From left: Eng. Emad Aoudah Al Aoudah, VP, Regulatory & Corporate Affairs; Abdulaziz A. Alsugair, Chairman of the Board of STC; Dr. Syed Ismail Shah, Chairman, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority; and Waseem Bajwa, Commercial Attache. Dr. Syed Ismail Shah, Chairman of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), has invited Saudi telecom companies and entrepreneurs to participate in the upcoming 3G auction in Pakistan. Highlighting the opportunities, Dr. Shah said Pakistan has an untapped data market, with less than 2 percent penetration that can be captured by new companies who obtain the 3G spectrum. He also said the government is considering not only to auction spectrum in the 1900/2100 MHz range but also in the 1800 MHz band for deployment of LTE in the country, thus making it a very attractive option for investors. Dr Shah held a meeting with Abdulaziz A. Alsugair, Chairman of the Board of STC. Waseem Hayat Bajwa, Commercial Attaché of Pakistan Embassy accompanied him. The mobile sector of Pakistan has been a success story with cellular mobile subscribers crossing the 129 million mark and country's total tele-density at around 75 percent. With the widespread use of smart phones, the launch of 3G and LTE services is expected to result in exponential growth in broadband subscribers in Pakistan. PTA has been acknowledged as a competent regulator of the telecom sector in Pakistan, ensuring a transparent and timely auction with benefits for all the stakeholders. It has ensured a level playing field and a business friendly environment to the telecom investors for the expansion and growth of the industry and flourishing of their business. Alsugair showed his enthusiasm in the upcoming auction, acknowledging that statistics pertaining to opportunities in Pakistan were highly attractive. He appreciated the efforts being undertaken by Pakistan and agreed to continue the dialogue with PTA. — SG
