The launch of 5G technology in Pakistan has been delayed yet again as authorities first want to achieve 60 percent 4G penetration in the country.
While talking to ProPakistani on Wednesday, Minister of IT and Telecommunication (MoITT) Syed Aminul Haque disclosed that the current penetration of 4G services in the country stands below 60 percent which needs to be increased in order to make room for deploying higher technology as soon as possible.
He said the government has decided to first boost 4G coverage before executing the rollout schedule for 5G.
The minister informed that talks with telecom companies on the issues pertaining to the 5G launch are underway. In this regard, the IT Minister said he will meet with the Frequency Allocation Board (FAB) to discuss policy and impediments to the rollout of 5G technology in the country.
In response to a query on the affordability of spectrum rates, Aminul Haque supported the idea to reduce spectrum costs in order to give more benefits to consumers. The minister said he will soon meet with the advisory committee on the auction of telecom services to discuss the prevalent matter.
Keeping in view the recent remarks made regarding MoITT’s Personal Data Protection Bill, 2023, Aminul Haque said the bill is near completion and the ministry would be able to present it before the federal cabinet after 10 days.
The IT Minister thanked Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for constituting a monumental incentives package for the IT industry under the budget for the fiscal year 2023-24.
