The government has proposed phasing out 2G feature phone manufacturing under its Mobile & Electronic Devices Manufacturing Policy 2026–33, alarming the local mobile industry over the potential impact on millions of low-income users.
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has confirmed that the draft policy includes provisions to gradually restrict or eliminate domestic production of 2G feature phones across the country.
Mobile phone manufacturers have formally raised serious objections with the government, warning that the proposed policy could severely damage both the industry and vulnerable consumers.
Industry representatives have cautioned that eliminating 2G feature phone production would directly harm tens of millions of low-income mobile users who currently rely on affordable devices.
The mobile manufacturing sector has urged the government to reconsider the proposal, arguing that such a decision risks excluding the country’s poorest citizens from essential mobile connectivity.
The draft policy, covering the period 2026 to 2033, represents a broader attempt to modernise the electronics manufacturing landscape and encourage higher-end device production domestically.
However, local manufacturers warn that any abrupt shift away from 2G device production would devastate communities where affordable feature phones remain the only accessible form of mobile communication.
