The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) clarified on Monday that it has not blocked any virtual private networks (VPNs) in the country, nor does it plan to do so in the future, despite having the technical capability to block them. PTA Chairman Hafizur Rehman reiterated that while there have been ongoing discussions and news regarding the registration of VPNs, the regulator has not taken any action to block them.
This statement was made during the launch of the PTA’s Annual Report, which highlighted significant developments in Pakistan’s telecom sector. According to the report, the sector saw a record revenue of Rs955 billion in the fiscal year 2023-24, with an average revenue per user (ARPU) of Rs302 per month during the April-June 2024 period.
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The report also provided insights into the growing popularity of social media platforms in Pakistan. It revealed that over 60 million Pakistanis use Facebook, and more than 70 million use YouTube, making these platforms the most widely used in the country. TikTok is another major platform, with 54.4 million users as of January 2024, 78% of whom are male. Instagram, with 7.3 million users, also showed a notable presence.
The PTA also shared data on telecom subscriptions, noting that Pakistan’s telecom subscriber base had reached 196 million, with 142.3 million broadband subscribers, including 3.6 million fixed broadband users and 138.7 million mobile broadband users. The mobile subscriber base stands at 193.4 million, with cellular services now reaching 91% of the population and 3G/4G coverage reaching over 81%. By June 2024, there were 55,777 operational cell sites, with 95.5% supporting 4G, which contributed to the increase in broadband subscribers.
