While mobile phone users in Pakistan have been enjoying 3G and 4G services in over 150 major and small cities across the country, residents of Azad Kashmir and Gilgit and Baltistan are still waiting for high-speed wireless broadband services to début in the hilly stations of AJK and G&B.
Even after one year of auction in Pakistan, Azad Kashmir is yet to experience 3G and 4G services, and like in various other situations, we don’t have a name to blame for this delay.
According to 3G and 4G license terms, operators were allowed to rollout their 3G and 4G networks in whole of Pakistan, except AJK and G&B. Check below section from the licence for your understanding:
A License for spectrum awarded in the NGMSA provides exclusive use of the frequencies licensed to that Operator. The services permitted are governed by each specific License .
The territorial extent of each License is the whole of Pakistan excluding Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK) and Gilgit Baltistan (GB).
It merits mentioning here that GSM licenses were also issued on similar patterns where AJK and G&B were excluded from jurisdiction. Telecom operators were offered extension in their GSM licenses — against a flat fee of USD 1 million — in 2005 after massive earthquake in northern areas.
Ministry of IT and Telecom, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority and Kashmir Council are three bodies that are going to be responsible for allowing operators to offer 3G and 4G services in AJK and G&B.
According to a source at PTA, Kashmir Council is yet to respond to a request where regulator had asked AJK government’s consent for allowing operators to start 3G and 4G services.
After this consent from Kashmir Council, MoIT will issue a policy directive to PTA for arrangement of 3G and 4G networks in AJK and G&B.
It is still unclear if 3G and 4G spectrum in AJK will be auctioned through fresh bidding or already operating players will be granted spectrum as per their respective spectrum block sizes against a flat fixed fee. PTA says that such decisions will be based upon policy directive from MoIT; which means a lot of deliberation is yet to take place to get AJK 3G and 4G services.
From the looks it appears that AJK and G&B won’t be able to see 3G and 4G networks for a long time, apparently just because there is not much money involved in the auction and there are other things that can give the government and PTA more visibility than enabling AJK and G&B with 3G and 4G networks.
It’s so bad!! If we believe Kasmir is a part of Pakistan then why there is a sperate role for ’em? I don’t think so there should a separate auction for the region. What is the problem for the government if they allow? The more the 3G users, the more tax will be collected.
#JusticeToBeDone
Its not what we beleive rather the reality is different. These regions aren’t part of us. perhaps there are other issues in these regions and I don’t think they will get 3G and 4G services atleast next 10 years.
Jis Din Aap Jesy Log Mar Jayain Gy, Us Din Sab Theak Ho Jye Ga :D
lol @ dr amir liaqat
Hazoor agar ap bura na manain to ap ki ya soch he gandi k AJK and GB Pakistan ka hisa ne Hum apna sub kuch Pakistan per lootany ko tayyar hain aur ap keh rahy hain k ya area Hamary ne
Mr Amir what’s your mean to say these are not your part!
Disputed areas.
you claim as your part but haven’t accepted by the world yet.
Israel is a country but we don’t accept it as a country and say palestine always.
unfortunately media and people do say israel but reality is different.
And then they say that kashmir and G&B belong to us. If kashmir is part of us, why stop operators from giving them services EQUAL to other parts of pakistan if not better? I think the operators MUST pay the extension fee even if it is an additional 1 billion rupeees and get 3g and 4g to the residents of PAKISTAN. We are not seperated! We are all pakistanis! And we have a right to getting equal services of all types everywhere!
I dont know, why we didnt understand the simple things. GB and AJK have their own legislative assemblies to make their own laws. These areas are using our currencies and some policies as per Federal Laws. These are semi independent states. we are unable to understand simple thing, i dont know, what will happen if we have full rights to provincial level…..
what we say isn’t important.
Both regions are disputed in reality
Thats a bummer :(
Dr sb if both region are disputed then don’t follow us and free us
Good rehman sb
Do justice
.. Give 3g/4g to AJK & GB…
biased
Really we need these services waiting
3g 4g choro mobilink k signal nhi aatay Gilgit Baltistan k zyada tar areas may.
GB and AJK is operated by SCO. Locals trust them more and they do have plans for 3g and 4g very soon.
And u guys do know that there’s nothing more frustrating then a slow internet connection……. Pakistanyo hmn b 3g do bhai…..
Its such a big disappointed that at the end of the day u guys call us as a part of Pakistan…….and sir amir thanks for such a cold blooded comment……lols
Yar plz seriously we need these services since ptcl services are so pathetic
Thank you Mr Amir for finally writing something about this issue, Better late than never.
I hope i dose not take long for our governments to sort things out.
If evo 3g ptcl work in ajk with out any law with bad network deceving inocent ajk people how charged for 3g but not receive 2g service yet now so why other oprator can not launch their services athorities is responcible for this like pta and mafia