Apply for a PTA District Internet Licence: Rs 300,000 Fee, 10 Years
How a small business applies for PTA's district internet licence: Rs 300,000 initial fee, Rs 100,000 a year, Rs 20,000 processing, documents and the rules.
A small business can now get a PTA licence to sell internet in one district. The Class License for Internet Services at District Level costs Rs 300,000 once, plus Rs 100,000 a year rising 10 per cent annually, and a Rs 20,000 processing fee. You apply online at eservices.pta.gov.pk and the licence runs for 10 years.
We read those figures in the licence template and the application checklist that the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) publishes on its own website. Both documents date from the end of December 2025, and PTA started granting these licences in January 2026.
One correction first. Some summaries say PTA has issued around 300 district internet licences. We found no PTA figure that says so. The count reported in July 2026 was 47 licences by the end of June. The number 300 does appear twice in PTA's own material: the Rs 300,000 licence fee, and the "more than 300 participants" at a PTA licensing session in Sargodha on 24 August 2026. PTA has not published a newer total.
The district internet licence lets a local company sell broadband in one district
The licence lets you sell internet to homes and businesses inside a single named district. You buy bandwidth from a bigger licensed operator, connect the last mile yourself or through a partner, and bill your own customers. It suits a local cable or fibre operator that wants to go legal.
Under the template, you get bandwidth from PTCL, a Long Distance and International (LDI) licensee or a Local Loop (LL) licensee. The last mile, meaning the cable or wireless link to each customer, comes from an LL licensee, an Infrastructure licensee or PTCL. If you already hold a cable TV distribution licence from PEMRA, you may use that network instead.
You can lay your own cable only if no existing operator gives you the infrastructure within three months, and only with PTA's prior approval. Wireless point to point links in the shared ISM band must be registered with the Frequency Allocation Board (FAB) before use.
The current picture of who got licences and where is in PTA's 47 district broadband licences.
Who can apply, and who cannot
A company registered with SECP or a firm registered with the Registrar of Firms can apply. You cannot apply if you already hold a national data class licence, another district licence, or a local loop, mobile, long distance or infrastructure licence. PTA defaulters are also barred.
The one district rule is strict. The licence says the holder, its parent, subsidiaries and anyone under common ownership cannot hold a district internet licence anywhere else. So two brothers running one company cannot simply take Lahore and Sheikhupura under the same group.
For a company, the principal line of business in the Memorandum of Association must include telecommunication or internet service. If yours does not, change it at SECP before you apply. Registering is covered in registering a private limited company with SECP.
Documents PTA asks for in the checklist
PTA's checklist asks for corporate papers, CNIC copies, a technical plan, a cost statement, bank proof of funds and an undertaking on stamp paper. Watch the dates: several certified copies must be no older than three months.
- SECP Certificate of Incorporation and Memorandum and Articles, as certified true copies no older than three months.
- List of shareholders with Form A, and list of directors with Form 9, also certified within three months.
- For a firm, the registration certificate and partnership deed attested by the Registrar of Firms.
- Notarised copies of the CNIC of every director and the authorised representative.
- A board resolution naming your authorised person.
- A technical plan: Network Operation Centre location in the district, bandwidth and last mile suppliers, and a list of equipment with make, model and cost.
- A project cost statement and bank statements showing enough money for it.
- An undertaking on Rs 100 judicial stamp paper, notarised.
- A short viability plan: expected subscribers in year one, monthly charge, operating cost and competitors in the district.
How to apply for the licence, step by step
Apply through PTA's online portal with the checklist filled in, pay the processing fee, then pay the licence fees once PTA approves you. Your licence only becomes effective after the initial and first annual fees are paid.
- Pick your district and confirm you meet every eligibility condition above.
- Pay the Rs 20,000 application processing fee and keep the proof.
- Fill PTA's checklist and attach every document and annexure.
- Submit online at eservices.pta.gov.pk.
- Answer any queries PTA raises on your technical or financial plan.
- On approval, pay the Rs 300,000 initial fee and Rs 100,000 first year fee before the effective date.
- Get PTA to approve your service level agreements with your bandwidth and last mile suppliers, then start service.
What the licence costs over 10 years
Year one costs Rs 420,000 in PTA fees: the Rs 20,000 processing fee, the Rs 300,000 initial fee and Rs 100,000 annual fee. The annual fee then rises 10 per cent a year, so over the full term PTA fees come to roughly Rs 1.91 million.
| Fee | Amount | When |
|---|---|---|
| Application processing fee | Rs 20,000 | With the application |
| Initial licence fee | Rs 300,000 | Before the effective date |
| Annual licence fee, year 1 | Rs 100,000 | With the initial fee |
| Annual licence fee, year 2 | Rs 110,000 | By 30 June before the year starts |
| Annual licence fee, year 10 | About Rs 235,800 | By 30 June before the year starts |
The years after year one and the 10 year total are our own arithmetic from the 10 per cent rule. A late payment adds 2 per cent a month. Equipment, bandwidth and staff are on top, and those are where most of your money goes.
Rules you must follow once licensed
You must start service within one year of getting the licence and connect at least 100 broadband customers within a year of your commencement certificate. You cannot sell outside your district, resell bandwidth wholesale, or let franchisees run the network for you.
Your Network Operation Centre must sit inside the district. Each year, by 31 July, you send PTA a report on the network you built or leased. You must also follow the Critical Telecom Data and Infrastructure Security Regulations, 2020.
Running without a licence is a real risk now. PTA and the FIA have raided unlicensed operators, as in the raids on illegal ISPs in Gujrat, seizing routers and fibre equipment.
Common questions
How much is the PTA district internet licence fee?
Rs 300,000 once, plus Rs 100,000 for the first year, rising 10 per cent each year. A Rs 20,000 processing fee is paid with the application.
Has PTA issued 300 district internet licences?
We found no PTA figure saying so. The total reported in July 2026 was 47 licences by the end of June, and PTA has not published a newer count.
Can an individual apply without a company?
The checklist covers SECP companies and registered firms only. A sole individual would need to register a company or firm first.
Can I use wireless links instead of fibre?
Yes, point to point links in the ISM band are allowed, but each must be registered with the Frequency Allocation Board before you switch it on.
How long is the licence valid?
Ten years from the effective date. PTA may renew it, and must give written notice before expiry if it decides not to.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
Last checked 6 October 2026. We read PTA's licence template, "Class License for Internet Services at District Level" dated 31 December 2025, and PTA's "Checklist for Class License for Internet Services at District Level" dated 25 December 2025, both downloaded from pta.gov.pk. The fees, eligibility rules, rollout duties and restrictions above come from those two documents. The Sargodha session and its 300 participants come from PTA's press release of 24 August 2026. The count of 47 licences is reported, not read on a PTA page, because PTA has not published the total on its website. Year two onward and the 10 year total are our arithmetic. Fees can change, so confirm on the PTA portal before you pay.
About the author
Public Services and Education Journalist
Fajr Riaz is a journalist and content writer at Pakistan Era, based in Lahore. She covers the questions people meet in everyday life in Pakistan: how a public service works, what a change in the rules means, and where to find a reliable answer.
