FAISALABAD, April 19: The entire service of the Wireless Local Loop Phone introduced by the Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited has been inoperative for weeks now because of overlapping in the frequency, causing innumerable difficulties to the subscribers. The Faisalabad Telecommunication Region authorities confirmed the breakdown for the last fortnight, claiming that frequency allocated by the Frequency Allocated Board of the PTA had been misused by some cable operators.

The WLLP service was launched in FTR about 90 days ago with tall claims of providing all types of phone services to subscribers on the pattern of cellular phones within six kilometres and 25 kilometres for phone sets with antenna.

However, it soon developed several defects and failed to provide a good service to its subscribers because of alleged negligence of the authorities concerned.

When contacted, an FTR spokesman said the allocation of the frequency in the telecommunication system was the sole responsibility of the PTA’s Frequency Allocation Board. Immediately after launching the WLLP sets, the service became inoperative owing to overlapping in the frequency.

He said after receiving the complaints, the PTA directed the board to change the frequency to resolve the communication problems in the system. However, he admitted, despite change of the frequency about a fortnight ago, the system could not be rectified.

“We are trying our best to provide better services through this system, but have learnt that the frequency allocated to the WLLP is being misused by some miscreant cable operators in the city,” he added.

Official sources revealed that over 1,500 subscribers of the WLLP complained to the PTC and FTR authorities about disruption in the network. But no positive step has so far been taken to resolve the problem and the subscribers have been left at the mercy of the faulty system despite receipt of heavy fees.

The subscribers have urged the government to take punitive action against the officials responsible for the faulty service.