Pakistan Telecommunication Authority has issued Internet of Things licences to 23 companies under its Low Power Wide Area Network framework, marking a meaningful expansion of the country’s structured approach to enabling connected device ecosystems across multiple industries. The regulator has introduced Low Power Wide Area Network licensing dedicated to Internet of Things applications, creating new opportunities for advanced technologies across multiple sectors, with the move highlighting rising interest from both local and international stakeholders in Pakistan’s growing digital ecosystem. The development builds on a process that PTA initiated in May 2022 when it began accepting applications for Internet of Things licences under its Class Licensing regime, establishing a formal regulatory pathway for operators seeking to build and commercialise low-power, long-range connectivity networks.
The licensing framework supports a broad range of use cases including smart cities, industrial automation, precision agriculture, environmental monitoring, smart logistics, and energy management systems, with the regulator aiming to ensure interference-free, scalable, and secure Internet of Things connectivity across Pakistan. Low Power Wide Area Network technologies are specifically suited to these applications because they enable efficient, long-range communication between connected devices while consuming minimal power, making them practical and cost-effective for large-scale deployments across geographically dispersed assets such as agricultural fields, utility infrastructure, and environmental sensors. The licensing structure includes a 10-year district-level internet services licence with an initial fee of PKR 300,000 and an annual fee of PKR 100,000, with Low Power Wide Area Network licences requiring compliance with designated frequency bands such as 865 to 868 megahertz, along with strict adherence to data management, privacy, and security regulations.
PTA officials noted that this level of participation reflects growing confidence in Pakistan’s digital infrastructure and regulatory framework, and that to ensure compliance and performance standards the authority conducted field surveys of licensed companies’ networks and developed additional recommendations aimed at improving implementation and ensuring effective rollout of Internet of Things services nationwide. In parallel with the licencing activity, the authority has also issued a consultation paper on the Framework for Short Range Devices and Terrestrial Internet of Things, inviting feedback from industry stakeholders to refine its regulatory policies, signalling that PTA views the Internet of Things ecosystem as a regulatory domain requiring ongoing dialogue with industry rather than a one-time framework issuance.
For Pakistan, the structured build-out of a licensed Internet of Things ecosystem carries long-term implications for sectors ranging from agriculture to public infrastructure, with the potential to improve resource efficiency, enable real-time data-driven decision-making, and attract technology investment into areas of the economy that have historically operated with limited digital instrumentation.
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