Four to five satellite internet companies have expressed interest in providing satellite internet services in Pakistan, the chairman of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority told a Senate committee.
However, the companies will only be able to obtain licences after the Pakistan Space Board approves a satellite regulatory framework, the PTA chairman said, the 24NewsHD TV channel reported on Monday.
He was briefing the Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunications, chaired by Senator Palwasha Khan, where the delay in the launch of Starlink in Pakistan was also discussed.
The committee also examined the issue of Rs6.58 billion allegedly collected in excess from mobile users, as well as the non-recovery of Rs84 billion from long-distance and international (LDI) companies.
According to an audit report, a private company allegedly collected an additional Rs6.58 billion from mobile users. The report also examined the authority given to mobile companies to increase tariffs by up to 15 per cent on a quarterly basis under PTA policy.
An audit official told the committee that the audit objection concerned the PTA policy itself, which was allegedly inconsistent with the rules. The official said the telecommunications sector was deregulated but that Jazz remained a major player, and regulating the company was the PTA’s responsibility.
The official said a Departmental Accounts Committee meeting had already taken place over the alleged additional collection of Rs6.58 billion by Jazz. The official added that increasing tariff packages by up to 15 percent fell within the PTA’s regulatory authority.
During the discussion, Senator Kamran Murtaza proposed that the National Accountability Bureau conduct an inquiry into the matter, while Federal Minister for IT and Telecommunications Shaza Fatima proposed a forensic examination of the entire issue.
The committee chairman also disclosed that a PTA tariff document had been signed in the wrong place.
The committee separately discussed outstanding cases involving LDI companies. A member of the Ministry of IT said the chairman and members of the Telecom Tribunal had been appointed and that the tribunal had started work.
Twenty cases involving LDI companies have been transferred to the Telecom Tribunal, the ministry official said.
The official said the licences of the LDI companies had expired and that the PTA had issued orders concerning them after hearings. The companies have challenged those orders, he added.
A PTA member told the committee that 38 cases involving LDI companies were currently pending before the courts. The authority had also written to the Attorney General regarding the cases and raised the matter before the relevant judicial forums.
The PTA member said 20 cases had now been transferred to the Telecom Tribunal. LDI companies owed Rs24 billion, while a further Rs60 billion was outstanding in late payment surcharges, he said.
The Ministry of IT member said the establishment of the Telecom Tribunal would allow the cases to be heard more quickly. Companies would still be able to approach the Supreme Court after a tribunal decision, the official added.
The committee sought a progress report on the matter at its next meeting.
Reporter: Waqas Azeem