Tag: PTA

  • Elon Musk shows interest to start internet services in Pakistan

    Elon Musk shows interest to start internet services in Pakistan

    Officials from the United States-based broadband service provider, Starlink, owned by Elon Musk, has visited Pakistan Telecom Authority (PTA) headquarters in Islamabad on Monday to discuss the launch of a satellite broadband connectivity in Pakistan.

    The delegation, including Director Middle East & Asia, Ryan Goodnight, and Head of Global Site Acquisition, Ben Macwilliam, met with Chairman of PTA, Maj General Amir Azeem Bajwa (R), and Executive Director, Frequency Allocation Board.

    During the meeting, both sides discussed matters related to the provision of satellite broadband connectivity in Pakistan and future plans to connect Pakistan with global networks through Starlink broadband services. PTA Chairman shared Prime Minister Imran Khan’s vision of a digital Pakistan to Starlink representatives. He also emphasised the prospects of the internet services market in a country. He gave full assurance for the support from PTA towards the operational framework of Starlink in Pakistan.

    Prior to this, Elon Musk’s satellite broadband services started their pre-booking in India but only in selected cities due to some regulatory issues. They are hoping to apply for a commercial license by January 31, 2022, to officially launch it by next year all over India.

  • PTA grants manufacturing license to Select Technologies for the manufacturing of Xiaomi mobile phones in Pakistan

    Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has granted manufacturing license to Select Technologies Pvt. Ltd (a wholly owned subsidiary of Air Link Communication Ltd.) for the manufacturing of Xiaomi mobile phones in Pakistan. Air Link Communication Limited is consolidating its position as one of the leading mobile phone distributors and manufacturing company of the country.

    Air Link Group already has license to manufacture mobile phones of Transsion Holding’s major brands i.e. Tecno & iTel. This license makes Air Link Communication Ltd, the only company in Pakistan having manufacturing contracts and license for two leading mobile phone companies in the world.

    Earlier this month, Xiaomi, the global consumer electronics and smartphone giant, joined hands with Select Technologies (Pvt) Limited (SELECT), as its manufacturing partner for Xiaomi mobile phones in Pakistan targeting a production of initially around 2.5 million to 3 million handsets annually.

    This is a significant milestone for the economy as it will reduce the import bill and create jobs for the local population. This a result of Government’s policies to enhance localization and stimulate the industrial growth of the country.

  • Nadra denies FIA’s claim that national database has been hacked

    Nadra denies FIA’s claim that national database has been hacked

    A meeting of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Information Technology on Thursday witnessed a curious discussion on the security of important data as an official of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) claimed that the system of the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) had been hacked. He later changed his statement when pressed to elaborate upon his remarks.

    “We have discovered that Nadra’s data has been compromised, it has been hacked,” Tariq Pervez, additional director of FIA’s Cybercrime Wing, told the meeting chaired by Ali Khan Jadoon. The FIA had seized around 13,000 illegal SIMs during a crackdown in Faisalabad, he said.

    Pervez said that 89,000 complaints have been received by his wing, but they did not have enough staff to address the complaints reported on a daily basis.

    “The FIA’s cybercrime wing has only 162 investigation officers,” he added.

    Pervez’s statement caught the attention of the committee members who put various questions to him regarding the theft of Nadra data. After this accusation, the FIA’s additional director altered his statement and said that Nadra’s data had not been hacked, but its biometric system had been compromised and used during the SIM verification process.

    He further informed the committee that whenever they traced a suspect involved in financial frauds, the suspect mostly turned out to be an elderly man or a woman, whose data was being used by someone else.

    Nadra, refuting the claim of the FIA official in a statement, said, “The FIA statement regarding hacking of biometric data is based on misunderstanding,” adding that Nadra would seek clarification from the FIA over the “unnecessary statement and misrepresentation of the issue”.

    Responding to concerns of the committee members, Pakistan Telecommuni­ca­tion Authority (PTA) chairman retired Maj Gen Amir Azeem Bajwa said that complaints could be lodged against those involved in sending messages related to financial fraud at the PTA website.

    Jadoon of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the chairman of the committee, stressed that it was essential to keep national interest and national perspective into consideration while formulating laws.

  • PTA, TikTok agree at a ‘mutually acceptable mechanism’ for content

    PTA, TikTok agree at a ‘mutually acceptable mechanism’ for content

    TikTok Head of Public Policy-Emerging Markets and Head of Global CSR, Helena Lersch, along with her team visited the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) headquarters . PTA has agreed to work with TikTok to build a framework to guarantee that all content shared on the site is legal and safe for society.

    As per the press release, “The chairman PTA, while acknowledging the highlighted efforts of TikTok, assured to continue engagement with TikTok to reach at a mutually acceptable mechanism for provision of safe, lawful and productive internet experience to the users in Pakistan.”

    Earlier, Chief Justice of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) Athar Minallah expressed anger over the fourth ban on video-sharing app TikTok by PTA and asked the authority for justification regarding the ban.

    TikTok was banned for the fourth time in Pakistan on July 21, 2021 for its failure to take down “inappropriate content”. 

  • IT ministry notifies amended social media rules framed under Peca

    IT ministry notifies amended social media rules framed under Peca

    The Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication on Thursday notified the amended social media rules that stakeholders and digital rights activists have strongly criticised, reports Javed Hussain for Dawn.

    The rules titled the “Removal and Blocking of Unlawful Online Content (Procedure, Oversight, and Safeguards) Rules, 2021”, have been framed under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca), 2016.

    The rules are as follows:

    Social media companies will have to register with Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) within three months.

    Social media outlets will be required to establish an office in Pakistan “as and when feasible” — instead of nine months as required previously.

    PTA will give 48 hours, instead of 24 hours previously, to a social media company for removing or blocking access to online content.

    Meanwhile, Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan recently formed the National Social Media Coordination Working Group (NSMCWG).

    The premier constituted NSMCWG to work on relevant policies related to Social Media, provide input to the government of Pakistan on social media-related issues, and engage with international social media companies in a coherent and coordinated manner.

    Dr Arslan Khalid, focal person to PM on Digital Media, who is also the spokesperson of NSMCWG, said, “Social media is one subject which is being dealt with by many ministries and departments. It was observed that there was weak coordination between the government stakeholders resulting in delays and confusion over some policy matters. This working group will bring all the relevant stakeholders on one platform which will help in better result-oriented engagement with the social media companies.”

    The Working Group consists of Ministry of Information &Technology as the Lead ministry, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Ministry of Law & Justice, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Commerce, Prime Minister’s Focal Person on Digital Media (Spokesperson), Pakistan Telecommunication Authority and Digital Media Wing as permanent members while Chair of NSMWG can include any other ministry/department or Think Tank as a Co-opted member as and when required.

  • Here is why the internet speed was slow in Pakistan

    Here is why the internet speed was slow in Pakistan

    Internet users in Pakistan reported slow internet speed on Monday. The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has clarified why.

    “A submarine cable fault was reported yesterday near Fujairah, UAE due to which some users may have faced degradation in services. The faulty cable segment has been repaired & work is underway to make the services fully functional,” the authority wrote in a tweet.

    PTA said that it is monitoring the situation.

    Earlier, on October 4, thousands of users were unable to access WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook due to a technical problem related to Facebook’s DNS records, which generated at least six hours of outages.

  • Ban sources responsible for spreading obscenity and nudity demand ulema

    Ban sources responsible for spreading obscenity and nudity demand ulema

    Religious scholars (ulema) have condemned the rape of a girl in a seminary in Rawalpindi and demanded that perpetrators of such detestable crimes should be given punishment in public through speedy trial, reported Dawn.

    In a joint declaration issued after attending a consultative meeting, ulemas expressed grief over the rising incidents of child abuse and women harassment in Pakistan and said that the prime minister and chief justice of Pakistan should take immediate action against the culprits and order their speedy trials.

    They urged the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA), Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), and Ministry of Information to block porn websites and pornographic and nude content and advertisements on social media.

    The joint declaration said that the rules of Shariah are clear for both men and women. It is obligatory for both men and women to cover themselves properly and avoid obscenity and nudity. Shariah does not allow a man to touch or harass a woman, the declaration said.

    The joint declaration said that the rising incidents of abuse and harassment of boys and girls and the state of fear and intimidation prevailing among women demand from all sections of society, especially the government and judiciary, to ban and close all such sources responsible for spreading obscenity and nudity in society.

  • Sindh govt to block phone SIMs of unvaccinated people

    Sindh govt to block phone SIMs of unvaccinated people

    The Sindh government has officially decided to write a letter to the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC) to block phone SIMs of unvaccinated people amid a rise in Covid-19 cases in the province.

    Adviser to Chief Minister Sindh on Law, Murtaza Wahab, took to Twitter to announce the decision.

    “#SindhGovt has decided to write to NCOC & PTA that mobile sims of unvaccinated people should be blocked,” he wrote in a tweet.

    According to details, Chief Minister Sindh has also said that the PTA would be contacted through the federal government to encourage the users via text messages to get vaccinated and those not getting a shot in a week will have their SIMs blocked.

    As cases are increasing in the province, the Sindh government has decided to tighten the restrictions. The Covid-19 task force held a meeting on Friday and made the following decisions:

    • Shopping malls and markets can operate from 6am to 6pm except for pharmacies and bakeries.
    • The government has imposed a ban on indoor and outdoor dining at restaurants. Only takeaways are allowed.
    • Public and private offices have been asked to call in 50 per cent of their workforce.
    • Shrines to be closed once again.
    • Ban to be imposed on weddings and other events.
    • Schools will remain closed, while exams will continue as per schedule.

    The new restrictions will be imposed from Monday, July 26. The positivity rate in Sindh is 10.3 per cent, the task force participants were informed. Karachi’s situation is getting worse day by day. At least 1,002 patients are in critical care.

    As per reports, the province reported six cases of the Delta variant on Monday, the province’s health secretary, Qasim Soomro, confirmed.

    The guidelines to avoid exposure to the new variant are the same:

    • Sanitise hands more often
    • Wear a mask
    • Avoid public gatherings
    • Get vaccinated as soon as possible
    • Avoid meeting people with symptoms
    • Avoid unnecessary travel

    Total tests conducted in the last 24 hours were 25,215 out of which 1,425 cases tested positive. The positivity rate was 5.65 per cent as per NCOC.

  • Fake fingerprints being used to activate SIMs, warns Interior Ministry

    Fake fingerprints being used to activate SIMs, warns Interior Ministry

    The Ministry of Interior has disclosed that criminals are using fraudulent techniques like silicon thumbs impressions to activate SIM cards.

    The Cyber Crime Wing of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has received more than 4,547 complaints of unsolicited/fraudulent calls. These cybercrime activities are financially deceiving common people.

    “It’s a fact that Cybercrime FIA assists the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) in tracking the owner of such SIMs. Some culprits are being interrogated,” said the ministry.

    In 2019 and 2020, the Cyber Crime FIA registered 90 First Information Reports (FIRs), 107 accused were arrested while 17 biometric verification (BVS) devices, 25,192 SIMs, and 6,446 silicon thumbs impressions along with a voter list were recovered.

    The loss averted during 2019-20 was R.71.99 million, and the estimated cost of the confiscated items was Rs 91.76 million.

    The Cyber Crime FIA has established a special team in every cybercrime reporting centre to deal with complaints about unsolicited callers who defrauded people and collaborates with the PTA to crack down on such franchises that fraudulently activate SIMs.

  • Broadband subscriptions reach 100 million in Pakistan: PTA

    Broadband subscriptions reach 100 million in Pakistan: PTA

    The broadband services have reached 100 million (10 crore) people in Pakistan, tweeted Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA).

    In 2012, only two million people had subscribed to internet services, but after the introduction of 3G services, the figures jumped to 16 million in 2014.

    Moreover, the average downloading speed and upload speed provided by broadband providers are 17.7/ 11.3Mbps. The internet speed is above the levels in comparison to other regional countries.

    Mobile data prices are also affordable in Pakistan. According to the recent figures, mobile data prices declined to 0.70 per cent, which is well below the UN Broadband Commission’s recommendation of less than two per cent.

    All four national cellular mobile operators (CMOS), fixed-line broadband operators, including Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) have collectively crossed 100m subscriptions, due to the higher growth rate in data usage.

    Pakistan’s telecom sector has achieved many milestones previously also such as reaching 100 million mobile subscriptions in 2010, the introduction of the first-ever biometrically verified SIMs across the country in 2009 and implementation of the world’s first open-source Device Identification Registration and Blocking System (DIRBS) in 2019.

    The PTA lauded the users and service providers for achieving this landmark and announced that crossing the 100 million benchmark would be formally celebrated soon with all the stakeholders and national and international telecom community.