The Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) is cracking down on imported mobile devices. The agency has amended its Mobile Phone Type Approval Technical Standards Regulations to allow Pakistanis to import only five mobile phones per year for personal use.
Imported mobile devices limited
In addition to limiting the number of imported mobile devices per person per year, the PTA has ordered that devices use only GSMA-issued Allocation Codes affirmed with an approval certificate. The agency also will allow imported mobile phones only to those it has issued compliance certificates to.
Foreign missions like embassies will also have to file certificate of compliance requests to be allowed to import devices to Pakistan via the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. They will also have to apply for approval by submitting the necessary documents and paying the appropriate fee to the PTA, reports Techjuice.
Other changes to telecommunications in Pakistan
Other than the new restriction on imported mobile devices for personal use, the PTA has also been making other big changes recently. For example, earlier this year, the agency began preparing to expedite device registration by introducing a new Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) registration system. The system allows Pakistanis to register their mobile devices via a text. The PTA is working with mobile carriers to implement the system.
The agency also issued new regulations for mobile banking late last month, notes Techjuice. The regulations require all telecom operators to collaborate on telecommunication services to make mobile banking easier by connecting major platforms such as Zong PayMax, SimSim, EasyPaisa, Keenu Wallet and others.
This month the PTA began cracking down on illegally imported mobile devices as well by blocking them inside the country. The agency plans to block more than 3 million illegal or smuggled smartphones and flip phones in Pakistan. The plan will be implemented in a number of phases and will target devices which aren’t registered with the Device Identification Registration and Blocking System.
