Uniform policy for free e-SIM transfer in the works

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s telecom regulator is working on a uniform policy that would allow consumers to transfer an e-SIM between phones at least 10 times without paying a fee, a Senate committee was told on Thursday amid concerns over the current restrictions.

The matter came up before the Senate Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat, chaired by Rana Mahmoodul Hassan, during a briefing on telecom services, 5G rollout, network quality and SIM registration procedures. PTA Chairman Hafeezur Rehman said operators were currently following different rules on e-SIM transfers, with some limiting how often users could move a card from one device to another. He said a single policy was being finalised so that consumers could make at least 10 transfers free of cost.

Committee members also raised concerns about consolidation in the telecom sector, warning that mergers could weaken competition and ultimately hurt consumers. The PTA responded that the sector remained deregulated and competitive, and said market competition should help reduce e-SIM costs over time.

The committee discussed the country’s 5G rollout as well. PTA officials said 499 sites enabling 5G services had already been deployed and that visible coverage across major areas was expected by the end of the year. They added that the shift to 5G was also likely to improve existing 4G service quality. The PTA told the panel that Pakistan currently had 15.6 million 5G-compatible devices, with that number expected to rise. The committee chairman asked the regulator to work on making 5G-enabled handsets more affordable.

Service quality on highways, motorways and other underserved routes was another major point of discussion. PTA officials said work was under way, in coordination with the Universal Service Fund, to expand coverage and remove blank spots. They said live monitoring of towers had been introduced and that open-source monitoring tools were also being used. National roaming was already operational along the Makran Coastal Highway, while similar arrangements for motorways were being considered.

The PTA chairman also pointed to Low-Earth-Orbit satellite technology as a possible option for improving connectivity in remote and unserved areas.

The committee reviewed the present SIM issuance system for cases where biometric verification fails. Officials said exemptions were available in three specified categories when supported by medical certificates or NADRA verification. The panel then directed the PTA to explore alternative verification methods, including retina scanning and facial recognition through mobile applications.

The meeting also took up issues related to the oil and gas sector. Ogra told the committee that a dispute over the removal of gas meters in cases of alleged leakage had been settled, and clarified that responsibility for leakage of metered gas lies with consumers. The panel directed Ogra to promote smart metering and other modern technologies to reduce leakage and prevent hardship for consumers.

Separately, the committee asked Ogra to address administrative weaknesses in SNGPL. It was also told that Ogra had held meetings with oil marketing companies and relaxed document requirements linked to the settlement of price differentials. The panel welcomed the move and urged timely payments to support the companies’ financial position.

The report is based on a monitored public feed and attributes the developments to Dawn Tech. Source: Dawn Tech - https://www.dawn.com/news/2016056/uniform-policy-for-free-e-sim-transfer-in-the-works