The federal government may extend the deadline for the registration of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) following a request from the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA). The current deadline, set by the Ministry of Interior, is November 30, but an extension is being considered due to ongoing consultations with stakeholders.
According to PTA sources, over 200 VPNs are being registered daily, but many stakeholders are calling for an extension of the registration period and a simpler process. The Ministry of Interior had previously directed the PTA to ensure that all VPNs are registered by the end of November, with unregistered VPNs set to be blocked starting December 1. The PTA is now awaiting a response from the Ministry regarding the extension request.
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Earlier, the PTA had announced that the VPN registration process for businesses and freelancers had been made more user-friendly. Software houses, call centers, banks, embassies, and freelancers can now register their VPNs through the PTA’s official website, with members of the Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB) eligible to benefit from this facility. To complete the registration, applicants need to fill out an online form and provide basic details.
