What Is PTA, and What Are “Infrastructure Obligations”?
The PTA is Pakistan’s telecom regulator — it oversees telecom & internet operators, issues licenses, and sets rules for building and maintaining telecom infrastructure.
“Infrastructure obligations” refers to the requirements PTA places on licensed telecom‑infrastructure providers (TIP license‑holders) and other operators — what they must build and maintain: fiber cables, towers, data centers, sharing infrastructure, security & data hosting, etc.
Recently (2025), PTA has tightened these obligations — to ensure real infrastructure rollout (not just paper licenses).
What Infrastructure Obligations Does PTA Enforce
According to new PTA policy drafts & regulations, the obligations cover several categories:
• Fiber Network / Optical Fibre Cable
- TIP licensees must lay at least 60 km of fiber‑optic cable per year.
- This helps increase “fiberization” — connecting more areas on high‑speed internet backbone.
• Towers / Radio Links & Earth Stations / Satellite Hubs
- Each year, license holders must install minimum 10 towers or radio links (or similar active‑infrastructure) to support mobile / wireless network expansion.
- For operators working on satellite/earth‑station infrastructure, they must establish at least one Earth Station or Satellite Hub in the first year.
• Submarine / International Cable Landing Stations (for international connectivity)
- For submarine‑cable landing stations, there’s a multi‑phase rollout requirement:
- Year 1: Obtain permit-in-principle
- Year 2: Establish landing station and get commencement certificate
- Year 3: Make the landing station fully operational
• Infrastructure‑Sharing (Passive & Active)**
- Under the approved Telecom Infrastructure Sharing Framework (TISF), operators must allow sharing of passive and active infrastructure (towers, ducts, antenna space, power, cabling, etc.) on fair, non‑discriminatory terms.
- This helps avoid duplication, reduces cost, and accelerates deployment — especially in remote or underserved areas.
• Data Hosting, Security & Resilience (New 2025 Regulations)**
Under the newly finalized Critical Telecom Data and Infrastructure Security Regulations 2025 (CTDISR‑2025), all licensed telecom operators (not only TIP) must comply with:
- Data Localization — store and process customer/critical telecom data within Pakistan.
- Appoint a Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) and set up a dedicated Information‑Security Steering Committee (ISSC) to oversee data security and compliance.
- Annual risk assessments, cyber audits, and business‑continuity / disaster‑recovery plans — to ensure network resilience and protect infrastructure from cyber threats.
- Incident reporting & national coordination — operators must report major cybersecurity incidents promptly (within 24 hours), cooperate with auditor and national response frameworks.
Why PTA Is Tightening These Obligations (2025 Context)
- Many TIP license‑holders were inactive or under‑performing — PTA identified that many had not built the required infrastructure, slowing national broadband goals.
- To eliminate dormant / “paper license” operators — stricter rollout requirements prevent holding licenses without actual network deployment.
- Push for fiberization & broadband expansion nationwide — fiber, towers, radio links, and cable landing stations will improve coverage, speed, connectivity.
- Reduce duplication / cost via infrastructure‑sharing — so operators don’t have to build separate towers/fiber where existing infrastructure exists — efficient resource usage.
- Improve security, data sovereignty, and resilience — in a world with rising cyber threats, data localization and security regulations ensure safer telecom networks.
What It Means for Telecom Providers, ISPs & End Users
For Telecom / ISP Companies:
- They must meet strict build-out targets (fiber, towers, etc.) to keep their license valid.
- Must allow infrastructure sharing, potentially reducing costs, but also limiting exclusive control.
- Must build data‑hosting, security, audit systems per CTDISR‑2025 — involves investment but ensures compliance.
- Face penalties or license revocation if they fail to comply with rollout or security obligations.
For End Users / General Public in Pakistan:
- Better chances of improved internet coverage and speed, especially in underserved areas.
- More accountability — operators can’t just hold licenses without building network.
- Data stored inside Pakistan — better data privacy and national jurisdiction.
- Potentially lower costs for broadband/mobile services thanks to shared infrastructure and efficient deployment.
Challenges & What to Watch Out For
- Implementing these obligations requires significant investment and planning — operators might delay new towers / fiber deployment due to costs or approvals (right-of-way, land, permissions).
- Infrastructure‑sharing requires fair & transparent regulation — smaller operators must not be disadvantaged vs big ones.
- Data‑hosting & security obligations mean higher compliance burden — operators must maintain robust systems, audits, and risk management.
- Regulatory enforcement must remain consistent — if PTA is lenient, obligations may not translate into real infrastructure.
Conclusion
The updated PTA telecom infrastructure obligations represent a major push toward improving Pakistan’s telecom backbone — from fiberization and tower expansion to data security and infrastructure sharing.
If implemented properly, these measures could accelerate broadband growth, improve network quality, and increase accessibility — especially in remote and underserved areas. For telecom providers, it’s a test of capability and commitment; for users, it offers hope of better, more reliable connectivity.
Also Read More: iOS 26.2 Update — What’s New & Why It Matters
