Check If Your Internet Provider Is PTA Licensed in Pakistan: 2 Official Lists, and Why Wi-Fi Resellers Are Illegal

We downloaded both lists on 12 November 2026 and searched them for well known names. This guide shows where to find them, how to read them, and what to do if your local Wi-Fi seller is not there. It matters because an unlicensed seller can vanish with your advance, and PTA cannot act on a complaint against a company it never licensed.

The two PTA lists that show licensed internet providers

Home internet in Pakistan is sold under two kinds of PTA licence. Large fibre and cable companies usually hold a Fixed Local Loop licence. Smaller internet sellers usually hold a Data CVAS class licence. PTA publishes a separate PDF list for each.

The row counts are our own count of the PDFs. A company that holds the licence in several regions appears several times, so the number of separate companies is lower.

How to check your internet provider in 6 steps

Find the company's full legal name first, because the lists use legal names, such as "Naya Tel (Pvt.) Ltd." rather than a brand. Then search both PDFs for it. It takes about five minutes on a phone.

1. Look at your bill, receipt or contract for the company's legal name, usually ending "(Pvt.) Ltd."
2. Open pta.gov.pk, go to Business and Industry Support, then Licensing, then List of Licensees.
3. Download the Fixed Local Loop list and the Data CVAS list.
4. Search each PDF for a short part of the name, for example "Naya" rather than the full name.
5. Check the expiry date column and the commencement certificate column for that row.
6. If the name is in neither list, ask the seller in writing for its PTA licence number.

Our search found Naya Tel, Wateen, Multinet, Connect Communications, WorldCall and Optix in the Fixed Local Loop list. PTCL does not appear in either list. Its own licences are not in these two files, so do not read its absence as a warning sign.

How to read a row in the PTA licence list

Each row shows the company, the licence number, the region or province, the grant and expiry dates, and whether PTA has issued a commencement certificate. A licence whose certificate says "Not Issued" has not yet been cleared to start selling.

• Licence number: Fixed Local Loop numbers start "LL-", internet class licences start "DIR(L)/CVAS-".
• Region: the FLL list uses telecom region codes such as LTR, KTR and ITR. A licence is valid only in the regions listed against that company.
• Jurisdiction: the CVAS list shows Pakistan, a province, or a single district.
• Expiry date: a date in the past means the licence has lapsed unless PTA renewed it.
• Commencement certificate: "Issued" means PTA allowed the company to start service.

We counted 150 "Not Issued" entries in the Fixed Local Loop list. Many are new licences from 2024 and 2025 that have not started yet.

Can I buy Wi-Fi from a neighbour or a shop in Pakistan?

Only if that seller holds its own PTA licence. PTA's public notice says "only valid PTA licensees are authorized to provide internet services" and warns of legal action against anyone providing internet without one. Sharing your own connection free with family at home is a different thing from selling it.

The rules on both sides point the same way:

• PTA's district internet licence bans franchisees, dealers and retailers from running or selling the service. A licensed ISP's licence does not cover its resellers.
• PTCL's own Acceptable Use Policy bans resale and non residential use of home broadband.
• A street seller who takes PTCL or fibre lines and resells them to ten houses fits neither rule.

If you sell Wi-Fi this way and want to go legal, our guide to the PTA district internet licence lists the fee, at Rs 300,000, and the checklist. Our explainer on section 31 of the PTA Act covers the penalties.

What to do if your provider is not licensed

Stop paying advances, keep every receipt, and move to a licensed provider. You can report the seller to PTA. Do not expect PTA to fix a slow line from an unlicensed seller, because its complaint system covers licensed operators.

1. Save the bill, receipts and the seller's phone number.
2. Pay month by month, never months in advance.
3. Compare licensed options in your area, such as those in our PTCL, Nayatel and StormFiber comparison.
4. Report the seller to PTA through its complaint system. Our PTA complaint guide shows the steps.

Common questions about PTA licensed internet providers

Where is the PTA list of internet service providers?

On pta.gov.pk under Licensing, then List of Licensees. Download the Fixed Local Loop and Data CVAS PDFs.

Is Nayatel licensed by PTA?

Yes. Naya Tel (Pvt.) Ltd. appears in several regions of PTA's Fixed Local Loop list dated 5 October 2026.

Is it legal to sell Wi-Fi to neighbours in Pakistan?

No, not without your own PTA licence. PTA says only its licensees may provide internet services.

Why is PTCL not in the PTA licensee lists?

PTCL's licences are not in the Fixed Local Loop or Data CVAS files, so it does not show up there. That does not mean PTCL is unlicensed.

What does "Not Issued" mean in the PTA list?

PTA has not yet issued that licence's commencement certificate, so the company has not been cleared to start service.

How often does PTA update the lists?

The file names carry dates. The two we read were dated 5 October 2026 and 29 October 2026.

How we verified this

What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.

Last checked 12 November 2026. Lists from PTA's List of Licensees page: the Fixed Local Loop list and the Data CVAS list. The notice is PTA's Internet Provision Without License page. Counts are ours.