Warid has decided to launch 4G LTE with its available spectrum that it had bought in 2004. PHOTO: FILE
The Pakistan Telecom-munication Authority (PTA) has accepted Warid Telecom’s plea that it has no need to obtain a new licence to launch 4G services, said PTA Chairman Ismail Shah, while talking to The Express Tribune.
Shah said that Warid Telecom had approached the authority to start 4G service without obtaining any new licence. “However, we have asked the company to share its detailed work-out plan with the PTA,” said Shah.
So far Zong, a subsidiary of China Mobile, is considered the sole proprietor of 4G services after successful auction held on April 23. Despite not participating in the April 23 spectrum auction, Warid has decided to launch 4G LTE with its available spectrum that it had bought in 2004.
An official of Warid said that after obtaining permission from the PTA, Warid will soon launch its next-generation services in Pakistan and the work-out plan will also be shared with the PTA and media. He said that Warid is capable of addressing all the PTA concerns about dividing the spectrum for 4G services.
Presently, Warid has around 9 megahertz (Mhz) spectrum to roll out 4G technology while it has installed long term evolution technology at important points across the country. Sources said Warid’s existing spectrum is capable of running the 4G technology and it is likely that the PTA would allow the telecom company to operate 4G services in the country.
It merits mentioning here that unlike Warid, the other three cellular companies Ufone, Telenor and Mobilink did not have 9 Mhz, which they had to acquire prior to participating in the 4G spectrum licence auction.
An official of Warid told The Express Tribune that PTA has formally given the notification to the company for rolling out 4G services in the country.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 4th, 2014.
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COMMENTS (33)
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@Pakistani: Dearest Dearest "Pakistani" Better worry about the SHARIFS & BHUTTOS doing the same and delivering nothing. At least Warid is delivers something that you use!
@Muhammad Mudassar: Thanks to dictator Musharraf and his shady stooge Shortcut Aziz. He made criminal collusion in doling out various national assets for example Steel Mills was being doled out at throwaway price but was stopped by the Supreme Court. Warid's deal was flawed by leaving lacunae to harm the economic interest of Pakistan. Similarly, another shady deal was made with Etisalat by doling out PTCL against which the buyer has withheld US$ 700 Million stabbing the economy of Pakistan.
@Syed Ismail Shah: Sir! Just a comment? Tell-tale sign of strength of PTA as a regulator. How do we define "service neutral" btw?
Just wondering, why didn't Warid launch the 3G/4G earlier; why they waited all these years?
@hmm: Well the tariff for 3G and 4G is (going to be) the lowest in Pakistan. So the user base won't be very limited.
If ufone,tekenore and mobilink did not had 9 MHz spectrum which they were supposed to acquire prior the auction.. how they got the licenses??
Its late but good for warid customers we miss 3G and 4G in our mobile
All of our rulers have interest in UAE so they d favour Warid and let it go without paying $500 million like Zong even if it has tech neutral permission. Donot give it 4G permission without paying full amount. Opposition party to launch complaint in SC atleast
I am wondering that some people are taking side of other operators which have got the 3G licence two weeks back but not looking at the company which is paying since last 10 years for the same frequency and same band. LOL.
Will anyone estimate the cost of providing 4G services to the customers? How will the common man benefit in monetary terms?
Incorrect reporting: Warid and Telenor each have 8.8Mhz of spectrum in the 1800MHz band. See the Frequency Allocation Board website here.
Ufone, Mobilink and Zong each ALREADY have 6MHz each of the 1800MHz band...akak 4G band. The reason why Telenor, Zong, Mobilink and Ufone did not use their existing 1800 Band is because the 1800 Band is a capacity band, used to create network capacity for the millions of voice call users on their existing network in dense urban areas of the cities. It would not make sense to reduce voice call capacity for any network. Its suicide!
The question is, what will happen to the 2G voice service being offered by Warid when it switches to offering 4G on the 1800 band? The 1800 Band is currently used for providing mobile voice capacity. It ensures there are less dropped calls and more people can use the same limited spectrum in areas where there is high demand. So if Warid uses 4G on this 1800 band, then users should expect to have a poorer voice call quality experience, like calls not connecting, network not available due to low capacity, more dropped voice calls etc.
Probably Warid has no choice but to take this risk since it is now the smallest of mobile operators in terms of users and is hardly growing. So maybe it doesn't need all that extra network capacity for voice? This call for a changed business model/plan and this is the risk Warid takes, to alienate its voice only users to move to a data specific LTE network (I wonder about their VoLTE strategy).
Any way, good luck Warid users. I hope in the end ALL users will benefit in one way or the other.
We love you Warid. We will wait for you Warid... No matter what. You are simply the best network. Hope you maintain the same when you launch LTE. Best always
(Chairman PTA has already given the PTA stance )
The existing license of Warid is technology neutral but it does not mean that it is service neutral. All newly launched services require proper PTA’s consent. For this Warid will have to send in a proper request. PTA will look into such a request based on the license conditions and in the best interest of the cellular industry specially the bidders participating in the 3G/4G spectrum auction. Offer of 4G/LTE services by the Warid will have to go through a process as per their license as well as requirements of assuring proper coverage, quality of service, enhanced monitoring requirements and commencement permissions by PTA.
Furthermore, Warid should provide details about how much spectrum would be carved out from the 8.8 MHz in 1800 band for LTE services and its impact on the existing GSM/GPRS/EDGE customers. Furthermore not all the releases of LTE are 4G. So specific information about the version of LTE to be deployed have to be provided. No plan has been shared with PTA yet. Without these details being made available the claims made in Warid's advertisement cannot be endorsed in any manner.
Well all hopes and wishes for Warid for winning 4G without a penny spent. I m particularly concerned abt this nation. How ppl manipulate to not pay revenue to govt. Today we celebrate Warids win, but don't care abt this nation which has been white washed by a foreign company who has just agenda of earning from Pak and not paying back.. ..
this is really a joke for all the other companies can PTA explain what type of license was issued to Warid in 2004 at the cost which other companies did not. I mean when in 2004 the cellular licenses were issued to these companies all had paid same amount of money but it seems that Warid was allowed some superior technology at same fees.
I think that 3G and 4G auction is no longer a transparent process anymore why do we let these companies to play with us.
PTA should think again that one company pays 516 million $ to start 4G services and one company is paying nothing and still getting the right to provide services.
You will have to buy separate smart phone to use 4G LTE, there are specific smart phones which are capable of 4G LTE... Good news for Warid Customers.
It will be tough challenge for Warid to offer best quality services of 4G within existing spectrum knowing that its majors GSM traffic also occupy the same segment of frequency.
Good to know the best quality network providing next generation services.
I have been quoted out of context.
Following is our PTA's stance:
The existing license of Warid is technology neutral but it does not mean that it is service neutral. All newly launched services require proper PTA’s consent. For this Warid will have to send in a proper request. PTA will look into such a request based on the license conditions and in the best interest of the cellular industry specially the bidders participating in the 3G/4G spectrum auction. Offer of 4G/LTE services by the Warid will have to go through a process as per their license as well as requirements of assuring proper coverage, quality of service, enhanced monitoring requirements and commencement permissions by PTA.
Furthermore, Warid should provide details about how much spectrum would be carved out from the 8.8 MHz in 1800 band for LTE services and its impact on the existing GSM/GPRS/EDGE customers. Furthermore not all the releases of LTE are 4G. So specific information about the version of LTE to be deployed have to be provided. No plan has been shared with PTA yet.
Without these details being made available the claims made in Warid's advertisement cannot be endorsed in any manner.
Excellent and great news for Warid customers because Warid has already much the best connectivity and networking as compared with the other mobiles' networks in Pakistan and this Warid's 4G LTE technology shall boost its performance much more than the other mobile networks in Pakistan and in other words the this Warid's 4G LTE services shall make Warid more and more advance in telecommunication sector than any mobiles' networks in Pakistan...
@careful reader: Yea! Well said! Viva! Have a nice day and Salams.
3G & 4GLTE services are pretty expensive, there will be very limited consumer base & more of corporate clientele. As far as general consumers are concerned, companies need to focus on wireless broadband solutions i.e. Wimax.
Arab investors are doing good job in Pakistan telecom sector like Etisalat in Ptcl, Abudhabi group in warid and wateen, Omantel in Worldcall telecom. Omantel is very Optimistic for Pakistans telecom industry growth inspite of many foreign players already in area they have invested in Worldcall telecom and set for a revival of broadband and wireless for pakistani community.
3G and 4G will be for mobile users that means we are going to have more internet users at broadband as well. This is because desktop broadband May always be cheaper than mobile internet so a first choice always for customers at homes. A sign of hope for broadband services provides like Ptcl, Worldcall, Wateen, Qubee,etc that means revival of jobs in telecom industry. Good luck my Pakistan.
hahahaha atta boy warid :D
the Warid business executive or engineer who had the foresight to buy 9 megahertz (Mhz) spectrum in 2004 should become the next prime minister.
Warid is Chupa Rustum in Tecnology !!
WOW !! WARID Become 007 JAMES BOND.. Lols