ISLAMABAD (January 28 2007): Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has asked different institutions to offload mobile phone jammers by January 31. All cellular companies contended that these were hampering the quality of service, Business Recorder learnt on Saturday.

Sources said the mobile companies, on quality of service issue, gave lame excuse of jammers, legally and illegally used by different entities, as a major reason for blockage of services and erroneous calls which are frequent now a day.

When asked, an official of the PTA said let the jammers be removed as the date was drawing near they and their lame excuses would be exposed. If these companies did not improve their quality of service they will be in a difficult situation after implementation of Mobile Number of Portability, they added. The MNP era will enable a subscriber to switch over to another service provider without changing his cell number.

The mobile companies have been demanding that these jammers were obstructing telecommunication network and wanted the problem to be tackled by the Ministry of Information and Technology and the regulator ie PTA. The jammers according to mobile companies in the business districts often result in blackout spots where the consumers are unable to use cellular services. To this effect, a detail guideline was evolved.

The PTA has directed all the institutions to off load all the mobile jammers as the deployment of such equipment is causing interference and blockage to the service in vast areas even outside the authorised premises. The policy also suggested a separate process to be adopted for authorisations in the context of national security.

However it is only an inter-ministerial committee comprising representatives of ministries of interior, defence, information technology and national security agencies, PTA and any other relevant technical experts can authorise such action.

"A detailed technical study was undertaken based on analysis of the types of jammer devices available and the limitations of available technologies in containing the disruptive effects of such devices to the authorised premises. The policies adopted by other countries in this regard were also given a thorough review. Extensive consultations were also undertaken with all relevant stakeholders," they added.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2007