Mobile Operators to discuss new Spectrum Price & licenses renewal issues with govt

ISLAMABAD: All Cellular Mobile Operators, working in Pakistan, will have a meeting with the federal government’s representatives on April 13 (tomorrow) to set future spectrum price including renewal of licenses fees etc.

The meeting will finalize the roadmap for the telecom sector under the new Digital Pakistan, the sources claimed.

According to the sources, the mobile operators will discuss their issues including taxation, improving digital access, telecom equipment regulation and fiscal incentives for industry for sustained investment in 4G and NGT.

The mobile operators in Pakistan has asked the ministry of IT&T to discuss problems of telecom sector and requested the government to resolve it. According to the source, the Prime Minister Office directed the ministry to address issues of all mobile operators and it had also constituted 14-member committee with the secretary IT & Telecom.

The members include Additional Secretary IT, Chairman PTA, Executive Director, FAB, Director (Telecom/Wireless), Director (Legal), Chairman Telecom Sub Task Force, representative of Ministry of Finance, representative of Ministry of Industries & Production, representative of Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), representative of NADRA, representative of mobile operators and any other person that the committee may wish to co-opt, said a notification of the MoIT&T.

The meeting will likely discuss five-point agenda that include license renewals, spectrum, taxation, Right of Way (RoW) and Fiscal matters of mobile operators, an official said on Sunday.

The sources claimed that the meeting will discuss and set future spectrum price/license fee in Pak rupee and it will also consider friendly policy directives, renewal framework & template to avoid any future litigation in spectrum price etc.

The sources claimed that the meeting will discuss formulation of policy directives for maximal utilizing spectral efficiency and yields from these spectrums by the government of Pakistan by release of Spectrum (Auction) and Rationalization of existing allocation (Top up).

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