Google Play Store services will be unavailable in Pakistan from Dec 1



Mobile users will be unable to download the Google Play Store services in Pakistan from December 01, 2022 after the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) suspended the payment of $34 million to international service providers.

The SBP changed the Direct Carrier Billing (DCB) method, which suspended payments of $34 million on an annual basis by mobile companies to international service providers including Google, Amazon and Meta.

Pakistani users will now be forced to download Google and other international apps for making payments through credit cards or debit cards only.

The credit card facility is limited to a certain number of users so a majority of mobile users may be deprived of downloading apps from the Google Play Store.

The Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and four Cellular Mobile Operators (CMOs) unanimously wrote a joint letter to the State Bank of Pakistan on Friday to reverse its decision of revoking the DCB procedure for payment of dollar fee.

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