The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has finalized the Show Cause Notice (SCN) hearing against Telenor due to complaints of subpar service in the Chitral region.
Legal Action Initiated under Telecom Act 1996
The PTA took legal action against the operator under the provisions of the Telecom Act 1996, leading to the issuance of a Show Cause Notice to Telenor on 10th March 2023.
Telenor Says:
Regrettably, difficult terrain, unreliable power availability and limited transmission media, and import restrictions by the State Bank have significantly impacted our services. Chitral is a very important market for Telenor Pakistan as we are one of the first operators to bring connectivity to the region. We want to assure our customers that we are actively working with PTA to resolve these challenges as swiftly as possible.
Operator’s Response and Hearing
In response, Telenor submitted its reply to the SCN on 10th April 2023, and the Show Cause Notice hearing was conducted before the authority on 5th June 2023.
Quality of Service Surveys and Action Taken
The PTA conducted quality of service surveys following complaints from Member National Assembly Moulana Abdul Akbar Chitrali, leading to the initiation of legal action against Telenor.
The survey found degraded service, prompting the authority to instruct CMOs (Cellular Mobile Operators) to improve their services.
An independent joint survey with Telenor also identified areas for improvement, but subsequent verification surveys still showed service below the licensed threshold.
