Government to Invite Foreign Telecom Players for 3G Auction

In a bid, the government has finalized a plan to invite new foreign telecom players to participate in the auction of next generation services spectrum (3G), reported Business Recorder.

On first week of January 2014 all telecom stakeholders had been called for a meeting by the government to finalize the plan for inviting foreign investors to participate in the 3G auction process. The contract between PTA and Value Partners Management Consulting Limited (VPMCL) for consultancy services was already signed last week. 

The Authority and VPMCL consultant for 3G auction are engaged in preparing Information Memorandum (IM) and are expecting that process to complete by January 20, 2014 as information of Broadband services, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in telecom and subscribers had been updated and the previous IM for 3G auction had been reviewed already.

It is also decided that before preparing final IM, different models for launching 3G by several countries would be studied. Sale of 3G licenses would be completed in the next two months, official said.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif approved a policy directive making all existing cellular mobile operators (CMOs) and new entrants eligible to participate in the spectrum auction for Next Generation Mobile Services in Pakistan. A good foreign direct investment is expected because allocation of the spectrum will be technology neutral where auction winners will encourage and facilitate local manufacturing, transfer of technology and research and innovation in telecom sector of Pakistan, which would have positive results on the overall economy, besides creating job opportunities.