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Mobile phone operators to commence trial 3G/4G services soon
[February 27, 2014]

Mobile phone operators to commence trial 3G/4G services soon


(Balochistan Times (Pakistan) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Mobile phone operators in the country, under regulator’s decision of granting them free trial permission on non-commercial basis for 3G and 4G, would test and fine tune their services soon before the license auction.



Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) had announced that all mobile operators will be granted free trial license for 3G and 4G so that they can improve their preparedness before its complete adoption.

A web based telecom site on Wednesday reported that after the announcement, operators had requested PTA for NOC for commencing the trial services.


The regulator, in response, had asked Frequency Allocation Board (FAB) to allocate the required spectrum to cellular companies so they may start offering trial 3G/4G services.

FAB has now all the necessary approvals from cabinet division and mobile phone companies are set to launch trial such services soon.

It merits mentioning here that such testing of 3G services are for trial and non-commercial basis, as operators would not offer high-speed 3G broadband services to customers.

Instead they will internally hard test the infrastructure and equipment to get prepared the proper launch after the auction that is planned in April 2014.

The subscribers will be able to enjoy 3G (and probably 4G too) within two weeks after the license auction in April.

When contacted, an official at PTA confirmed that mobile phone operators are being provided with limited permission by the Frequency Allocation Board (FAB) with an aim that telcos can identify their technical challenges before rolling out the new services to masses.

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