The chairman of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has announced that a separate 5G spectrum auction for Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) will be held within months of the nationwide rollout.
Retired Major General Hafeez Ur Rehman made the remarks during a meeting with Gilgit-Baltistan’s Caretaker Minister for Information Technology, Ghulam Abbas, in Islamabad on Thursday. The discussion centred on the upcoming 5G auction and persistent connectivity challenges in the mountainous region.
The PTA chief assured that both Gilgit-Baltistan and AJK would be included in the next phase of the country’s 5G expansion, following the initial nationwide rollout.
During the meeting, Ghulam Abbas stressed the urgency of extending next-generation telecom services beyond major urban centres to remote and high-altitude areas. He said high-speed, reliable internet is now critical for education, healthcare delivery, tourism promotion, business development and digital governance.
Highlighting the region’s demographic potential, the caretaker minister noted that youth in Gilgit-Baltistan possess strong capabilities in IT and the digital economy but remain constrained by slow internet speeds and limited bandwidth. The introduction of 5G, he said, could significantly boost freelancing, online entrepreneurship and access to global digital platforms.
The PTA chairman said technical assessments and administrative preparations for launching 5G in geographically challenging terrains are ongoing. He acknowledged that infrastructure deployment in mountainous areas presents unique logistical hurdles.
The meeting also reviewed mobile network coverage gaps and weak signal issues in remote valleys. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening telecom infrastructure as a catalyst for socio-economic growth through expanded digital connectivity.
Headline:
Separate 5G Auction for GB, AJK Planned After Nationwide Rollout: PTA Chief
ISLAMABAD – The chairman of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has announced that a separate 5G spectrum auction for Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) will be held within months of the nationwide rollout.
Retired Major General Hafeez Ur Rehman made the remarks during a meeting with Gilgit-Baltistan’s Caretaker Minister for Information Technology, Ghulam Abbas, in Islamabad on Thursday. The discussion centred on the upcoming 5G auction and persistent connectivity challenges in the mountainous region.
The PTA chief assured that both Gilgit-Baltistan and AJK would be included in the next phase of the country’s 5G expansion, following the initial nationwide rollout.
During the meeting, Ghulam Abbas stressed the urgency of extending next-generation telecom services beyond major urban centres to remote and high-altitude areas. He said high-speed, reliable internet is now critical for education, healthcare delivery, tourism promotion, business development and digital governance.
Highlighting the region’s demographic potential, the caretaker minister noted that youth in Gilgit-Baltistan possess strong capabilities in IT and the digital economy but remain constrained by slow internet speeds and limited bandwidth. The introduction of 5G, he said, could significantly boost freelancing, online entrepreneurship and access to global digital platforms.
The PTA chairman said technical assessments and administrative preparations for launching 5G in geographically challenging terrains are ongoing. He acknowledged that infrastructure deployment in mountainous areas presents unique logistical hurdles.
The meeting also reviewed mobile network coverage gaps and weak signal issues in remote valleys. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening telecom infrastructure as a catalyst for socio-economic growth through expanded digital connectivity.
Headline:
Separate 5G Auction for GB, AJK Planned After Nationwide Rollout: PTA Chief
ISLAMABAD – The chairman of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has announced that a separate 5G spectrum auction for Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) will be held within months of the nationwide rollout.
Retired Major General Hafeez Ur Rehman made the remarks during a meeting with Gilgit-Baltistan’s Caretaker Minister for Information Technology, Ghulam Abbas, in Islamabad on Thursday. The discussion centred on the upcoming 5G auction and persistent connectivity challenges in the mountainous region.
The PTA chief assured that both Gilgit-Baltistan and AJK would be included in the next phase of the country’s 5G expansion, following the initial nationwide rollout.
During the meeting, Ghulam Abbas stressed the urgency of extending next-generation telecom services beyond major urban centres to remote and high-altitude areas. He said high-speed, reliable internet is now critical for education, healthcare delivery, tourism promotion, business development and digital governance.
Highlighting the region’s demographic potential, the caretaker minister noted that youth in Gilgit-Baltistan possess strong capabilities in IT and the digital economy but remain constrained by slow internet speeds and limited bandwidth. The introduction of 5G, he said, could significantly boost freelancing, online entrepreneurship and access to global digital platforms.
The PTA chairman said technical assessments and administrative preparations for launching 5G in geographically challenging terrains are ongoing. He acknowledged that infrastructure deployment in mountainous areas presents unique logistical hurdles.
The meeting also reviewed mobile network coverage gaps and weak signal issues in remote valleys. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening telecom infrastructure as a catalyst for socio-economic growth through expanded digital connectivity.
The chairman of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has announced that a separate 5G spectrum auction for Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) will be held within months of the nationwide rollout.
Retired Major General Hafeez Ur Rehman made the remarks during a meeting with Gilgit-Baltistan’s Caretaker Minister for Information Technology, Ghulam Abbas, in Islamabad on Thursday. The discussion centred on the upcoming 5G auction and persistent connectivity challenges in the mountainous region.
The PTA chief assured that both Gilgit-Baltistan and AJK would be included in the next phase of the country’s 5G expansion, following the initial nationwide rollout.
During the meeting, Ghulam Abbas stressed the urgency of extending next-generation telecom services beyond major urban centres to remote and high-altitude areas. He said high-speed, reliable internet is now critical for education, healthcare delivery, tourism promotion, business development and digital governance.
Highlighting the region’s demographic potential, the caretaker minister noted that youth in Gilgit-Baltistan possess strong capabilities in IT and the digital economy but remain constrained by slow internet speeds and limited bandwidth. The introduction of 5G, he said, could significantly boost freelancing, online entrepreneurship and access to global digital platforms.
The PTA chairman said technical assessments and administrative preparations for launching 5G in geographically challenging terrains are ongoing. He acknowledged that infrastructure deployment in mountainous areas presents unique logistical hurdles.
The meeting also reviewed mobile network coverage gaps and weak signal issues in remote valleys. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening telecom infrastructure as a catalyst for socio-economic growth through expanded digital connectivity.
