Since the installation of the Device Identification Registration and Blocking System, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has blocked approximately 26.03 million fraudulent and replica mobile devices (DIRBS).
According to the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority’s (PTA) newly released Annual Report 2021, 175,000 stolen international mobile equipment identity (IMI) devices were also blocked. A total of 880,780 IMEI devices were discovered as duplicates, compared to the network’s 5.28 million MISDN blacklist.
According to the study, Pakistan’s telecom sector continued to grow strongly, generating the highest-ever revenue of Rs 644 billion in the fiscal year 2020-21, up from Rs 592 billion the year before. Furthermore, the industry received US$ 202 million in foreign direct investment (FDI) and contributed Rs 226 billion to the national budget.
Successful spectrum auctions and license renewals in Pakistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJ&K), and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) generated US$ 486 million during that time (FY 2021-to-date). Broadband services passed the 100 million subscriber mark in March 2021 and now have 110 million subscribers.
Around half of the country’s population has access to broadband, with mobile broadband connections accounting for the majority of these connections (49 percent).
Telecom and ICT services are available to over 89 percent of the population, with teledensity reaching 87 percent and cellular mobile penetration exceeding 86 percent. Cellular subscribers grew to 188 million, bringing the total number of telecom subscribers to 191 million.
Due to the development of 3G and 4G services, as well as the impact of COVID-19, broadband data use increased by 52% in FY 2021.
PTA has so far granted mobile device manufacturing licenses to 30 companies, resulting in a total investment of US$120 million, the production of 10.1 million smartphones by 2021, and the creation of 2,000 jobs.
