PTA orders Ufone parent PTML to halt new ONIC SIM and eSIM issuance
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has directed Pakistan Telecommunication Mobile Limited (PTML), the parent company of Ufone, to immediately suspend several activities linked to its ONIC brand.
The order covers the issuance of new ONIC SIMs and eSIMs, activation of new connections, acceptance of new subscriptions, and related marketing and commercial operations.
The development has raised questions about ONIC’s future business structure, although the company has assured customers that existing services will continue without interruption.
Why has PTA issued the order?
According to the report, the latest PTA directive comes more than three years after an initial notice was issued to Ufone’s management.
Ufone later challenged the matter in court. After the company won the legal battle, the telecom regulator issued the order on September 11, 2026.
The directive requires PTML to stop the specified activities and submit a compliance report within seven working days. The report must confirm that the activities have been suspended and explain the steps taken to follow the order.
The order does not state that existing ONIC customers must immediately stop using their services. Instead, it focuses on new connections, subscriptions and related commercial activities.
ONIC’s business model under scrutiny
The PTA order highlights several features of ONIC’s operations, including its separate branding, packages, dedicated mobile application, billing system and customer management structure.
The brand also operates direct customer services. According to the regulator, these features make ONIC’s business model similar to that of a Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO).
An MVNO is a telecom service provider that offers mobile services under its own brand but generally relies on another operator’s network infrastructure.
Speaking to Dawn, a senior PTA official said existing ONIC customers would have to be migrated to PTML within three months.
“The other option is for PTML to obtain an MVNO licence from the PTA and continue to market ONIC as a separate entity,” the official added.
This means ONIC’s future could depend on whether PTML shifts customers fully to its own operations or seeks the regulatory approval needed to continue the brand as a separate service.
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PTML’s merger with Telenor Pakistan
The PTA order comes after major changes in Pakistan’s telecom sector. PTML, the legal name for Ufone, recently completed its merger with Telenor Pakistan.
The company is a subsidiary of state-owned Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL). The merger was formally completed after final approval by the Islamabad High Court.
Earlier in June, Telenor Pakistan was amalgamated into PTML, marking a major step in the consolidation of the two telecom businesses.
Ufone’s board composition also reflects the state’s significant role in the company. Its chairman is the federal secretary for IT, while several government officials and a PML-N MNA are also members of the board.
