PTA Plans Tough Rollout Rules for Telecom Infrastructure Firms Amid Slow Progress

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has proposed stringent rollout obligations for Telecom Infrastructure Provider (TIP) license holders after discovering that most firms have made limited progress in expanding the country’s digital backbone despite holding licenses for years.

A consultation paper circulated by the Authority shows that while 24 TIP licenses have been issued nationwide, only 19 licensees have established any infrastructure, and five remain entirely dormant. Among those active, only 14 have deployed optical fiber cable networks, and merely six have laid fiber stretches exceeding 300 kilometers. The regulator says this performance translates to only around 25 percent of licensees contributing meaningfully to national connectivity.

PTA has expressed serious concern that insufficient deployment is undermining public-interest objectives, including broadband expansion, enhanced fiber penetration, and resilient infrastructure required for future technologies such as 5G. The Authority notes that infrastructure licensees were expected to enable measurable progress, yet many appear to have “parked” their licenses without operating networks.

To address the issue, the regulator has proposed mandatory milestones that TIP license holders must achieve during the first six years of their license term. These include either deploying 60 kilometers of fiber each year, developing at least one Earth station or satellite hub, installing ten towers or radio links annually, or completing a submarine cable landing station within three years. Failure to meet these conditions could expose licensees to regulatory action, including penalties and possible cancellation.

According to the consultation document, the rollout obligations would form part of the licensing regime and allow PTA to closely monitor deployment across all provinces and regions, including Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and Islamabad Capital Territory. A senior Ministry of Interior official has endorsed the measures, while the Ministry of Law has sought time to review the legal language.

PTA argues that the proposed framework is essential for Pakistan’s digital transformation agenda. The Authority says greater fiberization and expansion of core infrastructure are necessary to ensure reliable connectivity, reduce regional disparities, and support the telecom sector’s growing reliance on high-capacity networks.

Industry analysts believe that while the regulatory move may introduce higher compliance costs for operators, it could also stimulate new investment, encourage network-sharing arrangements, and potentially drive consolidation among underperforming licensees.

The Authority has invited written feedback from stakeholders by 12 December 2025 at 4:30 pm, after which final rollout obligations will be formalized. If approved, this would mark one of the most significant changes in Pakistan’s telecom infrastructure regulations in over a decade, shifting the sector’s focus from license acquisition to compulsory on-ground delivery.

Also read:

PTA Says Mobile Tariff Hike from 2021 to 2024 Is Justified; Do You Agree?