Pakistan’s cellular subscribers cross 193 million

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) reported that the number of cellular subscribers in Pakistan has reached 193,238,238, marking a mobile teledensity of 79.10% as of November 2024.

Mobile broadband subscribers grew to 139 million, achieving a mobile penetration rate of 56.90%. Meanwhile, fixed telephone subscribers were recorded at 3 million, with a fixed teledensity of 1.10%. Broadband subscribers reached 143 million, representing a broadband penetration rate of 58.39%.

Additionally, Parliament Secret Sajid Mehdi informed the National Assembly (NA) that 86,000 SIMs were blocked for anti-state activities. The announcement came in response to a call-to-attention notice by Asiya Naz Tanoli regarding the spread of fake news on social media.

Sajid Mehdi admitted that the government had temporarily blocked the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to combat misinformation. He also mentioned that amendments to the Electronic Crimes Act are underway to strengthen regulations against fake news and misinformation.

Furthermore, the secret confirmed that VPN usage has been restricted to control the dissemination of false information. These measures aim to curb the spread of fake news and enhance cybersecurity in Pakistan.