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Government tackles issue of spectrum demand amid growing use of mobile data services.
Pakistan will push ahead with the sale of spectrum in the 850 MHz band, with a view to concluding the process before it auctions off its leftover 1800-MHz airwaves.
The suggestion was made and approved at a government meeting chaired by Pakistan’s finance minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar and attended by IT minister Anusha Rehman Khan, the Finance Ministry announced late last week.
The meeting was called to discuss various matters related to the telecoms sector, with a particular focus on the demand for spectrum.
Having studied a market assessment report commissioned by Pakistani regulator the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), which looked at the growth in mobile data usage in the country, the Finance Ministry approved a proposal to hold an auction of 850-MHz frequencies before the planned 1800-MHz auction.
"It was also agreed during the meeting that an appropriate amount of spectrum needs to be made available to the industry to enhance the ever evolving requirement of international quality data services for Pakistani consumers," the ministry said, in a statement.
All stakeholders, including the IT ministry, PTA and Frequency Allocation Board (FAB) "will work together to quickly conclude further procedural measures for making requisite spectrum available through the auction process," the ministry said.
Pakistan last allocated spectrum two years ago, selling airwaves in the 2.1 GHz band for 3G services and 1800-MHz spectrum for 4G. Only China Mobile, which operates in Pakistan as Zhong, submitted a bid for a 4G licence, leaving Pakistan with leftover 1800-MHz frequencies.
There was talk at the time of the government seeking to attract a newcomer to the market, particularly as it had reserved 850-MHz spectrum for that purpose, but nothing has come of that as yet.
