PTCL Secures CCP Approval for $40B Telenor Pakistan Merger Deal
Islamabad, Pakistan — The Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) has officially approved Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited’s (PTCL) long-awaited $40 billion acquisition of Telenor Pakistan and Orion Towers, marking a historic milestone for the country’s telecom industry.
The decision followed an extensive Phase II regulatory review, during which PTCL cooperated fully with the Commission and accepted a series of stringent conditions designed to safeguard competition and protect consumer interests.
According to the CCP, the approval is conditional upon maintaining independent management teams, ensuring non-discriminatory network access, and adhering to strict integrity and transparency standards. The merged entity is also required to undergo independent audits and fair pricing evaluations to prevent market dominance.
The CCP highlighted concerns about incomplete financial data and transparency regarding funding plans for 5G deployment, network upgrades, and capital expenditures. Conditional safeguards have been imposed to ensure fair competition, interconnection access, and infrastructure sharing across the telecom sector.
PTCL’s board formally accepted the Commission’s terms, paving the way for the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to issue final merger approval. Once completed, the Ufone–Telenor Pakistan entity will serve approximately 70 million subscribers, positioning it as Pakistan’s second-largest telecom operator after Jazz, which currently leads with 74 million users.
Industry analysts believe the consolidation will boost efficiency, strengthen infrastructure, and accelerate digital transformation, aligning with the government’s vision for a digitally empowered Pakistan.
Telenor Asia’s Head, Jon Omund Revhaug, welcomed the decision, stating that the approval “marks a significant step forward for Pakistan’s telecom sector” and urged for timely completion of the remaining regulatory steps.
News Source: en.dailypakistan.com.pk | developingtelecoms.com | samenacouncil.org
