May 21, 2009

Telecom Infrastructure sharing can reduce business cost: Chairman PTA

chairman pta with saad waraich country director

 

Chairman, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Dr.Mohammed Yaseen has said that to achieve cost efficiency in the operations, telecom operators need to enhance their collaboration.  By sharing infrastructure, they can save costs and yet maintain quality.  He said this while speaking at Nokia Siemens Networks Industry Seminar as chief guest.  The Chairman said that PTA took initiative to pursue mobile operators for sharing of infrastructure to reduce BTS towers and other sites so that costs of business can be brought down.

He emphasized on the importance of broadband proliferation to achieve goal of setting up â??Information Society.  He said that massive awareness campaign is needed to be launched to improve broadband growth besides developing contents in local languages and applications.

He said PTA has made coordinated efforts to facilitate broadband growth by forming a â??Broadband Stakeholders Groupâ? and other measures. He said that we are trying to develop contents for different market segments like agriculture.  Similarly, PTA was negotiating with State Bank to introduce Mobile Banking Services.

He said that three operators are in the process of launching mobile broadband. Two operators have launched E-Video services. This all will help in provisioning of better information services to consumers on one hand and increased revenues for the industry on the other.

Dr Mohammed Yaseen said that in 2008 there was a slight slow down in telecom industry but in quarters of 2009 the industry has again started getting momentum.  Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) in mobile sector was recorded at 2.5 US $ to 3 US$ per user which is a positive sign.

Chairman said that PTA has recommended tax reduction on telecom products to FBR and it was hoping a positive response on it in upcoming Budget. On this occasion CEO USF Parvaiz Iftikhar, Mr.Salman Ansari, Saad Warraich, Country Director Nokia Siemens Networks and others also spoke.

 

Khurram A. Mehran

Director (Public Relations)