Govt likely to extend VPNs registration

The federal government is likely to extend the deadline for registering Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) till December-end , a report said on Monday.

Citing sources, it added the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has requested to extend the deadline set on November 30.

Around one million freelancers in the country who bring around $400 million in the country are at risk on account of VPN blockage from November 30.

Many stakeholders have called for an extension of the registration period and a simplified registration procedure, according to the report.

The Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunication, fearing millions of dollars loss in terms of IT remittances on account of proposed VPN blocking, termed it illegal, as it was not in law to block an app.

The Ministry of Information Technology as well as PTA failed to satisfy the Committee on proposed blocking of VPN from November 30.

According to the PTA, if VPNs are registered, internet shutdowns would no longer happen in Pakistan. PTA has already registered more than 25,000 VPNs under a policy initially introduced in 2016. Registering VPNs would mitigate all internet issues for businesses in Pakistan.

The PTA also announced that the process of registering VPNs for businesses and freelancers has been made easier. According to a statement issued by the PTA, software houses, call centres, banks, embassies, and freelancers can now register their VPNs through the PTA’s official website.

The statement also mentioned that members of the Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB) can benefit from this facility. To complete the VPN registration, PTA explained that applicants must fill out an online form and provide basic details.