High spectrum pricing: Govt finds itself in a catch-22 situation

Spectrum Pricing Deadlock Pushes Pakistan’s 5G Rollout Further Back

Copyright protected content copied from PhoneWorld website. Pakistan’s long-anticipated 5G spectrum auction has once again been pushed back, as the federal government finds itself trapped in a policy dilemma over spectrum pricing. Officials fear that setting high reserve prices could discourage telecom operators from bidding, while lowering prices, despite clear recommendations from an international consultant,could expose the government to poli…

High spectrum pricing: Govt finds itself in a catch-22 situation

ISLAMABAD: The federal government finds itself in a catch-22 over spectrum pricing, fearing that setting high prices could deter telecom operators, while lowering the prices — as recommended by a US-based international consultant hired for the spectrum auction — could subject it to possible strict scrutiny. Amid mounting public frustration over deteriorating mobile service quality, the Spectrum Advisory Committee (SAC) meeting on Tuesday remaine…