PTA warns public against buying unlicensed Internet Equipments

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has advised the public to avoid purchasing unlicensed internet-related equipment, ARY News reported.

The PTA apprised that purchasing unlicensed equipment can lead to issues concerning legal compliance, spectrum integrity, and network quality.

“The procurement or import of LoRaWAN (Long Range Wide Area Network) equipment and its sale without a valid license from the PTA may constitute a serious violation.”

The PTA has urged citizens to always buy internet-related equipment, including LoRaWAN equipment and services, from a valid Internet of Things (IoT) Low-Power Wide-Area Network (LPWAN) licensed entity.

All details related to licenses are available on the PTA website.

Failing to follow the PTA guidelines may cause citizens to face a number of issues:

Legal Compliance: Importing or selling LoRaWAN equipment or establishing a LoRaWAN network to provide services without a license from the PTA is against Pakistan’s Telecommunication laws and regulations.

Spectrum Integrity: Illegal equipment can cause harmful interference to other licensed services and disrupt the legitimate coordinated use of the radio spectrum.

Network Quality: Unauthorized equipment may not meet the necessary technical standards, potentially compromising the quality and security of national IoT initiatives.

Earlier, the PTA has issued new guidelines for internet users regarding the use of Virtual Private Network (VPN) services in the country.

According to an official statement, the PTA has initiated the licensing of VPN service providers under the reinstated Class Value Added Services (CVAS-Data) licensing framework.

The move aims to streamline the provision of secure and lawful VPN services in Pakistan while ensuring compliance with national regulations and data protection standards.

Under this framework, PTA has granted Class Licenses to several companies, including Alpha 3 Cubic (Pvt.) Ltd. (Steer Lucid), Zettabyte (Pvt.) Ltd. (Crest VPN), Nexilium Tech (SMC-Pvt.) Ltd. (Kestrel VPN), UKI Conic Solutions (SMC-Pvt.) Ltd. (QuiXure VPN), and Vision Tech 360 (Pvt.) Ltd. (Kryptonyme VPN).

These licensees are now authorized to offer VPN services to individuals and organizations for legitimate and lawful purposes.

The PTA advised internet users that they may now obtain VPN services directly from these licensed providers without the need to apply separately to PTA for VPN registration of their IP addresses or mobile numbers.

The authority stated that this initiative is aimed at promoting regulatory facilitation, user convenience, and enhanced cybersecurity across Pakistan’s digital ecosystem.

According to PTA, the introduction of licensed VPN services will promote secure and lawful online connectivity, reduce cybersecurity risks associated with unregistered VPNs, and contribute to strengthening national cyber defence and data protection.

Earlier, Google issued a strong warning about a growing cyber threat: malicious apps masquerading as trustworthy Virtual Private Networks (VPNs). While many view VPNs as essential for protecting digital identity, cybercriminals are exploiting this trust by deploying apps that, in fact, are malware designed to steal data.

Google’s latest November 2025 fraud and scam advisory specifically highlights these digital risks. According to the advisory, threat actors are disguising malware as both VPN apps and browser extensions that initially appear legitimate. These fake services often impersonate popular VPN brands and use appealing advertisements to trick users into installing them.