Islamabad, Aug 27: According to a recent audit by the Auditor General, Pakistan’s Frequency Allocation Board (FAB) has not done enough to stop illegal use of spectrum. The board neglected to impose sanctions against unauthorized users, even though regulations required the FAB to look into and take proper action against interference.
Twenty instances of unapproved spectrum usage, including abuse by well-known telecom companies like Jazz, Telenor, and Zong, were brought to the attention of the FAB in the second quarter of 2022, according to the study. Nevertheless, the FAB chose to refer matters to the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) for enforcement rather than taking prompt action.
The results of the audit demonstrated that FAB disregarded its regulatory duties and gave PTA credit instead. The study underlined that the Pakistan Telecommunication (Re-organization) Act, 1996 and the Radio Frequency Spectrum Regulations, 2021 give the FAB the power to look into and punish interference.
At the December 21, 2023, Departmental Accounts Committee (DAC) meeting, the Auditor General recommended putting into effect orders that told FAB to confirm records with PTA. The report recommended assigning blame for failing to take action against unlicensed spectrum users.
