ISLAMABAD: While residents of northern areas are deprived of internet connectivity in the absence of 3G and 4G services, authorities and telecommunication companies continue their blame game on enabling the internet in the region.

The senior management of all four telecom companies on Friday held a meeting with the information technology secretary and discussed the need for enabling 3G and 4G services in Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.

In a paper presented by the telcos, they said that without the internet, the residents of these areas had no awareness about Covid-19.

On the other hand, students enrolled in various educational institutes across the country, who had been sent back to their native towns, could not attend online classes.

Around 4.39m mobile phone subscribers belong to the two regions

The telcos told the IT secretary that the region had been digitally isolated due to a lack of priority and timely decisions.

The 3G/4G spectrum auction was held in Pakistan in 2014 but almost six years later there still seemed to be no plan of action or roadmap for spectrum allocation to AJK and GB, they regretted.

With increased uptake of digital services and solutions, mobile internet penetration had also increased since the launch of 3G/4G services in the country. The internet based connectivity had brought convenience for the people and opened a gateway to opportunities stemming from the mobile phone, including ride-hailing apps, food deliveries, online shopping, education, health and digitalisation of multiple sectors.

The telecom companies asked the government to release the spectrum immediately and allocate to service providers for provision of 3G and 4G services in AJK and GB during the Covid-19 outbreak. They suggested as the things normalised the authorities could restart and close the process of spectrum assignment that had lingered on for so long.

On the other hand, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) said all Cellular Mobile Operators (CMOs) were providing telecom services in AJK and Gilgit-Baltistan under licences issued in 2006.

The PTA said that under the terms of these licences, sufficient spectrum was allocated to each of the telcos to meet the requirements of voice and data services.

“AJK and GB regions have total population of around six million while around 4.39m mobile subscribers were present in that area,” the PTA said, adding that minimum 13.6MHz spectrum was available with each operator in 900 and 1,800 bands.

The PTA also stated that Jazz, Telenor, Zong, Ufone and the state-owned Special Communication Organisation (SCO) had installed around 1,100 cell sites in AJK and around 300 sites in GB.

It added that out of these, four mobile operators except for Ufone are already providing 3G/4G services in AJK, while two operators the SCO and Telenor were present in GB.

Incidentally, the PTA said that spectrum availability was not a major factor restricting provision of quality internet services in AJK & GB. “High capacity backhaul connectivity to 3G/4G cell sites through microwave or optic fibre cable is required and it can be addressed by all mobile operators to provide quality internet services,” the PTA added.

As matters related to telecommunication are dealt by the AJK Council and the GB Council, the IT secretary has called a meeting on Monday where the issue of enhanced service internet service to AJK and GB will be discussed with the councils, telcos and PTA.

Published in Dawn, April 12th, 2020