State of Telecom Industry in Pakistan

Telecard has been in licensing disputes earlier and is now again as PTA suspends the WiMax commencement certificate of Telecard Limited. This takes Qubee’s future at stake as Qubee (brand name of Augere) for operating WiMax services uses Telecard’s spectrum and licenses. Daily times reports the details.

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) on Monday suspended the commencement certificate of Telecard Limited.

The PTA took interim action in respect of their WLL licences, which were being used in conjunction with the 3.5GHz wireless spectrum by Augere Pakistan for supporting their new wireless broadband service launched in Karachi by the name of Qubee.

In response to an order of the Lahore High Court (LHC) Rawalpindi bench, PTA took this action, pending further investigation and proceedings against Telecard Limited.

Justice Asad Munir of the LHC, Rawalpindi bench in his order on a writ petition filed by another telecommunication operator directed the PTA to ensure that Augere Pakistan is not allowed to offer any telecommunication services as are in violation of the licensing requirements of the Pakistan Telecommunication (re-organisation) Act, 1996 and the rules framed there under.

PTA had recently confirmed before the LHC in another matter that it had not given any permission to Telecard to assign its wireless spectrum or permit its use by any third party. However, it seems that Telecard without the sanction of PTA did allow Augere to use the spectrum and licences in violation of regulatory restrictions.

Augere is the third entrant in the broadband Wimax market under the Qubee brand but it does not have a WLL licence and is using Telecard’s licences and spectrum to offer these services, which have now been seriously questioned in the pending writ before the LHC.

The matter is now fixed for February 25 for further proceedings.