The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has warned the Senate about possible widespread internet disruptions across the country if the licences for the Long Distance International (LDI) companies are not renewed, according to a report by APP.
The alert came up in a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunication, which was chaired by Palwasha Mohammad Zai Khan. The renewal of LDI and Fixed Line Local Loop (FLL) were among the focal points of discussion at the meeting.
The PTA’s Chairperson Major General (retd) Hafeezur Reman informed the committee of the issues pertaining to the renewal of licences. The four companies likely to be affected include Wateen, he said, which operates across 24 cities in Sindh and Balochistan.
According to the PTA chief, Wateen provides connectivity services to 44 banks and the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) in the country, and the licence lapses could have a severe impact on the overall communications infrastructure. A committee was established to address the issue, but a resolution has yet to be reached, he said.
Wateen was granted a stay order by the court after its licence expired in July 2024. It has since been operating across the country. Rehman raised concerns that the failure to renew licences could result in serious losses. Five LDI companies are willing to pay their outstanding dues, the committee was informed, while others have filed cases.
There are currently 15 court cases pertaining to the matter. In 2020, the LDI companies were allowed to pay their dues in instalments. However, this relief will not be granted this year. The licences for the companies that have filed legal challenges were to expire between July and August this year.
A Rs15 billion exemption being sought by the LDI companies was discussed in the meeting, too.
The warning comes as the internet services across the country continue to operate at sluggish levels. Official notifications and contradictory statements have only convoluted the matter and transparency is awaited regarding the reports on the installation of a “firewall” by the government to control online traffic.
The PTA, in its recent notifications, ascribed the prolonged connectivity issues to damages to two submarine cables that connect the country “internationally”. The regulator claimed that one of the damaged cables has been mended, while the other is expected to be repaired by next month.
