5G Launch Will Benefit All Stakeholders, Says IT Minister

Syed Aminul Haque, the federal minister for information technology and telecommunication (MoITT), said on Thursday that the 5G launch strategy, price setting, and spectrum allocation will be in line with the current socio-economic dynamics and ecosystem to create a win-win situation for the industry, the public, and the government. The minister made these comments while speaking virtually with Julian Gorman, Head of Asia Pacific (APAC), GSMA, about the sustainability and financial health of the Pakistani telecom sector.

The minister talked about concrete efforts the ministry has taken following extensive engagement with the World Bank, the telecom sector, and foreign stakeholders to demonstrate the government's readiness for the commercial launch of 5G in Pakistan. The minister pledged to take every step possible to promote the telecom sector, the 5G strategy, and the industry's readiness for the upcoming spectrum auction. He also emphasised that a lot of effort had been made toward completing the framework for spectrum sharing and telecom infrastructure.

Member Telecom Omar Malik gave a briefing on the procedures needed to prepare for 5G, the ecosystem's expansion, and the status of the production of smart devices. Additionally discussed were the long-distance international fiberization regime, IoT licencing, and the upcoming Wi-Fi 6E framework.

The fibre optic initiatives that Universal Service Fund (USF) undertook as part of MoITT, which received great praise from GSMA, were emphasised by USF CEO Haaris Mahmood. Gorman voiced his support in the wake of the terrible floods and praised the IT ministry's efforts to reestablish connectivity in the impacted areas. He commended the ministry's work in promoting the vitality and long-term viability of the telecom sector. Additionally, he extended an invitation to the minister and his group to attend Mobile World Congress Barcelona 2023.

DG Telecom Jahanzeb Rahim, GSMA Head of Public Policy APAC Jeanette Whyte, and GSMA Pakistan Country Lead Saira Faisal Syed also attended the meeting.