Senate body told: Non-renewal of LDI licences can impact telecom ecosystem

ISLAMABAD: The non-renewal of Long Distance International (LDI) licences on account of outstanding dues of around Rs 78 billion, can significantly impact the telecom ecosystem, affecting service quality, business operations and the broader economy, as 50 percent mobile traffic, around 10 percent of internet traffic as well as around 40 percent ATM banking machines will be out of service.

This was revealed before the Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunications, which met with Palwasha Mohammad Zai Khan and later by Dr Afnan Ullah Khan in the chair here on Friday.

Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) chairman gave a presentation which revealed that there were 13 LDI licencees up for renewal where four licences were processed for renewal and remaining nine licencees have outstanding dues with regards to APC for USF.

The committee was informed that the licence renewal issue primarily affects four companies, including Wateen, which has an extensive fiber optic infrastructure.

The PTA officials responded, explaining that the suspension of the companies’ operations would greatly affect the network, and it would take significant time to restore services.

The committee was informed that the Long Haul and Metro Optical Fiber Cable (OFC) Network is a total of 28,458 km of Long Haul OFC and 23,848 km of Metro OFC. i. Wateen Telecom: 21,338 km Long Haul, 22,000 km Metro, leased to Telenor, Jazz and CMPak for Long haul and Fiber to the Site (FTTS) connectivity. ii. Multinet Pakistan: 7,120 km Long Haul leased to Telenor, Jazz and CMPak for Long haul and Fiber to the Site (FTTS) connectivity. iii. Worldcall: 1,843 kms Metro.

The non-renewal of the LDI licence will severely affect the mobile service. Around 50 per cent mobile traffic will be affected and many towers will be out of service. Around 10 percent of internet traffic will be affected. Banking service will be affected as around 40 per cent ATM banking machines will be out of service. Many corporate intranet will be out of service.

Licencees like Telecard, Multinet, Wateen, Retone and Dancom operate satellite hubs with substantial throughput capacities, supporting critical communication needs. i. Redtone LDI: 496 Mbps (1792 x links, mostly banks, CMO sites, LEAs and Government Departments); ii, Telecard: 2970 Mbps (873 x links, mostly banks, CMO sites, government departments); iii, Wateen Telecom: 55 Mbps (207 x links, primarily; Cellular Mobile Operator (CMO) sites); iv, Multinet Pakistan: 41Mbps (116 x Links, mainly banks and CMOs sites; v. Dancom: 640 Mbps. (Mostly Banks)

Non-renewal of the LDI licence will impact banking services, sites of the mobiles operator, connectivity provided to LEAs and government Departments in remote areas. Non-renewal of LDI licences will result in a disruption of international incoming traffic.

Consequently, this traffic will need to be rerouted to other LDI operators. It could lead to potential service degradation, increased operational strain on the remaining operators, and possible interruptions in the continuity of international communication services.

Non-renewal will lead to the discontinuity of the international data transit, potential causing connectivity issues for operators in Afghanistan that rely on these routes.

The committee addressed significant legislative matters, including the Personal Data Protection Bill, 2023, and the Regulation of Artificial Intelligence Bill, 2024, with a focus on enhancing Pakistan's digital policy framework and ensuring national security in the face of evolving technological challenges.

The committee was briefed on the journey of the Personal Data Protection Bill, 2023, which was initially introduced in February 2023. The bill, aligned with the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), aims to safeguard citizens' personal data in the digital age. Following consultations with stakeholders, including governmental entities, industry experts, and international platforms, the draft was revised multiple times.

In May 2023, the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication (MoITT) published a revised draft on its website after incorporating feedback from various stakeholders. The federal government granted its in-principle approval for further processing of the bill in July 2023. However, progress was delayed due to the completion of the parliamentary tenure.

The committee acknowledged the concerns raised by global platforms regarding certain provisions in the bill, prompting MoITT to initiate another round of consultations with domestic, international, and governmental stakeholders. This has resulted in further revisions to the draft, particularly addressing proposed amendments from governmental entities.

The committee also deliberated on the Regulation of Artificial Intelligence Bill, 2024, introduced by Senator Dr Afnanullah Khan in September 2024. The bill addresses the growing importance of AI in Pakistan's technological landscape and aims to lay the foundation for regulatory frameworks around AI.

The committee was briefed of ongoing national initiatives, led by the Minister for Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives (MOPDSI), alongside the Ministry of IT and Telecom (MoITT), to draft comprehensive national AI policies. These initiatives aim to foster a robust AI ecosystem in Pakistan, with an emphasis on policy formulation and potential future regulatory bodies for AI.

Given the emerging nature of AI technologies, the MoITT recommended a cautious approach, urging that it may be premature to establish a dedicated AI regulator at this stage, as the ecosystem is still developing. The committee agreed to continue the evaluation of the bill after further consultations with stakeholders. The committee decided that, following additional stakeholder responses, the bill will be examined clause-by-clause, with a finalised version expected by December 31, 2024.

In light of security concerns and the rising demand for telecommunications infrastructure, the chairman of the PTA noted that India had successfully laid fiber throughout its territory, while Pakistan had not made comparable investments in fiber infrastructure. The committee emphasised the need for a comprehensive National Fiberization Policy to ensure resilience in telecommunications networks.

Khan called for a risk analysis regarding the security of electronic devices, referencing recent incidents in Lebanon and Syria involving explosions in electronic devices such as pagers. The committee expressed grave concern over the potential threats posed by electronic devices in Pakistan, urging comprehensive security measures to prevent similar incidents.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024