The 3G (Third Generation) spectrums have been decided to be auctioned in the next three to four months and subsequently its policy framework would be finalized by the ministry, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Chairman Dr Muhammad Yaseen said.
- “We (PTA) will offer cellular operators spectrum as they are already license holders of the regulator but they are not bound to launch 3G or 4G because we will give them a choice, so its up to them,” he said. He said the localization of value-added service contents needs to be developed rapidly in accordance with domestic market requirements that will not only promote business at domestic level but will also incite demand of its application through 3G technology on mobile phone.
- “Zong has earlier offered a business deal to share 60 percent revenues with content developers and designers of mobile phone and Mobilink has now come up with an offer of 70 percent earning share to them that sounds encouraging to IT programmers in the industry,” Dr Yaseen added.
- The seminar was organized by PTA in collaboration with HUAWEI, the network infrastructure maker.
- Talking in the seminar “Demand for 3G and beyond” on Monday, he brushed aside an impression that cellular operators are not willing to enter 3G technology and said there are certain operators supporting the regulator to introduce advancement in the market.
- He said cellular operators have expressed apprehensions on the launch of 3G technology, which we are trying to clarify regarding the concerns of revenues and demands in the local market.
- FROM WHAT PTA HAS BEEN SAYING, IT CAN BE CONCLUDED THAT IN 2010, TELECOM OPERATORS WEREN’T FULLY AWARE OF THE REGIONAL MARKET TRENDS AND THE BUSINESS POTENTIAL IN A LIMITED SMALL MARKETS.
- It is the right time for industry to go for 3G but it could not be done hastily, it takes time and a series of seminars being held in Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi is the part of its awareness campaign among all stakeholders of the telecom industry,” he said and added that “terming 3G made delayed is not appropriate because there was not substantial preparedness for it in the past.
