PTA Urges Swift Resolution as Nayatel, PTCL, Zong, and Telenor Tangle Over Bandwidth Dispute

In a bid to address a bandwidth dispute, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has stepped in, directing PTCL, Zong, Telenor, and Nayatel to swiftly resolve the ongoing disagreement within three business days.

The dispute was triggered by Nayatel, which complained to PTCL, accusing the telecom giant of not advertising Nayatel’s IP addresses through CMPak (Zong) and Telenor. Nayatel contends that it ceased direct bandwidth procurement from PTCL due to high prices, opting instead to purchase internet bandwidth from Zong and Telenor, who source their internet backbone capacity from PTCL.

Nayatel alleges that despite authorization by PTA law for Zong and Telenor to resell bandwidth to other licensees, PTCL blocked Nayatel’s IPs from passing through its network. The complaint suggests that PTCL offered more favorable pricing to other cable operators, further exacerbating Nayatel’s contention of unfair treatment.

The PTA has issued a directive to PTCL, Zong, and Telenor to promptly address the issue and submit a detailed response to Nayatel’s complaint within three working days. The outcome of this dispute resolution will have implications for the competitive dynamics and pricing strategies within Pakistan’s telecommunications industry. Stay tuned for updates on this evolving situation.