PTA invites Saudi operators to 3G auction

Pakistan’s Telecommunication Authority (PTA) invites Saudi telecom operators and entrepreneurs to participate in 3G auction licenses in March 2014. Pakistan expects to earn an estimated $2 billion with the auction of these licenses.

PTA invites Saudi operators to 3G auction

Chairman PTA, Dr. Ismail Shah has a detailed meeting with Abdulaziz A. Alsugair, Chairman of the board of Saudi Telecom Company (STC), where Commercial Attaché of the Pakistani Embassy and Waseem Hayat Bajwa were also present.

Chairman PTA, Dr. Ismail Shah. said:
[pull_quote_center]The government of Pakistan is not only planning to auction spectrum in the 1900/2100 MHz range but also in the 1800 MHz band for deployment of long term evolution (LTE) in the country, thus making it a very attractive option for investors.[/pull_quote_center]

The STC chairman showed his interest in the forthcoming auction, admitting that the opportunities in Pakistan were highly attractive. He also appreciated the efforts being undertaken by Pakistan and agreed to continue the dialogue with PTA.

According to reports, Pakistan’s mobile sector has been increased with more than 129 million mobile subscribers as compared to 13 million in 2005.

The total tele-density is climbing up to around 75 percent with the widespread use of smart phones, while the launch of 3G and LTE services is expected to result in exponential growth in broadband subscribers in Pakistan.