Auction of 3G/4G usher an era of prosperity, development
ISLAMABAD: Minister for State for Information Technology and Telecommunications, Anusha Rehman on Sunday said successful auction of 3-G and 4-G spectrum licenses will usher an era of prosperity and development in the country adding that it will provide dividends to the people from all walks of life.
Talking to NNI, she hailed that she had done her job according to PML-N election manifesto ensuring availability of telecom facilities to the people across the country. The PML-N led government is full filling its promises which were made during the electioneering, she held.
According to a study, more than 0.9 million job will be created which will accelerate business activities in the country.
She maintained that following auction of 3-G and 4-G spectrum licenses, responsibilities of the government have been increased manifolds as it has to ensure the availability of modern technology in every nook and cranny of the country in a way that the people of remote areas get access to e-health, e-government, public safety, e-tax management systems, e-agriculture services and e-education.
She said Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif is happy over the process of auction and the entire nation is considering it a success for the country and a step forward for development, progress and prosperity.
She said infrastructures are being laid down across the country and works is underway with the guidance of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. Phone services will be started in FATA and parks in Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi will be established.
“We have three types of funds including USF, RND and Pakistan Software Export. Board Committee of USF has decided to setup tele-center, installation of optic fiber, and provide rural telephones for effective implementation of the policy.” she held.
She said Zong has showed its willingness to pay cent percent fee and it will pay in dollars.
Commenting on dedication and keen interest of the government, she said efforts are made to provide cheap mobile phones to the people because the government has asked manufacturers to invest in Pakistan on the basis of public-private partnership. There will be no import tax on cellular phones due to manufacturing in Pakistan, she held.
She asked the manufacturer companies to open their sale centers in the country with the facilities of guarantee and repairing to the consumers. All legal formalities will be followed in order to avoid business of smuggled cellular phones in the country, she said.
She said that license will be issued after payment of fee and hoped that the network will be expanded by roads, highways and motorway as well as in the far flung areas equally.
She expected that telecom share will 1.8 percent in GDP growth.
It may be noted that Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) granted Zong 10 Mhz of 3G spectrum and 10 Mhz of 4G spectrum in country’s first-ever auction of next-generation cell phone spectrum licenses on April 23.
Mobilink received 10 Mhz of 3G spectrum while both Telenor and Ufone got 5 MHz of 3G spectrum after there was no increase in offers following the conclusion of fourth of eight-phase web-based bidding process.
Chinese-controlled Zong offered 306,920,000 dollars, the highest bid, to secure 10 MHz 3G and 4G licenses. Overall 903, 920,000 dollars were offered by country’s four leading mobile carriers during the bidding process. NNI
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