![]() It is necessary to mention that many other countries in the past have faced similar issues with signal boosters, which have been dealt with accordingly. There still, however, is much more that needs to be done to curb the disruption caused by the illegal use of these devices. Earlier this year, the Chairman PTA Maj-Gen Amir Azeem Bajwa also raised this concern with the President of the Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry (LCCI), stressing upon the need to control the use of unauthorized mobile boosters. Many attempts have been made by the regulatory authorities to make people aware of this issue, and it is laudable that it has at least been recognized as a real problem that requires attention. Specifically, as per Section-31, Sub-Section (2) of the Act passed by PTA: ‘the unauthorized use of the radio frequency spectrum shall be punishable with imprisonment which may extend to years, or with fine which may extend to ten million rupees, or with both.’ The same law applies to sellers and buyers of the boosters as well. It is imperative to emphasize that the import, sale and use of GSM boosters is strictly prohibited, and legal action can be taken against the violators by the PTA. This was also pointed out by the PTA in an official tweet, to bring awareness to the potential health risks involved. In addition, while lowering the quality of service, they also pose a risk to health and security due to high radiofrequency usage. ![]() They use mobile spectrum for free through illegal equipment, which hinders communication services, including emergency calls. ![]() While this improves the signal quality in one particular area, the use of these sub-standard GSM boosters installed by individuals causes interference in the Cellular Mobile Operators’ frequency bands and deteriorates the quality of mobile services, causing inconvenience to thousands. Signal boosting devices are deployed by individual users at a location to receive strengthened mobile phone signals in order to get better network quality. Many shops around Hall Road in Lahore, as well as certain e-commerce stores continue to be seen selling these devices to users, regardless of the fact that signal boosters, amplifiers, and repeaters have repeatedly been declared illegal by the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA). As a majority of the population gets more dependent on digital connectivity provided by cellphone operators, a menace in the form of signal boosting devices has also risen. ![]()
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