ISLAMABAD, January 29 (APP): Dr. Umar Saif, Caretaker Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunications, announced on Monday that the country had constructed around 9 million mobile phones valued around $1.5 billion over the last two years.
Addressing the Pakistan Mobile Summit, the country’s first mobile conference, he stated that approximately 35 different mobile phone brands are now actively contributing to the local mobile phone manufacturing industry.
According to him, the country gained almost $200 million in foreign cash from exporting nearly 250,000 mobile phones.
The minister stated that indigenous handset manufacturers in Pakistan have produced over 57 million phones, exceeding the yearly domestic demand of 25 million units.
He also briefed the audience about local efforts to prepare some components, with the ultimate goal of manufacturing fully built phones in the nation.
He stated that Pakistan was the world’s seventh largest market for cellular customers, with 191 million connections. However, “We import the majority of our mobile phones.” “We need to manufacture them locally and build an industry to export made-in-Pakistan phones,” he said.
He stated, “The Pakistani government has played a critical role in promoting the growth of this business by granting various incentives.
” Dr. Saif stated that the number of broadband users in Pakistan is greater than the total population of Canada. The number of social media users in Pakistan exceeds the whole population of many European countries.
He urged the creation of legislation in these areas, highlighting the advancements made in the electronics and IT sectors during the previous three years.
He emphasised that, as of the upcoming fiscal year, mobile manufacturers will receive a 3% Research and Development (R&D) allowance from the government. In addition, he said, the R&D allowance will rise in the next years from 3% to 8%.
He stated that he believed this choice would help and inspire regional mobile firms to pursue their R&D projects.
He was confident that the country would see the introduction of 5G services by July or August of this year, and that a 300MHz spectrum would be put up for auction.
The network of optical fibres has to be improved prior to the introduction of 5G services. Out of approximately 56,000 mobile towers nationwide, only 6,000 are now associated with optical fibre cables (OFC).
The minister also outlined the actions his ministry had taken to support the IT sector, noting that throughout the course of the five months, the government had created a Telecom Tribunal in response to a long-standing request from the telecom industry.
“The Special Investment Council has eliminated all departmental barriers, the Right of Way Policy has been implemented effectively, and all decisions that are in the best interests of the country and the nation have been approved without delay,” he continued.
He stated that under the country’s first space policy, which was authorised by the federal cabinet, foreign businesses will be able to use low-orbit communication satellites to offer communication services.
Dr. Saif stated that the field of satellite communication technology was developing quickly and that many private businesses aspired to use low-orbit satellites to deliver communication services globally.
In the past, satellites were geostationary, orbiting far above the earth. They work well for transmitting TV signals, but the delay makes communication challenging,” he pointed out.
According to Dr. Saif, comparatively closer low-orbit satellites could provide Internet and communication services.
He said that the private sector had made significant progress in this area.
“The private sector has this technology, and it has made it possible for communication services to be provided through satellites in Pakistan,” he stated.
With over 250 delegates and a prestigious guest list of prominent industry experts, the Pakistan Mobile Summit was Pakistan’s first-ever mobile conference. Within the dynamic landscape of the always changing mobile business, the event offered a great forum for thought-provoking conversations, the exchange of creative ideas, and cooperative networking.