The government has officially enforced the Telecom Equipment Standards Regulations, 2024, meaning all telecommunication equipment manufactured, imported, sold, or used in Pakistan must now comply with internationally recognized technical, safety, and electromagnetic standards. The regulatory move is aimed at strengthening network security, improving service quality, and ensuring consumer safety across the country’s telecom sector, an area that has seen growing scrutiny in recent years as device volumes and network complexity have expanded significantly.
Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication notified the regulations through SRO 1110(I)/2026, with Pakistan Telecommunication Authority framing the underlying rules under the Pakistan Telecommunication Re-organization Act, 1996. The Federal Government granted formal approval for the framework, and the rules came into force immediately upon their publication in the official Gazette, giving the regulation the weight of binding law rather than a voluntary guideline that manufacturers and importers could choose to follow at their own discretion.
According to the official notification, the regulations apply directly to all licensees, manufacturers, and importers of telecommunication equipment operating in Pakistan. They establish a uniform framework for prescribing technical standards and executing testing procedures before any equipment can be deployed in the country, with the stated objective of ensuring that telecom devices entering the Pakistani market meet international performance, safety, and interoperability requirements rather than varying standards set on a case by case basis. To build this framework, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority has adopted recognized standards from several leading global standard setting bodies, including the ITU-T, FCC, ISO, ETSI, IEC, CISPR, CENELEC, and OHSAS, while also incorporating the European Union’s Radio Equipment Directive and European Standards, giving Pakistan’s telecom equipment regime closer alignment with frameworks already in use across major international markets.
The regulations define key technical concepts including electromagnetic compatibility, radio frequency, fixed wireless access, and satellite communication devices, and grant authorized Pakistan Telecommunication Authority officers legal power to oversee compliance and enforce the new regime. The regulatory framework categorizes mandatory technical requirements into several critical areas, spanning electromagnetic compatibility, health and safety, optical and laser safety, and specific standards for radio frequency, mobile, satellite, and terrestrial telecommunication equipment, with the overall goal of ensuring devices maintain compatibility with Pakistan’s telecommunications infrastructure without causing harmful interference or posing safety risks to users. Pakistan Telecommunication Authority has said it will retain the authority to review and update these standards periodically, in continued consultation with relevant stakeholders, positioning the regulatory framework as one intended to keep pace with rapid technological change and evolving international best practices rather than remaining static once implemented.
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