PTA Warns Against Illegal Internet Providers

Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has taken serious note of providing illegal internet services by unlicensed third parties, which is harming the business of licensees.

Official documents available with ProPakistani revealed that these unlicensed parties try to produce various agreements with licensees to cover up the illegal business.

In order to eradicate this deep-rooted mushroom growth of the illegal provision of internet services, PTA has chalked out guidelines for FLL and CVAS licensees for providing internet services through agreements.

All FLL and CVAS licensees are required to revise their existing agreements and sign new agreements as per the following conditions:

• The contracted party has to use the Company Name of the contracting party (licensee) at the point of sales and for promotions etc.
• An invoice shall be generated by the licensee.
• All users are to be shown on the service load of the licensee and no user will be removed from the licensee record merely on the basis that the said user is being served through a contracted party.
• The contracted party shall not deploy its own infrastructure or use the infrastructure of the cable TV operator.
• Licensees are to notify PTA of all contracts as follows:

1. Contracts within a region (Regional office PTA)
2. Contracts covering multiple regions (Enforcement Division PTA CHQ)

All licensed operators shall be responsible for reporting the revenue on yearly basis to PTA generated through each contracted party.

Above in view, a three-month grace period is being given to all FLL and CVAS licensees for the correction of anomalies in contracts. After the expiry of said period, PTA will start a nationwide survey and enforcement action will be taken on any breach of the above guidelines.

However, the grace period will not stop PTA to initiate action under section 31 of the Act.