3G/4G services for AJK & GB: Ministries agree to execute spectrum auction by September

The Ministries of Information Technology and Telecommunication and Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan agreed on Monday to execute 3G/4G spectrum auction by September 2016 and provide Next Generation Mobile services to Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan (AJK & GB).
A spokesperson of the IT Ministry revealed that Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Chaudhry Birjees Tahir and Minister of State for IT and Telecom Anusha Rehman held a consultative meeting to discuss different aspects of policy directives for provision of Next Generation Mobile services to AJK & GB.
The meeting was held at MOIT. Federal Secretary for Kashmir Affairs and GB Abid Saeed, Federal Secretary IT Azmat Ali Ranjha, DG SCO Major General Amir Bajwa Chairman PTA, DG FAB, and other senior officials from both the ministries attended the meeting. Federal Minister Kashmir Affairs and GB said that Prime Minister has a commitment that the people of AJK & GB will get 3G/4G services soon and people of these two areas are anxiously waiting for this.
Anusha Rahman said that to provide 3G/4G services to people of AJK & GB is on priority agenda of the government and they are working towards providing latest technology to the inhabitants of these areas. Upgradation of their GSM networks is being done by SCO through Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) projects and we will fully support Ministry of Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan in the next generation spectrum auction of 3G/4G to fulfil the commitment of Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif.
Different aspects of policy directives of proposed next generation spectrum auction were also discussed in detail. Both sides agreed to execute the 3G/4G spectrum auction by September 2016. Minister IT said that around Rs 2 billion are available in the USF Fund for development of ICT sector in AJK & GB. As soon as framework is finalised by AJK & GB councils, the funds will be transferred to USF for development in AJK&GB. The Central Development Working Party (CDWP) last week approved PC-1 "replacement of GSM Network of AJ&K" worth Rs 1450 million thus paving the way for NGMS (3G/4G) spectrum auction.
The project titled "Replacement of GSM Network AJ&K "was submitted by the special communication organisation at a cost of Rs 1450 million financed through PSDP.
The main purpose of the project is to carry out replacement of existing equipment which has undergone serious technical faults in the past having no warranty support from vendor being an obsolete system.
This project will provide the GSM services to 350,000 subscribers. The project will ensure that the mobile services are available round the clock. The required software was upgraded from time to time but not the hardware, therefore, core network elements are required to be upgraded.