The Pakistan Telecommunication Company (PTCL) and digital subscribers line (DSL) operators signed an agreement last month to provide braodband sevices under the auspices of pakistan PTA.
The signing took place at the PTA headquarters in Islamabad where PTA chairman Dr. Mohammad Yaseen, Member (finance) Ayed Nasrul Karim Ghaznavi, Member (Technical) Dr Khwar Siddique Khokar presided. Senior representatives of the PTCL and DSL operators where also present. Under this agreement, DSL operators would now have a choice to acquire IP bandwidth from any other operator in addition to the PTCL, theoretically enabling DSL operators to offer bradband services at competitive rates.
The PTCL and DSL operators where unable to reach a consensus on issues such as allowing DSL operators to lease bandwidth from other private telecommunications operators,laying fiber in PTCL colocation sides,prices and discounts offered by the PTCL for domestic and international bandwith and provisions for VPN services. The DSL interconnect agreement has been pending for quite some time. Taking cognisance of these issues, the PTA, after consulting with the PTCL and the ISPs to finalise the interconnect agreement, supervised several meetings betwwn bradband operators and the PTCL to resolve these issues.