ISLAMABAD: The mobile broadband subscription (3G &4G) has continued to show a reasonable growth since its launch and touched more than around Rs37.6 million mark till December last year. Around a 0.9 million broadband users were added to networks of all mobile phone operators in one month (November-December 2016). The number of mobile phone users reached 136.5 million by December-2016 from 135.9 million by November last year, registering an increase of around 0.7 million during the period. Statistics issued by Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) on Tuesday revealed that the number of 3G subscribers of Mobilink, Zong and Telenor reached 12.326 million, 7.134 million and 9.9 million by December 2016 against 12.148 million, 6.824 million and 9.504 million by end of November respectively. The number of 3G uses of Ufone reached 5.305 million till the period (December 2016).Warid LTE subscribers reached 637,363 by end of December against 635,054 by November 2016.
The number of 4G (Zong) users jumped to 2.28 million subscribers till December 2016 from 2,080,720 subscribers by November 2016. Mobile tele-density reached at 69.8 per cent during the period under review.
Meanwhile, experts have predicted Mobile Broadband subscribers in the country to reach 79 million by 2025 amid a healthy growth registered during each passing year. The mobile and related market in the country is estimated to be worth $ 17 billion per year by 2025, up from the current $ 4.5 billion per year.
The government, in its Vision 2025 has said key service providers would be encouraged to offer extended Over The Top (OTT) services such as Viber, Skype and work with third party digital distributors and vice versa to offer consumers value through product-centric services in a collaborative framework. The collaborative framework would be built around regulatory and technical support systems including availability of additional spectrum, spectrum harmonization, spectrum and infrastructure sharing and other regulatory interventions and facilitations wherever applicable and required.
Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) envisions affordable and broad-based communications access to consumers irrespective of their location in the country.
The Vision 2025 also said the concept of smart cities and towns with extensive use of ICT will improve quality of life of citizens through connected transport, smart energy, contactless payments, mobile government and more. In the next decade, access to affordable broadband is becoming as crucial to socio-economic development.
