ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication (MoITT) has finalised the draft of the first-ever Telecom Airwaves Spectrum Refarming Framework.
The framework on spectrum refarming has been prepared with recommendations from Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra), Frequency Allocation Board (FAB) and industry stakeholders.
Frequency or airwaves spectrum refarming is a process governing the repurposing of frequency bands that have historically been allocated for legacy cellular services for a new generation of mobile technologies.
It is a modern technique for managing radio resources. This allows different generations of cellular networks to operate in the same radio spectrum.
It is the process of transitioning a specific radio frequency band from one technology to another. These technologies include emerging technologies — the Internet of Things and 5th Generation Technology for on-ground inclusion of the 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR).
IT and Telecommunication Minister Syed Aminul Haque in a statement said the framework has been designed given the increasing demand for cellular and radio communication services worldwide.
He added that spectrum refarming is considered a powerful and innovative approach to managing the spectrum dynamically to make it available for newer commercial applications 5G, the Internet of Things, broadband wireless access and digital broadcasting.
The draft has been uploaded to the ministry’s portal for open consultation. It will be presented to the Federal Cabinet for approval.
It is expected that the framework will enable the effective utilisation of the available frequency spectrum for front-end and backhaul frequencies and improve the quality and coverage of mobile broadband services and emerging technologies.
The framework will help mobile companies to have a sufficient contiguous spectrum to support the simultaneous operation of multiple technologies in a frequency band.
Published in Dawn, January 11th, 2023
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