Broadband: State, operators and the public

Syed Wajid THE Senate IT Committee has deferred the Telecom Reorganization Amendment Bill 2026. This delay stems from concerns that the government’s proposed language allows unchecked deployment of telecom infrastructure—like fiber cables and towers—on private land, while penalizing landowners up to Rs. 50 million for refusing Right of Way (Ro W). Resolving this requires analyzing the three key stakeholders: the State, the Operators and the Public. Under its “Digital Pakistan” vision, the Ministry of IT and Telecommunication (MoITT) and the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) aim to expand fixed and mobile broadband to build a modern, tech-driven knowledge economy. Expected benefits include reducing the digital divide, women’s empowerment, employment opportunities, support for freelancers, improved access to public services, financial inclusion and an expanded tax base. To achieve this, the government has introduced the Digital Nation Act, formed the Pakistan Digital Authority and auctioned the 5G spectrum. However, success depends heavily on fiber infrastructure. The ministry aims to increase cell site fiberization from 16% to 60% (ultimately 80%) via the World Bank-funded Digital Economy Enhancement Project (DEEP). It also plans to expand fiber reach from 3 million to 10 million home passes. The proposed bill targets the primary bottleneck to this rollout: the Right of Way. Operators are for-profit organizations driven by commercial feasibility. In rural, non-viable areas, they rely on Universal Service Fund (USF) subsidies. Their goal is straightforward: expand their user base and increase profitability through fiber-powered, high-speed networks. For fixed broadband operators, the main challenge is the high cost of laying fiber, largely due to expensive RoW permissions demanded by municipal authorities, cantonments and private housing societies like DHA. Under PTA’s Class Value Added Services (CVAS) licenses, smaller district-level operators also depend on