PTA blocked IPs,
Mobile SIMs and Devices to control Grey Traffic. Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), in an
effort to deal with the grey traffic has blocked more than 200,000 Internet
Protocol (IP) addresses, 1,382 Mobile SIMs and 3,160 phones / devices, during
the last month. The sources said that the PTA blocked IPs, Mobile
SIMs and cell phones via their International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI)
numbers. The sources added that the PTA grey traffic monitoring system has been working
since October 2013. It is potent enough to automatically block those IPs that
are not in the white list of PTA.
PTA arranged a high level meeting, chaired by PTA Chairman, to review
the progress of the gay traffic monitoring system. PTA has conducted an extensive
audit of the whitelist IPs after the installation of the grey traffic
monitoring equipment. Sources said that they got the whitelist IPs after the strict check and a stringent
SOP. As a result, the IP whitelist has been rationalized and reduced from
51,000 to 10,360. PTA has installed the grey traffic monitoring equipment at the directives of
the Grey Traffic Monitoring Committee.
Additionally, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority had started a 24/7
complaint center, where complainants can send their complaints through emails,
toll free phone, fax and Free SMS. The complaints can be sent at the following;
complaint@pta.gov.pk
Toll free phone number 080055055
Fax 051-2878127
Free SMS on 668
Complainants can report numbers in case of any local number appears when
receiving an international call.
Until now 1,944 complaints have been received through this facility. The
numbers reported are not just blocked but are also investigated for legal
action.
PTA detected grey traffic in the recent case and after further investigation it was recognized
that a Long Distance and International (LDI) operator Wise Communication (Pvt)
Ltd was involved in it. In order to bring the culprit under law, a joint raid was conducted by the
PTA and the FIA, in which illegal terminating equipment was sequestered and
culprits were apprehended. The initial estimate suggested that a total of 11 million minutes per
month were being illegitimately carried into Pakistan by Wise Communication
(Pvt) Ltd.
The PTA and FIA also conducted two other successful raids in Karachi and confiscated
nine gateways.
