Telecom | Pakistan

• Azam Nazeer Tarar rules out telecom activity on private premises without consent; sub-committee formed to review bill • Telecom stakeholders insist reforms essential for connectivity, hope parliament will ‘refine’ proposed legislation ISLAMABAD / LAHORE: Trying to allay the controversy surrounding Pakistan Telecommunication Reorg­ani­sation (Amendment) Bill over proposed right-of-way reforms, Law Min­ister Azam Nazeer Tarar on Tue­sday said the government had no intention of occupying private property, or installing telecom towers without the consent of property owners. The minister made these comments after an in-camera meeting of the parliamentary committee formed by the prime minister to review the proposed legislation that could not sail through the Senate after its approval by the National Assembly. The Senate Standing Committee on IT and Telecom had objected to a clause in the bill that would allow free installation of telecom towers in public spaces, including parks, green belts, and government build...

• Companies say it must reflect sector’s ‘economic realities’, urge federal cabinet to prioritise long-term benefits over short-term revenue • Call for pragmatic approach aligned with national objectives • Zong, Huawei test high-capacity backhaul ahead of 5G rollout ISLAMABAD: The telecom industry has demanded rational conditions in the spectrum auction policy expected to be announced by the federal cabinet in the coming days, suggesting that the government needs to prioritise long-term economic benefits over short-term revenue generation. Telecom companies say spectrum is an invisible infrastructure but a crucial one as it drives digital connectivity — the foundation of modern life. Financial technology adoption, freelancer platforms, and digital tools used by schools and hospitals all depend on mobile broadband capacity. However, the problem is that while the demand for connectivity has surged in the country, spectrum availability remains scarce. Currently, Pakistan has just 274 MHz of spectrum allocated na...

ISLAMABAD - Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister (DPM/FM), Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar Tuesday chaired a meeting on Informa­tion Technology and Telecom­munication (IT & Telecom) Reforms.