PTA blocked IPs, Mobile SIMs and Devices to control Grey Traffic

PTA blocked IPs, Mobile SIMs and Devices to control Grey Traffic. Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), in an effort to deal with the grey traffic has blocked more than 200,000 Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, 1,382 Mobile SIMs and 3,160 phones / devices, during the last month. The sources said that the PTA blocked IPs, Mobile SIMs and cell phones via their International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) numbers. The sources added that the PTA grey traffic monitoring system has been working since October 2013. It is potent enough to automatically block those IPs that are not in the white list of PTA.

 PTA arranged a high level meeting, chaired by PTA Chairman, to review the progress of the gay traffic monitoring system. PTA has conducted an extensive audit of the whitelist IPs after the installation of the grey traffic monitoring equipment. Sources said that they got the whitelist IPs after the strict check and a stringent SOP. As a result, the IP whitelist has been rationalized and reduced from 51,000 to 10,360. PTA has installed the grey traffic monitoring equipment at the directives of the Grey Traffic Monitoring Committee.
Additionally, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority had started a 24/7 complaint center, where complainants can send their complaints through emails, toll free phone, fax and Free SMS. The complaints can be sent at the following;
complaint@pta.gov.pk
Toll free phone number 080055055
Fax 051-2878127
Free SMS on 668
Complainants can report numbers in case of any local number appears when receiving an international call.

Until now 1,944 complaints have been received through this facility. The numbers reported are not just blocked but are also investigated for legal action.
 PTA detected grey traffic in the recent case and  after further investigation it was recognized that a Long Distance and International (LDI) operator Wise Communication (Pvt) Ltd was involved in it.  In order to bring the culprit under law, a joint raid was conducted by the PTA and the FIA, in which illegal terminating equipment was sequestered and culprits were apprehended. The initial estimate suggested that a total of 11 million minutes per month were being illegitimately carried into Pakistan by Wise Communication (Pvt) Ltd.
The PTA and FIA also conducted two other successful raids in Karachi and confiscated nine gateways.

SC orders to appoint PTA Chairman in 15 days

Supreme Court of Pakistan has directed the government to appoint the members and chairman of Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) in the next 15 days while keeping in view the rules and regulations of the institution. Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhary also ordered that the auction of 3G license must be done 15 days after the appointment of members and chairman of PTA.
The chief justice said,

“The appointments should be made before proceeding with the 3G licence auction.”



While remarking on the auction of 3G license, he said it is the right of people of Pakistan to have an access to 3G technology and just because authority is not complete, telecommunication business is at standstill.

Three-member bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry conducted hearing of the case regarding auction of 3G technology license when the petitioner’s counsel Wakil Ali Raza told the court that the Lahore High Court already has issued an interim order in this case, issuing a direction to the PTA Chairman for transparent appointments on merit.

Chief Justice remarked that the institution is facing loss of billion of rupees due to its inactivity, criminal negligence and grey traffic. He contended that transparent auction is possible only when the PTA performs on sound footings.

It was also observed that 165 applications have already been received for the posts of members and Chairman PTA. After getting appointed, Chairman PTA must appear before the court and update on the status and future of 3G licensing in Pakistan, CJ ordered.

The case has been adjourned till 16th September, 2013.READ MORE

Breaking News: PTA directs cellular operators to halt All Voice and SMS bundles

Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has directed all the cellular operators in Pakistan to halt all the Voice and SMS bundles that are being offered to their subscribers. PTA took this decision by keeping in view the moral values of society. Currently, the cellular companies are offering daily, weekly, fortnightly and monthly packages and according to PTA directives the telecom operators have to submit a compliance report to the authority by 2^ndSeptember, 2013.

The letter from reads “Directive Relating to Packages Offered by CMTOs Contrary to Moral Values of Society” reasons a survey conducted in November 2012 which suggested PTA that voice and SMS bundles were still active.
The new directive is, “All cellular mobile operators are hereby once again directed to immediately stop all kinds of chat packages (Voice and SMS) irrespective of time of the day”
Analysts say currently the industry is derived by these voice and SMS bundles. If not reversed, the whole dynamics of telecom industry of Pakistan will change.
The decision of the PTA is no doubt a Decision a nightmare for the users and now they have to pay for each call and each SMS.
Here is the PTA Letter,

Courtesy by ProPakistani, Moremag

Cellular Services to remain suspended from 4PM to 8PM in Various Cities of Pakistan

Today, the Muslim community is celebrating Youm-e-Ali (RA) in the country and the government of Pakistan ordered to suspend the cellular service in the different cities including Karachi, Quetta, Lahore Multan, Sialkot, Sargodha and other cities, to avoid any unhappy incident.Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has directed all the cellular operators in the country to suspend their wireless and cellular services in various cities today.READ MORE

Government may restore YouTube After Eid-ul-Fitr

There are reports that Pakistani Government may restore video sharing website, YouTube after Eid-ul-Fitr. We earlier informed you that the minister of Telecom and Information Technology (IT) Anusha Rehman has formed an IT members committee to find the possible solutions for the restoration of YouTube in the country due to the inability of PTA to remove the objectionable content on the video sharing website. The government said that all stakeholders will be taken
into confidence before the restoration of YouTube.READ MORE

Unblocking of Blasphemous content on YouTube become Headache for PTA and IT Ministry

Unblocking of Blasphemous content on YouTube become Headache for PTA and IT Ministry. It is reported that the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and the Information Technology (IT) ministry are unable to block the blasphemous content on the video sharing site YouTube due to the inaccessibility of technology. Now the Lahore High Court has ordered them to evaluate the technology that makes them able to block the blasphemous
videos on the website.

While hearing a petition for the restoration of YouTube in the country Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, said that the restoration of video sharing website is associated with  the technological ability of the IT ministry and PTA to block notorious content on the sites.
By keeping in view the inability of PTA and MoIT, court directed PTA Director General, Mr. Waseem Tauqeer to organize a meeting with the petitioner and IT ministry to assess and explore the state of technological ability available in the country to block the blasphemous content. Read More

Chances of YouTube restoration are Bright

There are bright chances of YouTube restoration in Pakistan in the first week of May, said reports. He sources claimed that the ban on video sharing website is probably to be lifted in the first week of May as the administration of Google has approached the Ministry of Information Technology in a bid to block the anti-Islamic content on the YouTube permanently. Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) blocked the access of YouTube in Pakistan due to the blasphemous movie content available at the website.

PTA requested the Google to remove the anti-Islamic content but due to lack of necessary laws and agreements between Pakistan and US, the company refused the request to remove the blasphemous content from the website.
Now it appears that the matter is on the verge of its solution as the negotiation are said to be successful. The authorities followed the matter regarding to the removal of anti-Islamic content seriously and took up the matter with US diplomatic level and eventually succeeded to convince the Google administration.
Both sides to remove blasphemous content from the website on good faith have so far agreed to meet in a video conference next week.Read More