Ban on Internet telephony
KARACHI- The state-owned telecom giant, Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) has asked the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunications to let it retain the ban about which PTA, the telecom regulator had directed it to lift from January 1, 2003 following strong uproar from Internet service providers.
The Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) had put a stop to Internet telephony in early 2002 by imposing a ban on 17 websites, which facilitated calls to North America bypassing PTCL.
PTA says it had issued clear directives to PTCL in October 2002 to lift the ban from January 1, 2003 but the company did not do so in clear violation of the authority’s directives.
“The Pakistan Telecommunications Company Limited (PTCL) is of the view that the ban should remain in force as its removal would bring negative impact on the company’s business”, a high official in the ministry told newsman.
He said the ministry was considering PTCL’s plea. It would soon take a decision in this regard after consulting all the concerned organisations and institutions, he added.
PTCL claims the company’s business from international calls had increased by 100 per cent after the ban, a claim which the ISPs reject. PTCL’s business surged due to considerable cuts it carried out in July 2002 and then in August 2002 in tariff on rates for calling abroad, they argue.
ISPs uproar gathered intensity and it convinced finally of the impact of its decision on their business after a series of meetings, discussions and seminars on the subject.
PTCL officials argue that under the Pakistan Telecommunication (Reorganisation) Act 1996, basic telephone services were the prerogative of the phone utility.
The Act declares that “basic telephone services mean the provision of any telecommunications service, which consists of two-way live voice telephone service in digital form or otherwise over any fixed switched network or between base stations or switches or modes of any public mobile switched network; real-time transmission or reception of facsimile images over a public fixed switched network; international telephony service; and the lease of circuits for the provisions of the services specified.”
Source: The News
Date:1/31/2003
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