PTA warns against use of illegal mobile jammers

Telecom watchdog warns violators to dismantle jammers immediately or face legal action.

Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has warned against the illegal installment as well as supply and import of mobile jammers, and has directed all those involved to dismantle the existing equipment or face legal action, ProPakistani has reported.

Traders of telecom equipment have also been ordered to take prior permission from the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication before importing any jammers. The PTA will also hold the authority of allowing imports or installations as per its policy.

The PTA notice says, “In case any such unauthorised and illegal jammer is found, strict legal action shall be initiated against the violators.”

According to ProPakistani, PTA has been carrying out various drives against the installment of jammers as they block frequency of GSM-enabled mobile phone services affecting the quality of operators in the particular region. The illegal jammers cause inconvenience to customers by barring their calls, SMS, MMS and emails on their respective networks.

In 2011, PTA dismantled 66 illegal frequency spots which were causing interference in the authorised spectrum of licensed telecom operators, and 61 jammers were removed across Pakistan to ensure interference-free spectrum for telecom operators.