PTA Higher Ups Divided Over PTCL Case

by Ahmed Rayyan

Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) high officials have passed different judgment for issuing a deadline to Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) to comply Quality of Service (QoS) standards.

The two members of PTA board- Sayed Nasrul Karim  A.Ghaznavi, PTA Member Finance and Dr. Khawar Siddique Khokhar, PTA Member Technical— has decided to give six months time to PTCL for compliance of Q0S standards whereas Chairman Dr Muhammad Yaseen was insisted on 29 days maximum time period to the company for remedial measures.

The six months have been given as the licensee has failed to satisfy the authority on the contraventions it made regarding mandatory level and standards of Quality of Service keeping in view the difficulties being faced by it and the progress made so far on this account after the issuance of show-cause notice.

The chairman and members have reviewed all measures taken by the operators as against show-cause notices issued to it over complaints of poor services by customer.

Chairman Disagrees With Members

Dr Muhammad Yaseen has expressed his disagreement over the enforcement orders passed by the members of the authority.

I disagree with the enforcement order passed by both the members for granting six month time for remedying the contraventions. I am of the view that the enforcement order should be passed according to the rules and regulations.

According to rule 9(4) of Pakistan Telecommunication Rules, 2000 if the Authority is not satisfied, it can grant time to the licensee for remedying the contravention which shall be less than thirty days from the date of service of the enforcement order. In the instant case the time period should be less than thirty days. Secondly, grant of six months period to the licensee will create discrimination in the circumstances that the Authority has already passed orders against five mobile operators on the issue of poor QoS and required them to remedy the contravention within twenty nine days.

He said that authority is unanimously not satisfied with the reply of the licensee and has reached to the conclusion that the licensee has failed to provide the QoS to its customers as per the standards laid down in license and the regulations on the subject.

PTA Dispose Of Show-Cause Notice Sent To PTCL

PTA has considered the submissions of the licensee (PTCL) and took a lenient view for this time and decided to dispose of the show cause notice dated 4^th February, 2010.

The authority has duly considered and appreciated the measures taken by PTCL for resolving billing errors and complaints, customer care inquiry services, rehabilitation of PTCL network and OSP and consumer protection as stated during its arguments. But PTCL failed to satisfy the authority over issues related to DSL service, Billing for IP-TV and service issues on consumer complaints.