In order to commemorate Pakistan’s landmark achievement of reaching 100 million cellular subscriptions, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) held a celebration at the Pakistan National Council of Arts (PNCA) where Prime Minister of Pakistan Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani was the chief guest.
The vibrant telecommunications sector has resulted in new services, lower tariffs and an improvement in customer services. The government’s pro-industry reforms and investor-friendly policies have made Pakistan a lucrative investment destination for the global telecommunications industry.
Federal Minister for Information Technology & Telecom, Sardar Aseff Ahmed Ali, Chairman PTA Dr. Mohammed Yaseen, Federal Ministers, Federal Secretaries, Representatives from Awan-e-Sadar, Prime Minister Secretariat, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Regulatory Authorities, IT & telecom industry experts, CEOs of telecom companies, and media representatives attended the event.
Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani on the occasion said the government was committed to facilitate development of communication infrastructure in the country through a well defined regulatory policy and legislative framework.
Prime Minister Gilani said: “Our telecom policy is characterized by a mix of public-private partnership and policy of deregulation. Critical reforms have been introduced in this sector under the umbrella of National ICT Research & Development Fund and Universal Service Fund.
I am sure that with sustained policy focus and dedication of IT professionals, the government would continue to achieve successes in this sector. The success of cellular mobile industry has become an exemplary model of coordinated efforts between the government, the industry and the policy makers.
I understand that more than 61% of population and over 92% of land area is now covered by cellular services. It is an ample justification of the fact that cellular mobile revolution has taken over the whole country connecting millions of people, thousands of job opportunities and adding billions of rupees to the national exchequer.”
As one of the leading growth engines in Pakistan, the telecommunications sector brought over US 11 billion dollars of investment during the last five years. Pakistan has also been awarded by renowned telecom institutions like ITU, GSMA, SAMENA.
Chairman PTA, Dr. Mohammad Yaseen in his welcome address said that the Telecom sector in Pakistan is the biggest in SAARC region and contributed $332 million revenue to the national exchequer during the last three years.
CEO of Mobilink, Rashid Khan said that telecom industry in Pakistan is a lucrative market for foreign investors. He said, in each minute 4,30,000 SMSs and 60,000 voice messages are sent through mobile phones.
Following the deregulation of the industry in 2003, telecommunications has grown at a rapid pace. The mobile sector growth has been extraordinary and has become a model for other countries across the world. Telenor and Warid were awarded two new mobile licenses in 2004 for $291 million each.
