5G spectrum auction to be held next year, says Ministry of Information Technology

The Ministry of Information Technology has announced that the auction for the 5G spectrum in the country will take place next year, while the Standing Committee has requested details of all PTCL properties that have been leased or rented out.

During a meeting of the National Assembly’s IT Committee chaired by Syed Aminul Haq, the IT Secretary provided a briefing, stating that the 5G spectrum auction will be held next year.

A consultant has been hired for the 5G spectrum, who will determine how many licenses will be auctioned and how many companies will receive the spectrum.

The Secretary further informed that efforts are underway to acquire the licenses as soon as possible and begin service in select areas.

Telecom companies have already started considering upgrading their equipment for 5G services.

During the meeting, committee member Dr. Mukhtar Bharth raised the question about how many properties PTCL has leased out.

He mentioned that petrol pumps and plazas have been built on PTCL land. PTCL officials responded by stating that 62% of PTCL shares are held by the government, while 26% are owned by the Etisalat Group.

The Standing Committee requested details of all properties leased or rented by PTCL.

During the session, committee member Barrister Gohar Ali raised concerns over the unavailability of minutes from the last meeting, to which Chairman Aminul Haq assured that they would be provided promptly.

The IT Secretary mentioned that a consultant is being hired for the 5G auction and that it will be successful only when private sector investment is involved.

However, importing technical equipment will take time. Barrister Gohar Ali then questioned when 5G will be available nationwide.

The IT and Telecom Secretary responded that a fixed date could not be provided as it would take time. Chairman Aminul Haq emphasized speeding up all processes to ensure the launch of 5G by next year.

The Ministry of IT and Telecom officials briefed the Standing Committee on the e-office system, stating that after the Prime Minister’s notice, the implementation of the e-office has accelerated.

From today, no manual summary will be sent to the Prime Minister from any ministry, and only e-office summaries will be submitted from October 1st onwards.

The CEO of the National IT Board confirmed that the e-office footprint is present in all ministries, and Chairman Aminul Haq urged the ministries to fully implement the e-office system as soon as possible.

PTCL officials briefed the Standing Committee, confirming that 62% of shares are held by the government and 26% by Etisalat Group, with 800 million dollars owed to the government by Etisalat since 2006. A committee chaired by the Finance Minister is working to resolve this issue.

Mukhtar Bharth questioned how many PTCL properties have been leased, to which PTCL officials replied that no properties have been leased out.

Bharth countered, stating that petrol pumps and plazas have been built on PTCL land. PTCL officials clarified that vacant properties had been rented out.

Committee member Mukhtar Bharth inquired if any advertisement was issued for leasing these properties and whether the revenue from the leases went to the government.

He also questioned how many PTCL assets have been rented by the Etisalat Group since 2005.

The Committee Chairman directed that the details be provided in the next meeting.

Ministry officials added that a committee under the Finance Minister is working on the matter, and the report will be shared with the committee.

Committee member Zulfiqar Bhatti expressed concerns that since PTCL’s privatization, neither has service improved nor has revenue increased.

He added that even after complaints, no one responds. The committee then requested details on PTCL’s properties leased or rented out.

The Standing Committee has recommended measures to improve PTCL’s service quality.

Committee member Umair Niazi also raised concerns about the quality of Ufone’s services, to which Chairman Aminul Haq urged PTCL to work on improving its standards and services.