Syed Aminul Haque, Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunications, has stated that the upcoming 5G auction should be industry-friendly and low-cost.
The Minister stated today in Islamabad that a meeting on 5G is held every two weeks and that all possible steps are being taken at the highest level to make it more business-friendly.
“I wish the 5G auction is industry-friendly. If we can’t make the spectrum free, the price should be reduced,” he added.
Aminul Haq stated that 5G technology is the government’s top priority, with plans to deploy it in major cities by 2023.
“The world is moving towards 5G and 6G. If we don’t switch to 5G soon, it will be a big loss,” he explained.
Concerning the successful launch of 5G technology in Pakistan, Aminul Haque stated that the preparations for fostering sustainable and inclusive growth through technology will be critical to expanding Pakistan’s digital connectivity, and everything is dependent on the Chairman of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA).
The Minister announced that the federal government had resolved the issue of pending payments to Google after weeks of clearance and permission issues.
He also stated that efforts are being made to create an acceptable mechanism for facilitating such payments in the near future.
He mentioned that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif previously presided over a meeting on the IT and telecommunications industry, and that a follow-up meeting is planned for next week.
He clarified that in order to make it a strong sector of the country, all stakeholders have been involved in facilitation and policy support.
The Minister also acknowledged that the MoITT has requested an additional Rs. 790 million grant for the Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB), a 5% cash award for the IT sector, and a special award of 1% of total IT exports for the PSEB.
Conundrum at USF
Aminul Haque also stated that the MoITT has requested additional funds to expedite the work on branding and distributing ‘Made in Pakistan’ products.
On a more pressing note, the Minister recalled that in June 2013, the federal government seized Rs. 61.3 billion from the Universal Service Fund (USF).
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