AIRLINK 172.70 Decreased By ▼ -3.03 (-1.72%)
BOP 13.17 Increased By ▲ 0.05 (0.38%)
CNERGY 7.42 Decreased By ▼ -0.12 (-1.59%)
FCCL 43.50 Decreased By ▼ -0.41 (-0.93%)
FFL 14.93 Decreased By ▼ -0.08 (-0.53%)
FLYNG 26.45 Decreased By ▼ -0.45 (-1.67%)
HUBC 129.60 Decreased By ▼ -0.63 (-0.48%)
HUMNL 13.35 Increased By ▲ 0.01 (0.07%)
KEL 4.43 Decreased By ▼ -0.07 (-1.56%)
KOSM 6.00 Decreased By ▼ -0.06 (-0.99%)
MLCF 55.00 Decreased By ▼ -1.03 (-1.84%)
OGDC 215.30 Increased By ▲ 0.53 (0.25%)
PACE 5.95 Decreased By ▼ -0.03 (-0.5%)
PAEL 41.40 Increased By ▲ 0.50 (1.22%)
PIAHCLA 16.64 Increased By ▲ 0.32 (1.96%)
PIBTL 9.60 Decreased By ▼ -0.15 (-1.54%)
POWER 11.60 Decreased By ▼ -0.16 (-1.36%)
PPL 182.98 Increased By ▲ 1.50 (0.83%)
PRL 34.11 Decreased By ▼ -0.11 (-0.32%)
PTC 22.88 Decreased By ▼ -0.18 (-0.78%)
SEARL 94.00 Decreased By ▼ -1.72 (-1.8%)
SILK 1.17 Increased By ▲ 0.03 (2.63%)
SSGC 35.59 Increased By ▲ 0.14 (0.39%)
SYM 15.76 Increased By ▲ 0.01 (0.06%)
TELE 7.77 Decreased By ▼ -0.10 (-1.27%)
TPLP 10.84 Decreased By ▼ -0.14 (-1.28%)
TRG 60.60 Increased By ▲ 0.10 (0.17%)
WAVESAPP 10.74 Decreased By ▼ -0.07 (-0.65%)
WTL 1.33 Decreased By ▼ -0.02 (-1.48%)
YOUW 3.79 Increased By ▲ 0.02 (0.53%)
BR100 12,084 Increased By 30.8 (0.26%)
BR30 36,591 Increased By 123.8 (0.34%)
KSE100 114,112 Decreased By -244.1 (-0.21%)
KSE30 35,224 Decreased By -123.2 (-0.35%)

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) on Tuesday ruled out any connection between recent internet slowdowns to the use of virtual private networks (VPNs) across the country.

The regulator said this during a meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunication, here on Tuesday.

These remarks are a direct contradiction of IT Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja’s comments from August when she blamed excessive use of VPNs for internet slowdowns.

The PTA officials stressed that VPN restrictions have no bearing on internet speed and invited users to report specific areas facing issues for detailed surveys.

The meeting discussed a range of concerns including internet speed, progress on the Personal Data Protection Bill, and PTCL’s property policies.

One member criticised PTA for failing to fulfill its August 31 internet speed improvement target.

The PTA attributed disruptions to issues with submarine cables which it claimed have been resolved. Officials highlighted that seven submarine cables currently serve Pakistan and have undergone repairs following weather-related damages.

The IT Ministry briefed the committee on the Personal Data Protection Bill and announced that the draft has been finalised and shared with stakeholders.

Discussions also turned to PTCL’s property leasing practices.

One committee member Mukhtar Malik questioned compliance with the PPRA rules and raised concerns about undervalued property sales.

The PTCL representatives denied property sales, stating that bids received were below reserve prices.

The committee demanded a detailed policy briefing and raised concerns over delays in resolving customer complaints.

Regarding 5G, the PTA revealed that a consultant is working on a spectrum policy and its report will be ready in January and rollout by April 2025.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024

Comments

Comments are closed.