Telecommunication Licensing Framework Set to be Revised

A telecommunication license is an official authorization to provide services and operate networks. Licenses describe rights and obligations of licensees. It Provide confidence to investors to invest millions or billions. Telecommunication Licensing Framework Set to be Revised.

Telecommunication Licensing Framework Set to be Revised

The government is ready to revise telecommunication licensing framework aimed at improving and upgrading the licensing regime to gratify rising technological and market trends.

This review is expected by 31st December,2016. With new licensing system new services will be incorporated, that are required to work in Pakistan simply subsequent to procuring a permit.

According to the officials, the interested consulting firms would be asked to submit proposals for consultancy complete in all respects as per the parameters laid down in the Request for Proposal (RFP) soon. The federal government in consultation with PTA will review the licensing policy framework, keeping in view the market state at that time. Any proposed changes to the licensing regime will be made in consultation with the sector stakeholders and will be subject to approval by the federal government (MOIT).

Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) will involve the services of internationally renowned consulting companies for the revision of telecommunication licensing framework in Pakistan.

Also Read: CCP Asks Govt to Reconsider the Telecom Policy 2015

New licensing management will be based on international practices. It will enable new services to be easily available while meeting service specific requirements which includes quality of service, customer protection, content acceptability and national security. The licensing regime will continue rights and responsibilities associated with limited resources and any obligations on network roll-out.

The Telecommunication Policy 2015 states that the existing licensing regime will continue to apply. The present licensing regime already differentiates between those operators which provide infrastructure as well as services and those which provide services alone. Separate category in class licenses regime associated with satellite services will be introduced. Any new licensing in LL, LDI and WLL sectors will be assessed.

In developing the new licensing regime  the following should be taken into account:

• Section 20 of the Telecom Act, and in particular, which over-the-top services should be licensed under a “general authorization” in which a service provider is allowed to hold a licence according to services that it provides and is then subject to the terms of that general authorization, which may include national security requirements.
• Whether there should be a separation of spectrum and operations licensing.
• The requirements for licensing of satellite services specified elsewhere in Telecom policy 2015.
• The requirements for licensing public Wi-Fi metropolitan area networks.
• The requirement for spectrum related licensing for non-public telecommunications use such as amateur radio, maritime and aviation uses.
• In addition to the specific cases listed above, the extent to which telecommunications and content services require licensing.
• Whether distinctions should be maintained between different licence types, and if not, the recommendations of removing such differences including the rights and obligations of existing licensees that would need to be  changed.
• The method of licensing of firms that hold a broadcasting licence to offer telecommunications services to ensure equivalent treatment of alternative infrastructure providers.
• The licensing of telecommunications licensees for the provision of broadcast media and distribution service, including the necessity of doing so given the evolving nature of TV.

Source : Business Recorder