Spectrum auction: Information Memorandum underway

Auction preparations on track, says PTA.

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) on Wednesday announced that the preparation of an Information Memorandum (IM) for the spectrum auction is in process. The IM is a key document for prospective bidders.

The consultants hired for the auction have completed an assessment of the market and held a series of meetings with various stakeholders, all of which contributes to the development of the IM for submission to the government.

According to PTA, the IM is a key document being prepared for prospective bidders which will contain details of the available spectrum to be auctioned, number of licences, base/reserve price and method for the auction. The consultants have conducted a series of meetings to gather feedback from stakeholders on these aspects.

On December 19, 2013, the PTA signed a formal contract with Value Partners Management Consulting Limited (VPMCL) for provision of consultancy services for auction of spectrum for next generation mobile services. After completion of evaluation process for selection of consultant of international repute, the VPMCL was declared successful as consultant for auction of next generation mobile services in Pakistan. The selection was an important step in the auction which had been derailed many times during previous attempts.

To ensure legality, the PTA conducted the selection in an open and publicised manner in line with policy directive of Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunications and rules of Pakistan Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA). Previous consultant contracts were cancelled by regulatory bodies because of violation of PPRA rules in the recruitment phase.

Value Partners is a global management consulting firm operating globally, and has nine offices across three continents with consultants from 23 countries. It has vast experience in spectrum auctions around the world. The firm has provided advisory on spectrum bidding in the UK, Italy, Ireland, Belgium, Denmark, Greece, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Thailand, Kuwait and Bangladesh.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 30^th, 2014.

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