ISLAMABAD (Kashmir English): The Pakistan government has decided to hold the auction for the 5G spectrum during the holy month of Ramadan (February-March), with plans to launch 5G services in major cities of the country within six months of the auction.
According to Federal Minister for Information Technology, Shaza Fatima, following the spectrum auction, 3G and 4G services are also expected to improve significantly.
5G spectrum auction by February end
She said the government was intending to complete the 5G spectrum auction by the end of February.
According to the minister, improvements in 3G and 4G services are likely to be visible within three to four months after the auction, while efforts are under way to roll out 5G services in major cities of Pakistan within six months.
The minister said the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) is consulting stakeholders on service standards and rollout conditions adding that telecom companies are preparing for the 5G auction.
She said companies have been given three weeks to complete the process, and following consultations, the information memorandum will be finalised in the first week of February.
To make digital access affordable, the minister said, the government was finalizing a ‘Smartphones for All’ policy to make devices more accessible.
The minister further said 100,000 laptops are distributed to students each year, and that Google had started assembling Chromebooks in Pakistan — a move expected to boost local manufacturing.
