The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) conducted three raids in Samundri, Khiderwala, and Mureedwala in partnership with the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to crack down on illegal internet service providers.

The raids were carried out at Gojra Road in Samundri, the main bus stop in Khiderwala, and Mureedwala. Two individuals were arrested and illegal ISP equipment was seized, including an unlawful wireless point-to-point (P2P) link or antenna.

The PTA attributed the success of the raids to their ongoing monitoring, unwavering commitment, and persistent efforts to combat the problem of unlawful internet services. These actions are aimed at reducing financial losses to the national treasury due to tax evasion and inaccurate revenue reporting.

The PTA emphasized the importance of obtaining telecom services exclusively from PTA-licensed operators to prevent any abrupt service interruptions.

Impact of Illegal Internet Service Providers

Illegal internet service providers can have a number of negative impacts, including:

• Reduced tax revenue for the government: Illegal ISPs often operate without paying taxes, which deprives the government of revenue that could be used to fund public services.
• Unfair competition for legitimate ISPs: Illegal ISPs often offer lower prices than legitimate ISPs because they do not have to pay taxes or comply with other regulations. This can make it difficult for legitimate ISPs to compete, which can lead to higher prices for consumers and reduced investment in the telecommunications sector.
• Security risks: Illegal ISPs may not have the same security measures in place as legitimate ISPs, which can put consumers at risk of cyberattacks and other security threats.
• Poor quality of service: Illegal ISPs may not have the same infrastructure and resources as legitimate ISPs, which can lead to poor quality of service, such as slow speeds and frequent outages.

Consumers should be aware of the risks of using illegal internet service providers and should only obtain telecom services from PTA-licensed operators.