NA panel seeks details of telecom fines, action over poor internet services

The National Assembly Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunication has expressed concern over the poor and unsatisfactory quality of internet services in the country and directed the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to submit details of fines imposed on telecom operators.

The committee, which met on Thursday under the chairmanship of Syed Amin ul Haq, directed the PTA to provide details of all show-cause notices issued to telecom operators and fines imposed during the last six months.

The authority was also asked to provide details of the amount recovered against the fines and outstanding amounts yet to be recovered.

Briefing the committee, the PTA said it regularly conducts Quality of Service (QoS) surveys of internet and telecom services and directs operators to address deficiencies within 30 days.

It said a re-survey is conducted after the stipulated period and, if deficiencies persist, a show-cause notice is issued and a fine imposed under the applicable rules and regulations.

According to the PTA, telecom operators can be fined up to Rs350 million. However, it said a major issue arises when operators challenge the fines in courts instead of paying them, resulting in delays in legal proceedings and corrective action.

The committee directed that representatives of all relevant telecom operators be invited to its next meeting to explain measures being taken to improve internet services, upgrade existing infrastructure and develop new telecom infrastructure.

The committee also discussed the status of the telecom sector as an industry.

The Member Telecom informed the committee that telecom operators were accorded industry status under the Finance Act, 2021.

However, the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) has declined to recognise the telecom sector as an industry, reportedly on the grounds that telecom operators do not provide the required value addition.

The committee directed the Member Telecom to prepare a detailed working paper covering the legal, financial and technical aspects of the issue and decided to invite NEPRA representatives to the next meeting.

The committee observed that recognition of telecom operators as an industry could help address electricity supply and load-shedding issues at telecom towers.

It noted that power outages can lead to the shutdown of telecom towers, adversely affecting mobile and internet signals, and stressed the need for practical measures to ensure uninterrupted power supply and improve the reliability of telecom services.

The committee also considered the Electronic Transactions (Amendment) Bill, 2026. PPP members expressed reservations, saying the proposed amendments had not yet been discussed with the party’s Parliamentary Legislative Committee.

The committee directed the Ministry of Finance to complete the required consultations and deferred further consideration of the bill until its next meeting.