PTA Regulatory green light pushes telecom consolidation toward court approval and network integration phase
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has granted technical clearance for the merger of Telenor Pakistan and Ufone, removing a significant obstacle in the consolidation of Pakistan’s telecom sector.
The development is expected to be formally communicated to the Pakistan Stock Exchange, as Ufone operates under Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL), a publicly listed firm. Officials said no further board approvals are required, as prior permissions for the deal have already been secured.
The merger will now enter the legal phase, with an amalgamation petition set to be filed before the Islamabad High Court. Company sources estimate the court process could take up to four weeks, allowing regulators to review any outstanding financial, legal or operational concerns.
During this stage, input will be sought from institutions including the State Bank of Pakistan and the Federal Board of Revenue.
The PTA’s no-objection certificate also permits operational integration, enabling both firms to begin aligning infrastructure such as spectrum and telecom towers. The merged network, comprising roughly 26,000 towers, is expected to undergo consolidation to reduce duplication, though safeguards have been placed on shared infrastructure with rivals.
With Pakistan’s mobile market at around 202 million users, the combined entity is projected to serve approximately 72.45 million subscribers positioning it as a strong challenger to market leader Jazz.
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