistan…but if i pay in dollers there is no way i will be paying to paksitan ….i feel really sorry for our country …i m calling even at lesser rates than briantel ( i.e. US$.018/min to call Pakistan)but i am supposed to pay in dollers and also no tax for our country …while wheather it is braintel or anyone…we pay them in pakistan in PKR plus 31% tax( 19% Sales tax + 11~12% withholding tax)goes to our country ….if i call through any forign network(weather it is GSM or Voip), will they pay Pak Govt…. will etisalat pay pakistani govt for calls …for the sake of Pakistan such networks should not be stopped rather their policies may be modified…as india is also doing that …they are making policies rather than stopping voip providers…plus u said “WHERE DOES THE LEAGAL VOIP PROVIDER WILL STAND” who is pakistani voip provider give any single name whose network is based in Pakistan and paying taxes to govt….plus comparable price with braintel…i ll personnally recommend people to get connection from them…
Hi Mr. Aslam
First of all BrainTel have a Local Loop License, not the LDI, All the numbers issued by BrainTel must be used within geographical limits of Lahore City Only because this local loop license is for Lahore only.
2nd. BrainTel is bypassing PTA’s International Gateway, that is strictly illeagal.
Outgoing Calls:
Call Routing is chat.brain.net.pk ( Physically Present in UK) =====>> BrainTel Switch ( Lahore ) ====> PTCL/Other Mobile Networks
Incoming Calls:
PTCL/Other Mobile Networks ==== > BrainTel Swtich ( Lahore) =====>>> chat.brain.net.pk
@ MR. ASLAM:
We should not compare regulations of other countries with Pakistan. this way you cannot prove that it is right or wrong.
At the moment PTA’s regulations doesnt permit it so it means it is illeagal.
Please note that Any VoIP Provider who is providing calls to Pakistan,, Pays Money to LDI Operators of Pakistan. He may be enjoying a little share of profit but actually all moeny goes to Pakistani LDI Operators.
Without having Call Landing platform of LDI Operators of Pakistan, one cannot initiate a call to pakistan.
Now the question is IF YOU LIKE BRAINTEL SERVICE….. Then why dont you ask Braintel to make it leagal, and get a LDI License, and Get the International DID License from PTA, When right path is available why to GO to WRONG Path?????????
All the LDI Provider who have spent a hell of money on their licenses & Providing Services to all international VoIP Providers like Fring, Skype, etc are facing less revenues due to this illeagal service.
Being a pakistani we should not say like “who is pakistani voip provider give any single name whose network is based in Pakistan and paying taxes to govt”
We should all oppose the wrong activities and help for the rule of law, We should not stand with companies who are breaking laws, We should stand with right.
To save some pennies we pakistani’s never think what is right or what is wrong…… May be this is due to lack of education or we have closed our minds for our country.
Please dont take it personal,
Thx
ASIF
–
Regards
Malik Asif Joyia
I totally agree with Muhammad Aslam……If braintel is ill legal why PTA issued lisence in first. I m sute PTA must be earning lots if of money through these heavy taxes.
Simple Answer: That is due to Black Sheeps in PTA & Govt of Pakistan :)
But they have tried to justify everything nicely in the document.
Please go through the document.
https://propakistani.pk/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/brain_tel_det_291110.pdf
Regards
@ Mr. Asif,
if laws are only meant for poor to make their life miserable then they must be changed…..first our country is put in crises …no body speaks about that …..then these poor become jobless….no body speaks about that….they leave country and serve like real slaves/servant in arab countries just to earn their bread n bread…did you ever speak about that…these labors were brought up in pakistan i wish they could develop our own country…
(skilled manpower is always asset of a nation)….
then overseas contribute to country economy considerably….once that earned revenue goes into to the pockets of these matric pass rather matric fail politicians ….everybody including u becomes silent ….once these poor try to talk to their loved once….then all laws/ weather right or wrong come in effect…..u just dont need to see what is written in contract of braintel…now hhas PTA ever been able to track those illegal voip operators….never …neither they can…specially networks based in isreal….now lets consdier the effect of LDI liscence …who will pay the price …again these poor people….not even me….as i can afford to call…and i dont need to beg PTA for cheaper calls….if LDI liscence becomes mandatory…call charges will be doubled ….and the effectees will again be poor labors…i beg all including you…let poor also live ….as these are dearest people of God….if rest of the world can relax poor by providing voip calls…(as rich dont need voip)…..if inspite of maximum concentration of GSM network use …our country remains poor…then just by banning braintel ….or voip services by other …u cannot make our country rich….i hope u remembr when first voice chat was launched …..if was banned by PTCL …if it was harmful …then y did they open…
“The licensee’s demand for blocking the said IP address will not solve the problem of
provisions of services. The reason being that the Authority can block the said IP in Pakistan only and
even after blocking it would remain operational for its customers using its services outside the country
being provided on the internet cloud”
they can only block in Pakistan…that too only local dialing number …not the UK number…..can they block chat.brain.net.pk from providing services….no never….can they separate voice calls from data being transmitted through internet….no….but yes they did snatch a good facility from poor…as poor were able to recieve calls from loved ones with local charges…this is maximum they could do…shameless engineers …
PTA is bullshit.
Some UK number is also not working … wht happend with that … when braintel will come back? any ideaa…
Dear All,
I called to BrainTEL Office; they are telling, service will be resuming on Wednesday.
i dont know either may be they are successful to convince PTA’s stupid management…
for those who are looking for alternative of brain:
for outgoing calls i am using “fringout” service as its rates are really good 4cents/min or 3p/min roughly 3.60/min for pakistan mobile and 1.8cents/min for landline calls to Pakistan ….mobile rates is same as was the rate of braintel (including taxes)but fringout call rate for landline is a little cheaper than braintel…all you guys can rely on this untill braintell service is resumed….
for incoming calls “bramatel” is canadian service which gives you local number of canada at 3.7 CAD/month also it is free subscription till feburary …..so one can use it for incoming calls as call rate from pakistan to canada is even less than local rates…….i am using their application for iPhone-4 …very good service indeed with iBLC codec…really good result…
all above for those looking for alternative of braintell…
Good News!
Braintel has resumed service…..
but few changes in their configuration…..
instead of 1001**** user name …
put user name: 44178580****
example
previous username: 10010874
New USer Name: 441785800874
previous domain: chat.brain.net.pk
New Domain: sip01.brains.net
password will remain same…
u can also visit http://www.brains.net for further explaination
Domain is chaged from chat.brain.net.pk to sip01.brains.net (same will be proxy)
you are required to make the above changes for braintel to get it working
but what about Call rate are same or change . and
incoming calls are free or now charging also?
Uptill now rates are same …. And incoming is free also ….. But they may change … I dont knw ….
HI,
they also charge Now Incoming calls 2.10 Rs per minute . Last Night i received call from lahore number 51 minutes after they charge me 110 Rs,
i cant say anything…how did you check that they charge you ….2.10/min…plz let me know also…as i am also recieving calls from pakistan….
u can check ur bill http://www.braintel.net.pk/Members
wht is out customer code.. kindly advices
cutomer code is usually …..like this…
if your number is registered on Muhammad Asif
then customer code will be M3****
**** is the last four digits of the number…
similarly….if number is registered to khalid rauf then
customer code wll be K3****
ist alphabet then 3 then last 4 digit of your number…
Not Good for over seas Pakistanis
U CAN CHECK UR BILL http://www.braintel.net.pk/Members
regards
[email protected]
i dont think soo they are charging on Incoming calls, Kindly confirm..
PTA is forcing us to use International VOIP companies to call Pakistan and letting Government to loose 29.5% TAX straight forward. Braintel was generating huge Revenue for the country but now Expatriates are switched to other VOIP sellers and still reaching their homes but looser is only and only country.
In addition to this, we as expatriates are paying 6 to 7 time higher rate for calling home country as compared to our neighbor country’s expatriates.
Our Government is not letting a single opportunity to let citizen live peacefully, either they are living in Country or Outside. Means have to pay high cost for keeping in contact with Pakistanis. Shame on such policies who are making Government to hate more n more.
[Comment Edited]
What the ____ ____ government has done this is about too kill people under their _____ decision rather cannot give us opertunities to do something and now taking us out of from the world. where we were getting some business lol
I must say the just think of them-self never for the people of there nation.
Who said it only can help to overseas people and this even help us bro we are doing too much with it.
Never go for success idiots always following to go down.
____ your all decision makers PTCL and If i have authority I must restrict you people from the whole nation.
Rascals stupid and Nonsense.
[Comment Edited]
WEL DONE PTA. I HOPE YOU KEEP CATCH ALL OTHERS AS WELL.
Can anybody update on the current status of BRAINTEL connection. I am thinking to buy one for using from abroad but don’t want to get it if it not works. Thank you.
Shame on you PTA. Working under the rule of same looters. Wait for the day when public will tear you apart for restricting them from each and every opportunity.