ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority has fined Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited Rs82.496 million for unauthorised use of extra radio frequency spectrum.

An official letter of PTCL available with Dawn has confirmed the imposition of the fine that has to be paid within 30 working days of the issuance of the PTA notice.

The authority has also ordered the PTCL to immediately stop the unauthorised use of extra radio frequency spectrum.

The PTA took the action after receiving complaints from a group of companies providing internet services. “PTCL was using anextra bandwidth to provide better internet service through its WLL (wireless local loop) connections and to maintain signal strength,” Wahaj-us-Siraj, convenor of the group, told Dawn.

“The PTCL was using 1975-1981.875 to 1895-1901.875 MHz, thus occupying extra 3.75 MHz of band which was not originally allocated to it,” Mr Siraj insisted. He said the company was using the extra band in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore and Karachi.