PTA Issues First LDI License in 8 Years

• Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has resumed issuing Long Distance International (LDI) licenses.
• Cyber Internet Services Pvt. Limited was issued the first license.
• Cyber Internet Services has been granted an LDI license after meeting all legal conditions.

After an eight-year hiatus, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has resumed issuing Long Distance International (LDI) licenses.

After resuming LDI licensing in January of this year, Cyber Internet Services Pvt. Limited was issued the first license.

According to the PTA, Cyber Internet Services has been granted an LDI license after meeting all legal conditions, and its name has been added to the list of LDI operators. For the laying of a 1,500 km optical fiber cable, the company has submitted a $0.5 million license fee and $10 million in bank guarantees.

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The new license has increased the Optical Fiber Network and Quality of Service Standards Roll Out requirements. According to a PTA official, this will pave the way for the adoption of futuristic technology not only in major cities, but also in major towns and small cities.

In March 2006, the Cabinet Committee on Regulatory Bodies (CCRB) placed a seven-year suspension on the issuing of Mobile, Local Loop (LL), and LDI licenses. The watch order was lifted on March 22, 2013, and China Mobile Pakistan received an LDI license as a result (CMPak). Following the issuance of a license to CMPak, the LDI license was suspended.

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Following the issuing of licenses for cyber internet services, the number of LDI operators has climbed to 17.

Previously, 16 LDI providers operated in Pakistan, including incumbents Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) and National Telecommunications Corporation (NTC) (NTC). The bulk of LDI operators concentrate their efforts on terminating international incoming traffic via leased transmission facilities.

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