Govt to engage foreign consultant to ensure transparency. PHOTO: FILE
In the first practical step towards the much-awaited auction of next generation mobile services (3G), Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) on Monday completed the evaluation process for the selection of a consultant.
The selection has been made following a detailed review of financial bids opened on November 23 in the presence of all five bidders who had qualified the technical evaluation stage. A statement issued by the PTA said that the successful consultant, after the completion of further formalities, is expected to be invited to formally sign a contract soon.
With the appointment of consultant, a major step in the auction of spectrum has been completed that will help in timely finalisation of important aspects of the auction that include Information Memorandum (IM) for intended bidders, method of auction and the base price.
Value Partner Management Consulting Limited, a consortium of consultants from the United States, Britain Singapore and Spain has been declared successful. Arthur D Little Middle East FZ-LLC, Booz & Company, Detecon International GmbH and Frontier Economics Limited had also qualified the technical stage.
The government had decided to engage an internationally reputed consultant in order to ensure transparency in the auction process of 3G spectrum licence, estimated to be worth more than $1.2 billion in value. It is expected that by engaging a consultant, the government will be able to ensure maximum gain for the national exchequer.
On October 7, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had directed the relevant authorities to ensure that the allocation of the spectrum licence be technology neutral (3G or 4G) and auction be open for new entrants as well.
As per policy directives approved by the PM, the consultant is supposed to identify the number and size of blocks to be auctioned considering the market situation, recommend the most appropriate auction methodology and plan, recommend reserve price of the auction, design and management of the auction process, analyze potential impact on auction price with respect to upfront payment of bid price versus staggered payment over a period of five years and the optimal bidding procedure and develop a licence template for new licence.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 26th, 2013.
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Better late than never - any member of the consortium would have been well qualified to both consult an handle the auction. Lets hope you take the next steps quicker and keep the graft to a minimum.
@ Khurram Awan
Be professional, if NUST and others wanted to put a proposal, there is no one stopping them. The license has been given on merit and with multiple experience.
@ Hari Om Don't dish us
Yeah you forgot to mention that your government cancelled licenses because they didn't get enough money or kick backs were going to someone else!? and telecoms were running 3G services when they had only 2G license. Don't get ahead of your self as 4G is not everywhere in your country as some states are still in testing phase. Besides your 3G technology is so poor that it cant cope.
http://www.dazeinfo.com/2013/11/26/indias-3g-networks-struggling-89-video-users-experience-stalling-study/
http://profit.ndtv.com/news/corporates/article-3g-roaming-telecom-department-threatens-to-cancel-vodafone-idea-tata-licences-315080
@Hari Om: Sir ”The spectrum license is technology neutral – winning operator can install 3G or 4G within this license’‘
Perhaps you didnt read, Pakistan has said it wants technology neutral which means 3G and 4G/LTE, this will be upto the telecoms to decide if they want 3G or have 4G/LTE
@Khurram Awan: "Students of IBA, LUMS, NUST and other institutes to develop a joint consulting group of Faculty and Students to benefit from this experience." Somethings are just too technical and sensitive that those can't just be given such liberties. SCP was very interested in the proceedings of this process so such adventures may jeopardize things
Pretty lethargic stuff! When 3G is eventually commissioned by Pakistan, it will be the last country on the Indian Sub-Continent to have done so. All the other countries on the Indian Sub-Continent namely India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and the Maldives have already launched 3G services. Meanwhile 4G services has been launched in India.
Rather than making the international consortium our government could take the initiative by inviting the students of IBA, LUMS, NUST and other institutes to develop a joint consulting group of Faculty and Students to benefit from this experience. Alas the Commissions from Foreign companies and Blond Secretaries are too much to think about your own country. In VPMCL not a single Pakistani person is working but that company is given the nod that will not bring any expertise of Consulting among our Pakistani consultants from this multi billion 3G assessment..
@Amir Nasiruddin @Khurram
''The spectrum license is technology neutral – winning operator can install 3G or 4G within this license''
Perhaps you cant read, Pakistan has said it wants technology neutral which means 3G and 4G/LTE, this will be upto the telecoms to decide if they want 3G or have 4G/LTE.
It is a giant leap forward and indeed the beginning of a new era in Telecom industry of Pakistan. The telecom industry got the “big bang” during the 1st tenure of Nawaz Sharif when it was “deregulated” in early 1990s. Consequently, first the DC Pager was introduced in Pakistan with an earlier version of SMS service through phone call, which was soon followed by launching of mobile operations by a number of international players like Paktel (Cable & Wireless), Instaphone (Arfeen), Mobilink (Saif+Orascom) in Pakistan. The auction of technology neutral licenses will open up new era of telecommunication, telebanking and eBusiness in Pakistan InshaAllah. While a few pseudo-intellectuals haters will come up with lame arguments, it has always been PMLN that took the economic segments to new heights through Deregulation, Privatization & Liberalization.
@Amir Nasiruddin: 3.5G (HSPA+) will be introduced :)
@Amir Nasiruddin: Read: The spectrum license is technology neutral - winning operator can install 3G or 4G within this license.
Rest of the world is using 4G...whereas we are still hitting our heads on 3G...come on gents even Afghanistan is using 3G
Bangladesh is planning to have 4G but unfortunately Pakistan is just thinking to have 3G. :( Very Sad