VPN registration deadline likely to be extended

The federal government may extend the deadline for the registration of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), following a request from the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA).

This comes just days before the current deadline of November 30, set by the Ministry of Interior.

Sources from the PTA have confirmed that over 200 VPNs are being registered daily. However, the authority is still in consultation with stakeholders regarding the registration process.

Many stakeholders have called for both an extension of the registration period and a simplified registration procedure.

The Ministry of Interior had previously directed the PTA to ensure all VPNs are registered by the end of November. The PTA had also announced that unregistered VPNs would be blocked starting December 1. It is now awaiting the Ministry’s response to its request for more time to complete the registration process.

Earlier, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) had announced that the process of registering virtual private networks (VPNs) for businesses and freelancers has been made easier.

According to a statement issued by the PTA, software houses, call centres, banks, embassies, and freelancers can now register their VPNs through the PTA's official website.

The statement also mentioned that members of the Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB) can benefit from this facility.

To complete the VPN registration, PTA explained that applicants must fill out an online form and provide basic details.