Like me, if you live on Internet and Pakistan, strong are the chances you’re already familiar with the Authority of Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA). We know PTA from their active involvement in our SMS, Watching us online, and yes banning Facebook and other websites in general.

Most recently over 1,000 porn sites were blocked by internet service providers (ISP), directed by PTA. It was also stated by a source, “They are adding to the list on a daily basis.”

Here is where I and PTA get face-to-face, my problem is not like they have blocked my favorite porn site. History is history, we all share it. Instead they added my innocent site in the list too, and it is blocked today.

My website (http://hometownshoes.com/) is about selling shoe, not even close to porn. But who knows, when the ‘athletes foot’ is banned. May be they found a link between shoes> athletes foot>something unethical, but I don’t know about.

This is what I see, when I open my website

When you visit the link in Pakistan, it reads: “THE SITE IS RESTRICTED” and site name appears as PTCL. So I instantly called to PTCL helpline inquiring them the problem my website is facing. But after a 13 min long wait, their busy CSR told that it is blocked from PTA and PTCL has nothing to do with it.

While writing this post, too much to my surprise, I find I am not alone. In fact, PTA has blocked all sites in Pakistan which contain the word ‘shoes’ in its URL and first of it took place one Nov 01, 2011. Now somebody please explain me what is wrong with sites containing shoes.com in its address. That is totally ridiculous.

From its website, PTA claims ‘‘To promote and protect the interests of users of telecommunication services in Pakistan.” But instead from my experience PTA is causing loss to my business and now I’m insecure about running my website in Pakistan. How sad..!

Any ways, I visited PTA website assuming for some help, but in vain. No one answered my call from any of their contact numbers. More, I wrote an email, hoping that they would solve my problem at an earliest when they see my complain message.

This is not at all childish or minor mistake. PTA has the responsibility to make our life easier on web and telecommunication in general. But such continuous stupid mistakes are making it worse for people like me. I am angry and sad at the same time.

PTA is keeping to over use its authority. Shall we stop them?

Filed under: Hello, Pakistan

Pakistan Telecommunication Authority today launched various application services on its online National Rabta Portal. The primary focus behind the launch is to assist local Internet users in retrieving various information specific to Internet resource information and content of the country.

National Whois application will help the user to access ownership and management information of an IP address of Pakistan. The Whois service is linked up with APNIC (Asia Pacific Network Information Center) database. ICT rabta pages service will assist a user to retrieve contact and general information about ICT industry of the country whereas educational portal service will help the students and general community to access information regarding public & private educational institutes, scholarships and skill development programs available in the country.

Another significant service launched is a local search engine for the country titled as ‘Raftaar Pakistan’. The search engine will entertain a particular search string by fetching the relevant information from websites registered under .pk ccTLD. This is first of its kind online search platform offering filtered and Pakistan-based content. It is anticipated that the search platform Raftaar will catch the attraction of broadband internet service providers in order to encourage and promote local search facility.

PTA would welcome to work with Broadband services providers to host Raftaar.

via Press Release

Pakistan Telecommunication Authority seems to have obtained the instruction from Ministry of Information Technology (MOIT) for making planning for auction of third generation (3G) cellular licenses, mentioned bye an announcement from PTA . This news is confirmed after a lots of setbacks and after that positive affirmations.

Announcement declared that PTA has become intending to Auction Frequency Spectrum for Cellular Mobile Broadband Solutions and license is going to be technology basic and the licensees have the ability to set up any technologies including 3G / 4G / LTE / almost every other upcoming technologies.

The information Memorandum (IM) with regard to auctioning procedure has been made by PTA. The auction will probably be organised tentatively in March 2012 in which specific timetable will be released later on.

The auction method is going to be supervised by way of a joint professional group (Auction Supervisory Committee) containing public sector stakeholders, which include reps of Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Information Technology, PTA and FAB etc.

PTA has got constituted an exclusive panel in making formulations to carry out the auction within the most possible transparent method.

For the consciousness and knowledge of prospective traders, PTA is additionally preparing to maintain Investors Conferences in Karachi and Islamabad. Worldwide Road Shows may also be arranged. The actual agenda for this auction could be presented in the near future, explained by PTA.

It can be important to say that the release of Cellular Mobile Broadband solutions in Pakistan will start a whole new financial cycle in the country and accumulate wonderful benefits for the nationwide economy. It will likewise usher in new trend for growth of a wide variety of new apps for data intense value added services. This can significantly match the condition and needs of Cellular Mobile Phone users and experts who are excitedly looking forward to this particular service.

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The last we heard on the subject was about the policy approval for 3G. Despite the unstable political situation in the country PTA has decided to have the auctions for the 3G License tentatively in March 2012. It is worth mentioning here that the license will be technology neutral allowing licensee to put up any of the latest technology. Detailed press release from PTA follows:

In pursuance of the policy directive issued by Ministry of Information Technology (MOIT), Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) is planning to Auction Frequency Spectrum for Cellular Mobile Broadband Services. The license for this service will be technology neutral and the licensees be able to deploy any technology including 3G / 4G / LTE / any other upcoming technologies.

The information Memorandum (IM) for auctioning process is being prepared by PTA. The auction will be held tentatively in March 2012 for which exact schedule will be issued later.  The auction process will be overseen by a joint professional group (Auction Supervisory Committee) comprising of public sector stakeholders, including representatives of Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Information Technology, PTA and FAB etc.  PTA has constituted a special committee for making preparations to conduct the auction in the most possible transparent manner.

For the awareness and information of potential investors, PTA is also planning to hold Investors Conferences in Karachi and Islamabad. International Road Shows will also be organized.  The exact schedule for this auction would be made available soon.

It is pertinent to mention that the introduction of Cellular Mobile Broadband services in the country will initiate a new economic cycle in the country and accrue great benefits for the national economy.  It will also usher in new era for proliferation of a number of new applications for data intensive value added services.  This will greatly fulfill the requirement and demands of Cellular Mobile Phone subscribers and professionals who are eagerly waiting for this service.

Yet again the Interior Minister gets in action. This times constituted a committee to examine draft bill regarding misuse of electronic equipment i.e. emails, SMS, MMS in anti-state activities detrimental to the national security. This comes in wake of the recent change in political winds and anti-state messages been floated on emails, mobile phones etc.. As reported by the APP:

The committee headed by Secretary Interior would brief the Minister within one week regarding the proposed legislation. He was chairing a meeting on the subject of “misuse of electronic equipments, i.e. internet, email, SMS/MMS and to take remedial measures to curb the menace of such illegal activities with iron hands.

Secretary Interior, Secretary, Information Technology,Chairman Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), Inspector General Sindh, Members FBR and Representatives of Intelligence Agencies attended the meeting.

Once again the Multiple and illegal SIMs got under the gun:

It was observed that the criminals are still using unauthorized mobile SIMS for their criminal activities and terrorists’ acts, bank robbery, target killings and other heinous crimes.

The Minister directed Chairman PTA to revisit the whole system and ensure that all those illegal SIMS which are being used on stolen identity shall be blocked.

Mobile number portability (MNP) was also discussed to be banned in wake of misuse associated with them. Any kind of misuse to be booked under Anti-Terrorism Act.

The meeting decided that in view of the grave complaints, Mobile Number Portability (MNP) by the service providers is banned in future and anybody found violating should be booked under Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997 as it is against the national security.

Anybody misusing, sending threatening emails or tampering with email address, mobile phone via SMS, MMS etc shall be dealt with under ATA and other relevant sections of law.

Chairman PTA and Secretary IT have been directed to immediately hold a meeting with service providers and convey the concerns of the government and ensure that their services are not misused by anti-slate and anti-social elements, putting the security of the country in danger.

The SMS filtering policy was also discussed.

The meeting also decided that the service providers shall have to have their own monitoring system to block such detrimental communication as mentioned above in coordination with the PTA.

The meeting decided to identify “obscene words” or anti state wordings, being used by anti-social elements and they shall be entered in the system to be blocked.

The service providers would ensure that they will not advertise anything against social norms and customs and they will not support any media programme with content that brings government into disrepute, scandalizes it or is against the national honour and security.

The Minister also directed PTA and other authorities that while taking such remedial measures, it would be ensured that general public may not face any problem and no site would be blocked.

All those who receive threatening messages or anti state messages,the same should be brought to the notice of Ministry of Interior through the following email and telephone numbers for taking legal action against the senders under ATA, 1997 & other sections of law.

via Associated Press of Pakistan

Update

Other point of views on the minister’s nonsense:

1. Rehman Malik back with Tech-Blunders
2. Government to ban MNP (Mobile Number Portability) – Another one by Rehman Malik

Accessibility to reliable and affordable broadband has been behind the social uplift success stories of many developed countries of the world. Behind their success lies the understanding of the fact that broadband services are no more a “value-add”, it has become a “necessity” in the modern world.

In line with enhancing broadband penetration in Pakistan, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) introduced a broadband policy focusing on a number of areas to not only encourage investment but also to boost awareness among the masses.

Last month, in partnership with a telecom vendor (Huawei), the PTA launched a nationwide broadband “road-show” to encourage ordinary citizens to see for themselves how broadband services can revolutionize their every-day life-styles.

The PTA has also forecast that the number of broadband users in Pakistan will reach some 19.5 million by the year 2020 – a slow but substantial increase in the number of subscribers.

Access to broadband internet is known to have dramatically improved the efficiency, productivity and performance of a society – allowing people access to global information and resources that can be applied to their localities and surroundings.

But all that said, for the over-all social uplift, it is also very important for local information and local content to be generated and be readily available within Pakistan. This should especially include e-Government initiatives and access to forms and documentation online, allowing people to perform a number of day to day tasks online. The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has truly revolutionized the way people used to apply for Tax registration and filing of returns and all government departments can take it is a leading example.

We, as a nation, need to focus on generating local content, publishing web content in local languages as much as possible for broadband to have its true effect in uplifting our living standards.

In a recent move, Ufone has restored the BlackBerry Facebook and Twitter Apps which were blocked due to lack of ability to filter specific content. The block was initiated with the May 2010 in wake of clear discrimination from Facebook Admin for not banning the blasphemous fan-page. As tribune reports:

A company official who requested anonymity confirmed that Ufone – in consultation with Research in Motion (RIM), the Canada-based manufacturer of BlackBerry – has installed a content filtering solution which restricts access to specific Facebook pages banned by the local authorities.

The development will help restore some confidence among BlackBerry users in Pakistan who were hit by a week long blackout of services including the infamous BB messenger and, unlike their foreign counterparts, were not compensated by RIM. Blackberry had announced it is offering free apps worth £63 to appease customers hit by its three-day global blackout. It is worth mentioning that BlackBerry’s app world is a service that is currently not available in Pakistan.

The content filtering solution may also help restore customer confidence in the device, as many BlackBerry users were looking to switch to other platforms like Apple’s iPhone or Android-powered devices as entire BlackBerry services are not available in the country.

It is much expected that other cellular operators will also suite and put specific content filter in place to make Facebook and Twitter Apps on their networks online.