How to Get an MVNO Licence in Pakistan: US$140,000 Fee, 15 Years, PTA Steps
Apply for an MVNO licence in Pakistan: US$140,000 fee, US$1,000 evaluation fee, 15 years, SECP company, an MNO agreement and PTA's full document checklist.
To get an MVNO licence in Pakistan, a company registered with the SECP applies to PTA with a signed agreement from a mobile network such as Jazz, Zong or Ufone. The evaluation fee is US$1,000. The licence fee is US$140,000, and the licence runs for 15 years.
An MVNO, or mobile virtual network operator, sells SIMs and packages under its own brand but uses another company's network. It has no spectrum and no towers. PTA opened applications on 24 June 2026, six months after the federal cabinet approved the policy framework.
The subject is suddenly practical. PTA is reported to have ruled that Onic, the digital brand of Ufone's owner PTML, works like an MVNO and needs this licence or a restructure. We read PTA's policy framework and its licence template so you can see what the licence actually asks for.
An MVNO sells its own brand on someone else's network
PTA's framework defines an MVNO as an operator with no spectrum that serves its own customers through a commercial agreement with a licensed mobile network operator. It can run its own brand, packages, billing and customer care. It uses the parent network's numbers, spectrum and roaming deals.
The parent network is called the MNO, the mobile network operator. In Pakistan that means the companies with spectrum, such as Jazz, Zong, Ufone and Telenor. An MVNO can sign with one MNO or several, and an MNO can host more than one MVNO.
The framework also lists what an MVNO cannot do. It cannot get its own spectrum. It cannot build its own radio or core network, apart from customer care and billing systems. And it cannot sign its own roaming or interconnect deals.
The fees are US$140,000 upfront plus 2.5% of revenue a year
The initial licence fee is US$140,000 or its rupee value, paid upfront. The evaluation fee with the application is US$1,000. Each year an MVNO pays 0.5% of its revenue to PTA, 1.5% to the Universal Service Fund and 0.5% to the R&D Fund.
| Charge | Amount | When |
|---|---|---|
| Evaluation fee | US$1,000 or rupee value | With the application |
| Initial licence fee | US$140,000 or rupee value | Upfront, before the licence |
| Annual licence fee to PTA | 0.5% of gross revenue | Within 120 days of year end |
| Universal Service Fund | 1.5% of gross revenue | Within 120 days of year end |
| R&D Fund | 0.5% of gross revenue | Within 120 days of year end |
| Late payment | 2% a month on the amount due | From the due date |
Dollar fees are converted at the National Bank of Pakistan's TT selling rate of the day before payment. Gross revenue for the yearly charges is revenue from licensed services minus inter-operator costs and fees PTA requires. The 2% monthly late fee comes from the licence template.
How to apply for an MVNO licence with PTA
The company applies to PTA using the checklist in Annex A of the policy framework. The key document is a draft commercial agreement with an MNO, signed off by both sides. Without a willing network partner, there is no application.
- Register a company with the SECP for telecom services and get its NTN.
- Agree a draft commercial agreement and service levels with an MNO, consented by both parties.
- Prepare a business plan, technical plan and a financial feasibility report for at least 5 years.
- Collect SECP forms, attested CNICs of Pakistani directors and passports of foreign directors.
- Sign notarised undertakings that the company and directors are not insolvent, convicted of major offences or PTA defaulters.
- Pay the US$1,000 evaluation fee by pay order or a PSID from PTA's website, and submit the file to PTA.
The commercial agreement must cover the type of service, quality of service, number portability, DIRBS compliance, roaming and interconnect, customer care and data privacy, disputes, national security and revenue sharing. DIRBS is PTA's system that blocks unregistered or stolen phones. Once PTA approves the agreement, neither side can change it without PTA's written approval.
The framework does not give a processing time. It says the licence is granted "after fulfillment of all codal formalities", meaning all required steps and checks.
After the licence: launch within one year
An MVNO cannot sell anything or take any payment until PTA issues a commencement certificate. It must give PTA 30 days' notice before launch. If it has not launched within 12 months, the framework says the licence will be terminated.
Before launch, the MVNO must also send PTA its Code of Commercial Practice and Standard Contract of Service for approval. It must run its own complaint centre and a 24/7 nationwide helpline. Quality of service and national security duties sit with the MVNO itself, not only with its parent network.
If the agreement with the parent network ends and no other agreement exists, the licence is suspended. It comes back only if the MVNO signs a valid agreement within one year.
What MVNO rules mean for your SIM and number
An MVNO customer's number can be ported to any other network in Pakistan, the framework says. The parent network cannot cut off an MVNO's service without PTA's approval. And an MVNO cannot stop serving its customers without at least three months' notice and PTA's prior approval.
The licence template is a little stricter on that last point. It asks for at least 90 days' written notice to PTA and to affected customers before a service is discontinued. Either way, an MVNO SIM should not simply go dead overnight.
SIM rules are the same as on any network. The template says an MVNO must activate a SIM only after proper verification under PTA's rules, which means biometric checks. If you are unsure which SIMs carry your name, the steps to check SIMs registered on your CNIC work for every licensed brand.
Onic users have a direct stake, because PTA's order on Onic reportedly gives PTML three months to move existing customers. PTA has not published that order itself, so its terms are reported, not confirmed on PTA's website.
Common questions
What is the MVNO licence fee in Pakistan?
US$140,000 or its rupee value, paid upfront, plus a US$1,000 evaluation fee with the application.
How long is an MVNO licence valid?
15 years at first. It can be renewed under the rules in force at the time.
Who can apply for an MVNO licence?
A company registered with the SECP for telecom services, with a draft agreement already consented by a licensed mobile network operator.
Can an MVNO use its own SIM brand?
Yes. It sells its own branded SIMs and packages, but uses the parent network's numbers and spectrum.
Can I port my number out of an MVNO?
Yes. The framework says numbers allocated to an MVNO can be ported to any other network in Pakistan.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
Last checked on 9 October 2026. Sources: PTA's Policy Framework for MVNO Services, December 2025, its MVNO licence template of 24 June 2026, and PTA's press releases of 7 January 2026 and 24 June 2026. We did not apply for a licence ourselves, and PTA does not publish a processing time.
About the author
Technology Journalist & Multimedia Producer
Ahmad Ali is a technology journalist and multimedia producer at Pakistan Era, joining the team in October 2026. He covers consumer technology and digital life for Pakistani readers, combining research with hands-on product testing.
