PTA Issues Tough Guidelines to Stop Telecom Operators from Charging Extra
The draft of new tariff laws, intended to prevent hidden fees and provide pricing transparency for mobile services, has been completed by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA).
After extensive internal and external stakeholder consultations, the regulations were created. They are presently awaiting final approval and will be formally announced shortly.
Significant modifications are introduced in the new regulatory framework to safeguard consumer interests and avoid unexpected billing. Measures include prohibiting the automatic renewal of packages, bundles, and offers without the approval of the customer and requiring users to be notified in advance of any changes to prices. The goal of these actions is to improve user control over telecom spending and reduce bill shocks.
All cell providers will have to post updated prices on their official websites so that customers can quickly confirm pricing details, according to PTA. To ensure further regulatory monitoring, PTA will need to approve every planned tariff hike before it can be implemented, particularly when it involves operators with substantial market power.
The authority claims that it periodically compares all operator packages and offers to their advertised rates and maintains a cutting-edge complaint management system to address billing-related customer complaints. Ensuring adherence to tariff regulations and encouraging ethical business practices in the telecom industry depend heavily on this monitoring system.
