The National Assembly’s powerful standing committee has shown strong reservations over mobile and internet service issues across the country, demanding to allow more players into the market.
By Naveed Naqvi.
ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecom has expressed serious concerns over mobile and internet service issues across the country.
In a meeting chaired by Mir Khan Muhammad Jamali at the Parliament House on Monday, the Committee opined that the marketplace is not competitive enough because there are too few market players. This, it said, is detrimental to users’ rights.
New companies should be given an opportunity so that people are not deprived of the basic right of internet in the era of digital economy, it said.
In attendance at the meeting were Committee members Ali Gohar Khan, Ayesha Rajab Ali, Rumina Khurshid Alam, Mayza Hameed, Naz Baloch, Shamim Ara Panwar, Syed Mehmood Shah, Salahuddin, Jawira Zafar Ahir, Mahesh Kumar Malani, Abdul Akbar Chitrali, and Alia Kamran.
Responding to the mobile phone service and internet issues on behalf of Abdul Akbar Chitrali and Alia Kamran, PTA officials said that the team returned from Chitral confirmed that the service of the mobile companies is not up to the standard, on which action will be taken.
In the meeting, Naz Baloch said that even in big cities there are problems with mobile phone service, and there is a need to improve the quality of mobile and internet service.
“We are being told to point out these areas [as hotspots of problem but], these problems are present in the whole country”, she said. “The concerned bodies have the resources, and it is their job to conduct the survey and identify the loopholes.”
PTA officials replied that the surveys are underway the number of which has been doubled compared to before. Heavy fines are also being levied on errant service providers.
Member Committee Javeria Aheer said that if some mobile companies are ending their business in Pakistan, the customers should be informed about it.
Member Telecom Mohammad Umar Malik told the committee that 53,000 new towers are being operated. Towers are being added due to an increase in bandwidth. He said we are lagging behind the world, as 3G and 4G were rolled out in Pakistan fifteen years too late.
Romina Khursheed Alam requested for a report from the relevant institutions on thousands of fraud incidents through mobile SIMs in the next meeting.
In the meeting, the telecom industry informed about its problems and said that in the economic crisis mobile phone companies are facing severe losses due to service problems. Due to non-opening of LCs, import of telecom equipment is facing difficulties.
Member Committee Maiza Hameed said that the issue of LCs is fresh, but the issue of service of mobile companies being suffered by customers for last many years. Problems are arising due to monopoly of few companies and blocking the way of new companies.
“If the common man does not pay the bill, the SIM is blocked but if the mobile company does not provide the service, no action is taken against them”, she said.
USF chief Chaudhry Haris said that despite the loss of lives and property, efforts are being made to provide services in Balochistan. Security agencies prohibit providing services in many areas of Balochistan.
Member Committee Ali Gohar said that in the upcoming committee meeting, the stand of the law enforcement agencies should also be taken so top gain a fuller insight into the situation.
Member Telecom said that seven million new subscribers have been added in the last few years, while more than sixty million subscribers have been recorded in the last four years. He said investment in the sector tallies to USD 6.7 billion.
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