Telenor to shift 80% of its network to 4G by next year

Company has invested more than $3.5b in expansion, says CEO

ISLAMABAD: Telenor, one of four cellular mobile operators operating in Pakistan, has so far made Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) of more than $3.5 billion to expand its network and provide modern telecom services, said its CEO on Thursday.

Aggressive investment is now in the pipeline to shift 80% of its network to 4G-compatibility by next year, Telenor Pakistan CEO Irfan Wahab Khan said. He also mentioned Telenor Pakistan’s new campus 345, which had been built at an investment of $80 million.

The CEO said Telenor was transforming its workplace to be innovative and inspire great ideas, adding that for them, innovation goes beyond sophisticated equipment and high-tech settings.



Wahab said that it took 12 years to roll out 2G in the country, three years to roll-out 3G while one-third of the country was covered with 4G in a year and it was envisaged to reach 80% by the next.

The CEO revealed that it would require huge investment, as it would connect far-flung areas through voice as well as data connectivity. Rejecting the notion of building monopoly in the telecom sector, the CEO said that Pakistan was one of the most competitive markets, with lowest voice and data tariffs. “Telenor had emerged as Pakistan’s primary digital lifestyle partner as it continues to lead the country’s Information and Communication Technology (ICT)-powered digital revolution.”

Also speaking on the occasion, Telenor Pakistan Chief Technology Officer Khurrum Ashfaque said that the centre makes real-time monitoring of network possible to cater to any changes on the go.



He also gave a demonstration of License Assisted Access (LAA) trial of 4.5G services active in selected areas of 345.

“As we aim for our 4G services to cover over two-thirds of our network in 2018, we are constantly introducing new and improved services for our customers that supplement our expansion efforts,” Ashfaque added.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 15^th, 2017.

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