According to Khalid Arain, Chairman of the Cable Operators Association of Pakistan, the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) is planning a crackdown on over-the-top (OTT) services such as Netflix after the Eid ul Azha vacation.
Arain added that a productive dialogue had taken place between cable operators and senior Pemra officials, during which the cable operators’ concerns were relayed
He stated: Our hands are constrained, and we are restricted from broadcasting on many channels. On the other side, OTTs have complete freedom to present popular channels.
He was referring to the OTT platform, which distributes streaming material over the internet, in his statement
Arain also reiterated the cable operators’ call for regulatory measures governing operators who offer both internet and cable services. He stated that the regulatory authority has positively responded to the cable operators’ demands. Following Eidul Azha, a committee inside Pemra will be formed to handle the issue of giving licenses to cable companies, as well as to launch a crackdown on OTT platforms.
Read more : PEMRA issues a notice and a warning to Tere Bin producers.
Arain argued for a tax exemption in the cable industry, comparing it to the solar power industry and urging that taxes on cable operators be reduced. He did not, however, provide a particular reason or basis for this request.
Furthermore, he drew attention to an imbalance in which the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) takes Local Loop license fees from cable companies in US dollars but users pay cable providers in local currency.
Arain thought the situation was unjust, noting the current rupee-dollar exchange rate as a problem.
