The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) on Thursday commenced issuance of class licenses for the provision of internet services at the district level across Pakistan to promote local entrepreneurship, strengthen broadband infrastructure and enhance digital inclusion. The new licensing regime will allow small and medium-scale operators to offer internet services at the district level, particularly improving last-mile connectivity in under-served and remote areas. According to the PTA, the class license will be valid for a period of ten years. Applicants will be required to pay a one-time initial license fee of Rs300,000 along with an Annual License Fee (ALF) of Rs100,000 for the first year, which must be deposited before the license becomes effective. READ MORE: PTA revises IoT and SRD regulations to boost nationwide ecosystem The ALF for subsequent years will be payable in advance and will be subject to an annual increase of 10 percent. Interested parties have been advised to apply as per the prescribed checklist through PTA’s online application portal, while the template of the class license has also been made available on the authority’s official website. The PTA reiterated that the initiative reflects its continued commitment to expanding broadband penetration, promoting digital inclusion and facilitating sustainable growth in the telecommunications sector across the country. The PTA a week ago had revised its regulatory framework for Internet of Things (IoT) and Short Range Devices (SRD), aiming to accelerate the development of a nationwide IoT ecosystem through both licensed and shared frequency bands. The updated framework provides detailed guidelines for IoT service provisioning, with a strong focus on the use of shared and unlicensed spectrum for Low Power Wide Area Networks (LPWAN) on a non-interference, non-protection basis. PTA had said the move aligned with international best practices and the government’s vision for digital transformation. Under the revised policy, IoT and SRD services were categorised based on spectrum usage. Services using licensed or exclusively assigned frequency bands might be offered by Cellular Mobile Operators (CMOs) and other licensees under existing license conditions. Mission-critical IoT services will continue to operate only on licensed spectrum.