ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan’s Finance Minister Ishaq Dar on Friday has said the 3G and 4G telecoms licences will be presented in auctions in April of this year.
FM Ishaq Dar has indicated that the move could help boost the cash-strapped country’s foreign reserves as 3G licence will cost $295 million and a 4G licence will cost $210 million, Reuters reported.
After the FM Dar’s announcement, the introduction of modern 3G and 4G technologies are seemed entering in their final phase for Pakistanis after facing several difficulties.
Ishaq Dar added that the government would be looking for full payment, or a 50 per cent payment with the rest to be paid in five equal installments over five years, with an interest rate of three per cent.
According to Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), there are about 132 million mobile phones in use in Pakistan, a country of 180 million people.
The telecommunications market was deregulated in 2004 and foreign firms such as Etisalat have invested heavily in recent years.
It should be mentioned, on February 12, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) had permitted the mobile operators across the country to use 3G technology after few hours of its auctions but on experimental basis.
However, the modern 3G, 4G technologies are likely to be available in the consumers’ hands after completion of experimental duration by the licence holders.
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