ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) Group Thursday successfully tested 5G technology in a limited environment on a non-commercial basis.
The trial was conducted at a special ceremony held at the PTCL Headquarters, which was also attended by Syed Aminul Haque, Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication.
The ceremony was also attended by Shoaib Ahmad Siddiqui, Federal Secretary IT and Telecom and Chairman Board of Directors, Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL), Major General (retired) Amir Azeem Bajwa, Chairman, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), Hamad Obaid Ibrahimi Alzabbi, UAE Ambassador to Pakistan, along with senior government and the PTCL officials and members of the PTCL Board.
An overview of the live 5G usage scenarios was presented at the ceremony. The demonstrations included remote surgery, cloud gaming and overview of anticipated 5G technology applications in Pakistan.
The PTCL Group was able to achieve the fastest data rate with download speeds reaching 1.685 Gbps during 5G trial in a limited environment.
The PTCL Group demonstrated a 5G remote surgery trial that will help in making the lives of the people better.
Once the eco-system is developed, doctors will be able to conduct surgeries remotely in far-flung areas.
It will create new social and economic development opportunities that will make the dream of “Digital Pakistan”, a reality.
5G will help digitalisation of Pakistan by connecting more and more people with robust purpose-built technology opening up opportunities for industries as well as individuals.
This technology will enable future innovation in sectors such as remote education, public safety, transportation, health, manufacturing among others.
The technology will provide enabling levers for delivering richer services and improving customer experience, not only for mobile operators such as Ufone, but also to fixed-line operators such as the PTCL, who are offering fixed-wireless services as well.
Haque said that it a crucial event as the PTCL Group takes a momentous step of successful trial of 5G technology in Pakistan.
The Ministry of IT and Telecom is committed to the Prime Minister’s vision of a Digital Pakistan and Broadband for all its utility, and is striving towards realisation of the PM’s vision further as boundless, high speed and resilient.
“I believe that communication plays a major role in the social economic development and uplift of the financial inclusion of the country. 5G technology will surely enable an emerging technological environment and ecosystem conducive for economic prosperity in Pakistan,” he added.
The quality of the PTCL is now improving, said Haque, adding that the performance is hoped to be further improved from January to June.
He further said that opportunities arose during the corona epidemic.
The duration of the corona epidemic in the telecom sector could be turned into an opportunity.
E-commerce has increased in the country since March, said the minister, adding that 5G is 100 percent faster than 4G technology.
He further said that there is also need to think about overcoming the challenges of 5G.
He said that a meeting is scheduled to be held next month to deliberate upon achievements so far in the field of 5G technology.
There will be challenges as well in the spectrum auction of 5G, he added.
Through the USF, the government is increasing connectivity across Pakistan, and committed to providing internet in Sindh, Balochistan and FATA.
He further said the prime minister’s focus is on providing internet service to tourist destinations.
Agreements have been reached to address connectivity issues in Chitral, he added.
He further said that the NITB is providing services for e-office, where 14 ministries have come to level four, and the rest are being brought to e-office. The Ministry of IT is targeting to make Parliament e-Parliament by June 30th.
The report on the spectrum auction of the committee constituted by the prime minister will come by March.
The committee on tax issues has also made recommendations which will be taken up in the cabinet soon, he added.
The federal secretary said that they are committed to the vision of a “Digital Pakistan”.
The PTCL Group’s successful 5G trial is a major step that will pave the way towards digitalisation of Pakistan.
This technology will open new avenues in many fields such as education, health, security, and communication that will have a positive social and economic impact for our country.
Nadeem Khan, Acting CEO and Group Chief Financial Officer, PTCL Group, said, “PTCL has been serving the nation since 1947 as an integral part of everyone’s lives in the country. With today’s successful 5G trial in a limited environment, we believe that this technology will unlock new realities for eHealth, smart homes and cities, agriculture, autonomous vehicles, cloud computing, Internet of Things and Artificial Intelligence. PTCL Group’s remote surgery demo enabled by 5G, successfully tested for the first time in Pakistan, will enable people living in far-flung areas to potentially have access to the best medical facilities available anywhere in the world.”
Hamad Obaid Ibrahimi Alzabbi, UAE Ambassador to Pakistan said that the UAE is striving to be a major player in the IT and technology sectors.
The UAE is the first country in the Middle East to experiment with 5G technology.
He further said that steps are being taken to create better economic opportunities for the future and future generations.
The ambassador said that there are investment opportunities in science and technology in Pakistan and the UAE.
The top leaderships of the two countries are agreed to increase cooperation in the field of technology, he said, adding that the PTCL’s experience of 5G technology in Pakistan is welcome.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021
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