The federal government anticipates earning $170 million (Rs. 40 billion) from the sale of additional 3G/4G airwaves.
The Auction Advisory Committee, according to representatives of the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication (MoITT), has been reorganised, and Miftah Ismail, the finance minister, will preside over the committee’s meeting in the coming days.
The Auction Advisory Committee will evaluate the Next Generation Mobile Services (NGMS) bids from the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) together with the market assessment study, spectrum demand, and supply. It will approve the publication of guidelines for spectrum policy and oversee the auction process.
The Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication, the Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Division, the Federal Minister for Power, the Federal Minister for Commerce, the Secretaries of Finance, MoITT, and Law & Justice, Chairman PTA, Executive Director of the Frequency Allocation Board, GHQ representative, Director-General Tech—ISI, Member Legal MolTT, and Member Telecom MolTT make up the committee (Committee Secretary).
Telenor has reportedly indicated interest in acquiring 5 MHz spectrum, according to reputable sources. PTA has also spoken with other telecom providers about their need for spectrum. PTA will give a report at the meeting of the Auction Advisory Committee.
The IT Ministry estimates that the upcoming spectrum auction would generate around $170 million, or roughly Rs. 40 billion.
