PESHAWAR, April 6: The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has abandoned its plan to regularize the functioning of cable operators who are providing internet facility through fibre optic, it is learnt. Talking to Dawn on Wednesday, sources said the PTA had been tasked to devise a mechanism for the functioning of cable operators. But the authority abandoned the plan and left the cable operators to fleece the general public, the sources said.

By using fibre optic, many cable operators are also providing inter-communication facilities among their clients.

The PTA regional office in Peshawar received many complaints against poor internet service provided by these cable operators, sources said. Yet, the PTA has not initiated any action to regulate the practice.

An official said the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) had issued licences to cable operators to screen satellite channels.

?We cannot regulate the services of internet as it is the function of PTA,? the Pemra official said.

Sources claimed that Pemra had given a free hand to cable operators to screen banned channels and its lenient attitude towards them had emboldened them to start internet services without following any rules and regulations.

PTA spokesman Brig Zubair told Dawn from Islamabad that some cable operators had acquired licences to provide internet service to their customers. But these were very few, he added.