Pakistan Railways cannot directly provide commercial internet services to passengers under its existing telecom licence, according to a Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) report submitted to the Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunication.
The PTA said Pakistan Railways holds a special telecom licence limited to institutional use and non-commercial services. The licence does not allow the railway department to operate as a public or commercial telecom provider.
Currently, internet connectivity is available on only three to five trains through cellular operators. To expand the service, the PTA has proposed that Pakistan Railways enter commercial agreements with telecom companies and connect onboard Wi-Fi networks to their backhaul infrastructure.
This arrangement would allow Pakistan Railways to expand Wi-Fi availability across more trains without requiring the department to obtain a commercial telecom licence.
The issue comes amid broader concerns in Parliament over the quality and availability of internet services in Pakistan. The National Assembly’s IT committee has also called for practical measures to improve telecom infrastructure and connectivity.