PTA Proposes New IoT Licensing Framework With Rs. 100,000 Fee for LPWAN Operators

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has proposed a new licensing regime for Internet of Things (IoT) services, introducing a structured framework that would require companies providing Low Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN) connectivity to third parties to obtain a formal licence at a proposed initial fee of Rs. 100,000.

Under the draft Internet of Things and Low Power Wide Area Networks Licensing Regulations 2026, IoT services would be grouped into three categories: licence-exempt operations, registration and full licensing. Firms planning to offer LPWAN connectivity and related services to consumers and other third parties would fall under the licensing category, with applications submitted through the regulator's online system. A licence would remain valid for five years, and applicants would also pay a non-refundable processing fee of Rs. 5,000.

The draft sets lower charges for other categories of operators. Companies running private IoT networks, along with providers of IoT platforms or applications, would each pay an initial registration fee of Rs. 10,000 plus a Rs. 5,000 processing fee, with registrations valid for five years. A separate regulatory sandbox registration aimed at research, development, testing and trials would cost Rs. 2,000 plus a Rs. 1,000 processing fee, and would remain valid for one year.

The proposed rules also impose operational conditions on licensees. Operators would be required to begin providing services within one year of the regulations taking effect and must obtain a commencement certificate from the PTA, failing which their licences could be cancelled. The regulator may grant an extension of up to six months. Licensed operators would additionally need to register their gateways, submit quarterly reports on active IoT connections and gateways, and comply with applicable spectrum regulations.

Existing LPWAN licensees would be given 90 days after the new regulations come into force to register their gateways. The proposal signals the regulator's effort to formalise oversight of Pakistan's fast-growing machine-to-machine and connected-device sector while offering lighter-touch registration routes for smaller and experimental deployments. The draft framework is now open to stakeholder review before being finalised.