ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has allowed the mobile phone operators to restore internet services in several districts of Balochistan and Khyber district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa after five years.
After review the security situation, the Interior Ministry has cleared Turbat city, Kech, Awaran, Panjgur, Washuk and Kalat along the highways including Regional Cooperation for Development Highway, N-30, N-85 and Awaran-Bela Road for internet connectivity.
The Khyber district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has also been cleared, where the internet services and even basic telephony were suspended. The decision has been taken “in pursuance of the government’s vision of providing internet services across the country.”
The Cellular Mobile Operators (CMOs) had been operating only the 2G service in most of these areas that covers basic voice transfer and SMS. Cellular mobile operators have been told to upgrade their existing infrastructure from 2G to 3G/4G.
The PTA has announced that the internet services will be restored and upgraded in other areas too in phased manner as the security clearances are received.
The ministry of information technology had earlier written a letter to the interior ministry that it was the government’s vision to provide internet services across the country, and the “force majeure” clause may be lifted from areas that were not under the severe threats of law and order or terror attacks.
Services were suspended in February 2016 in seven districts of Balochistan after the ISI cited security reasons for the closure.
