Federal Minister for Information Technology Shaza Fatima Khawaja said on Friday that the government was making all-out efforts to keep internet outages to a minimum.

Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, she said there was good news for the telecom sector. adding that the serious efforts had been made to resolve internet-related issues and to ensure that any disruption remained as limited as possible. She added that the Ministry of Interior had also extended full cooperation in this regard.

The minister said the entire country was currently operating on 274 megahertz of spectrum. She said the federal cabinet had approved the auction of the 5G spectrum, which would be held next month.

She said the internet played a key role in national development, adding that Pakistan had the world’s fourth-largest freelancer economy driven by internet connectivity. She said that, with the support of the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Finance, several initiatives were now becoming possible.

Shaza Fatima said the government would hold the 5G spectrum auction on the best possible terms. She said seven different bands were available for auction, of which five new bands would be offered, each with its own quality and capacity.

She said 5G smartphones would be provided in Pakistan on easy instalments. She added that the cabinet had also approved the Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) policy. Under this policy, MVNO companies would be able to provide services by using the networks of existing operators.

She said the entry of MVNOs would bring more brands into the market and increase competition, while also attracting foreign direct investment. She noted that there were around 2,000 MVNOs operating in 100 countries worldwide.

The IT minister said the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority had approved internet licences at the district level. She added that cable operators in villages and small towns would now also be able to obtain licences.

She said the federal and provincial governments had abolished right-of-way charges to promote fibre optic expansion. She added that a visible improvement in 4G services would be seen three to four months after the 5G auction.

Shaza Fatima said 5G services would be launched in major cities within the first six months. She said three submarine cables had landed in Pakistan to strengthen connectivity.

She said the telecom sector in Pakistan faced the highest level of taxation, while revenue per user remained among the lowest, even though internet services were cheaper than in many other countries. She added that the depreciation of the rupee had increased licence fees and operational costs for telecom operators.

The minister said internet usage in Pakistan had increased by 25 per cent.