Government awards 4G licence to Telenor Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: The government on Wednesday formally awarded a technology-neutral 850 megahertz spectrum licence to Telenor Pakistan at the base price of $395 million, which will enable the telecom operator to roll out its fourth generation services. 

Anusha Rahman, minister for information technology and telecom, handed over the licence to Michal Foley, chief executive officer at Telenor Pakistan at a ceremony. The new CEO designate Irfan Wahab was also present at the event.

“Telenor has played a significant role in the sector during the last few years,” a ministry’s statement quoted Rahman as saying.  “Telenor successfully participated in the three spectrum auctions held in the last 12 years and have invested billions in Pakistan since they first got the licence in 2004.”  The minister said the Norwegian teleco, along with other players, played a major role in the biometric subscriber identity module verification process and “extended their support in handling the menace of gray traffic.”

She said that when she became minister, the broadband penetration was less than three percent, “but within a shortest span, mobile broadband has grown to more than 19 percent and is targeted to cross 38 percent by 2020.” 

The new licence will enable Telenor to offer high speed connectivity and the associated socioeconomic benefits and opportunities to the citizens.

“Telenor is committed to supporting Pakistan’s efforts to become a digitally developed nation,” Foley said.

“Driven by our vision of empowering societies, our success to date has been built on a simple realisation: mobile communication, financial services and internet are not luxury goods for the few they are for everyone.”   He extended his felicitation to the minister for her nomination as broadband commissioner in the global broadband commission. 

Foley hailed the minister for her key initiatives towards expanding the overall digital ecosystem in the country.

Telenor Pakistan will become the third 4G operator and is now geared up to further accelerate its pace towards a digital Pakistan and to deliver on its 4G and ‘Internet for All ambitions’.

Secretary IT Rizwan Bashir also congratulated Telenor Pakistan and appreciated the role of his team for carrying out another successful and transparent spectrum auction. 

Chairman Pakistan Telecommunication Authority Ismail Shah, Members Telecom and Legal and other officials attended the ceremony.