Jazz looks to invest over $200m for provision of 4G in remote areas

COO says network operator will add significant new sites to its network next year

KARACHI: Jazz, a mobile network operator, is looking to invest over $200 million for expansion of 4G services in remote areas of Pakistan next year.

The cellular network operator has already invested millions of dollars in Pakistan’s market and is looking to further expand its tower network. Jazz is adding significant new sites to its network this year to give people 4G in places where it was previously not possible, said Jazz Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) Asif Aziz, while talking on the sidelines of the launching ceremony of a digital travel show.

He said, “We will do more investment in 2019, it will be more than $200 million.”

“The cellular sector is making a lot of investment in data; their traditional business of voice communication is growing as well. People do need to talk, people still communicate on voice call, it is not growing at the same speed, but it is still growing,” he said. “Data is also growing but a lot quicker.”

Digital payments are increasing in Pakistan; a significant number of customers are using Jazz Wallet to make payments and the company is working to enable more merchants around Pakistan as mobile payments are safe, secure and very simple to use, Aziz shared.

Online payments could not grow because of lack of other e-commerce businesses in the country, however, person-to-person payments are growing fast, the official said, adding that the next stage is for businesses.

He was of the view that there is a need for more bandwidths coming into the country in wholesale to improve the access of internet.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 18^th, 2018.

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