LAHORE – As the position of the five telecom operators has remained unchanged after the biometric verification of SIMs, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority is ‘reluctant’ to disclose the number of SIMs each of them blocked.
“Mobile companies have undertaken the audit twice. A complete audit of mobile subscribers’ data is also being planned,” it said.
“Making the number of each operator’s blocked SIMs public may have a bad impact on some of the operators in such a competitive market,” a source said.
According to PTA 2014 annual report, telecom sector continued to grow despite slow growth in other sectors of the economy.
Mobile penetration has reached 76.6 per cent with 139.9 million subscribers at the end of June 2014. Mobile companies managed to add 11.04 million new subscribers with 9.1 per cent growth during 2014.
The PTA further said a total of 20 million active SIMs had been blocked by first week of last month.
“However, these SIMs can be unblocked by respective subscribers after biometric verification as per procedure. Therefore, the count keeps on changing on a daily basis,” it said.
Dear TNT Reader,
At The News Tribe, our mission is to bring you free, independent, and unbiased news and content that keeps you informed and empowered. We are committed to upholding the highest standards of journalism, as we understand that we are a platform for truth.
Apart from independent global news coverage, we also commit our unique focus on the Muslim world. In an age marked by the troubling rise of Islamophobia and widespread misrepresentation of Muslims in Western media, we strive to provide accurate and fair coverage.
But to continue doing so, we need your support. Even a small donation of 1$ can make a big difference. Your contribution will help us maintain the quality of our news and counteract the negative narratives that are so prevalent.
Please consider donating today to ensure we can keep delivering the news that matters. Together, we can make a positive impact on the world, and work towards a more inclusive, informed global society.
Donate Monthly Subscription Annual Subscription
