Page 112 - SAMENA Trends - November-December 2021

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

Pakistan Telecom Authority (PTA) said that it has reduced mobile approved short code. Panel headed by Maj Gen (retd) Amir Azeem
termination rate (MTR) to Rs0.50/ minute from Rs0.70/minute Bajwa, Chairman PTA, heard the issue “spamming, unsolicited
effective January 1, 2022. Rates will be further reduced to Rs0.40/ and fraudulent communication”. The licensees are required
minute from July 1, 20. “Reduction in the MTR has been made to comply with the provisions of prevailing regulatory laws
after thorough consultation with the telecom industry,” the comprising the Act, the Pakistan Telecommunication Rules, 2000
regulator said in a statement. PTA is of the view that lowering of (the “Rules”) the PTA (Functions and Powers) Regulations, 2006
MTR would allow more competitive and innovative offerings such the Numbering Allocation and Administration Regulations, 2018
as free minute off-net bundles for the consumers. “It is expected (the “NAAR Regulations”), the Protection from Spam, Unsolicited,
to make market healthier and beneficial in terms of lower tariffs Fraudulent and Obnoxious Communication Regulations 2009
for making off-net calls,” the statement said. “It would also (the “SPAM Regulations”) as amended from time to time and the
benefit smaller operators in terms of reduced net payments to terms and conditions of the license. In accordance with license
be made to the bigger operators.” In July 2021, PTA issued a condition No 7.8.1 of the licenses, the licensee is under obligation
consultation paper wherein it was observed that current MTR to take all reasonable steps to track and locate and prevent the
in Pakistan is still higher than the benchmarking results of the source of harassing, unsolicited, offensive, fraudulent or unlawful
MTR determination of 2018 and the MTRs prevailing in regional communication. More so, under license condition No 7.8.2 of
countries. Further, PTA had also received requests from telecom the licenses, the licensee shall, on the directions of the PTA,
operators to review the existing mobile termination rates. Majority terminate or suspend service to any customer that is the source
of the responses received, supported PTA’s recommendation to of harassing, offensive or illegal communication. For transmission
lower MTR. However, there were opposing responses too. After of any information through numbers allocated assigned under
industry hearing and thorough analysis, PTA has determined the the NAAR Regulations, the licensee under sub-regulation (4) of
MTR for all types of calls -- local, long distance and international regulation 14 of the NAAR Regulations is not allowed to translate,
incoming calls -- terminated on mobile networks from other alter or delete the telephone number or other identification
mobile networks or fixed networks in Pakistan and AJ&K/GB, to associated with its subscribers. Whereas, sub-regulation (5) of
be Rs0.50/minute from January to June 2022, Rs0.40/minute regulation 14 of the NAAR Regulations further provides that the
from July 2022 to June 2023 and Rs0.30/minute from July 2023 licensee shall not translate, alter or delete the signaling or other
onwards. (November 28, 2021) thenews.com.pk data associated with all calls routed through its network. As per
sub-regulation (6) of regulation 14 of the NAAR Regulations,
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has directed each party shall program the number series in their switches in
all of the four cellular mobile operators (CMOs) for implementing accordance with number series allocated by the Authority and
“Do Not Call Register (DNCR)” in true letter and spirit in the National Numbering Plan issued by the authority and shall comply
manner as provided in the Protection from Spam, Unsolicited, with the numbering provisions. Furthermore, sub-regulation (7) of
Fraudulent, and Obnoxious Communication Regulations, 2009. regulation 14 of the NAAR Regulations provides that the parties
The authority has ordered Jazz, Ufone, Telenor, and Zong that shall ensure that sufficient and correct numbering information is
since they have not come up with satisfactory replies; therefore, sent from one network to the other for correct delivery of domestic
the licensees are warned not to repeat the same, otherwise, and international calls. Sub-regulation (8) of regulation 14 of the
further legal proceedings will be initiated as per law. The CMOs NAAR Regulations provides that the parties shall convey to each
have been directed for taking all preventive measures with regard other, telephone numbers in the national and international formats
to non-disseminating messages through alphanumeric sender ID as contained in National Numbering Plan issued by the Authority.
contrary to applicable regulatory regime, messages to non-opt in (November 9, 2021) brecorder.com
subscribers, non-PTA’s approved content and through non-PTA’s

Qatar

The Communications Regulatory Authority (CRA) and and applications by users with physical, visual, speech, and
Mada Center launched the Accessible Telecommunications hearing disabilities and the elderly users. Additionally, the
International Best Practices report, during a seminar attended report includes a plan and future recommendations directed to
by officials from the CRA and Mada Center, and representatives all stakeholders, including the main players in the Information
of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology and Communications Technology (ICT) sector, and concerned
(MCIT), Ooredoo Qatar Q.P.S.C. and Vodafone Qatar P.Q.S.C. The parties and organizations, to achieve further progress towards
report was developed with the aim of informing stakeholders inclusive access to telecommunications. Within the framework
about the international best practices in the field of accessible of the strategic partnership between the Communications
telecommunications, in addition to the latest systems, Regulatory Authority and Mada Center, work was carried out for
technologies, equipment, tools, software, and services that two years according to a methodology based on research and
help improve the accessibility to telecommunications services study of the international best practices in the field of accessible

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