Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has set US $ 1,000 annual license fee for Satellite Bandwidth Providers (SBP) for their commercial services within the designated regions.
The authority has taken initiative to revisit the satellite licensing framework in order to increase the efficacy of the SBP with streamlining their business operations, terms and conditions with different telecom operators.
The proposed regulatory framework for satellite services and licensing 2011 defines that SBP is a PTA licensed seller of a satellite bandwidth with one or more transponder capacity or one or more satellite having footprint over Pakistan.
It further said that SPB will not be a user of bandwidth within Pakistan. It could be the original owner of the satellite, or a sole entity having entire bandwidth selling rights with footprints over Pakistan.
Class license holders including DNOPs and NVCNS etc, have to obtain capacity through the LL and LDI operators because they are disallowed to operate their own PSTN or core networks.
PTA stated that SBP will obtain satellite bandwidth through Long Distance International (LDI) and Landline (LL) operators within the scope of their license. The SBP will be license shall obtain security clearance from the government of Pakistan via PTA.
All eligible licensees of PTA desiring bandwidth shall first approach LDI and LL to obtain bandwidth through terrestrial, satellite or VSAT links. PTA will intervene if LDI and LL operators do not provide bandwidth to applicant after certain period for settlement of issue, the proposed regulation of PTA said.
The licensed SBP with bandwidth selling rights will also provide satellite links to applicants with a time period of 3 years or less.
PTA suggested regulations stated that satellite bandwidth provisioning through SBP will be provided through a local hub for all links (time and space switching not allowed) m maintained and operated by LDI or LL operators.
The logs shall be maintained by the licensee who is operating the hub and shall be maintained it for a period of one year.
Hub is a password protected O&M terminal which shall be used to monitor essential traffic information, billion information, QoS parameters, terminal GPS, bandwidth utilization and capacity flow, the PTA regulation stated.
You can check this regulation for Regulatory Framework For Satellite Services & Licensing – 2011 (PDF File – 717KB)