Moving forward: IT ministry finalises draft for ECC approval

Minister says telecom policy will be roadmap for years to come.

ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunications (MoIT) has finalised the draft of Telecommunications Policy 2015 and forwarded it to the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the cabinet for approval.

This comes on heels of a series of significant initiatives and achievements in the sector over the course of the previous year.

State Minister for IT Anusha Rahman, while announcing the finalisation at a gathering, commented that the integrated telecommunications policy will be a roadmap for sector development for years to come.

She said the overall vision of the new policy will be universally available, affordable and quality telecom services provided through open, competitive, and well managed markets.

“The telecom sector of Pakistan was deregulated in 2003, and those policies were subject to review after five years of issuance which did not take place during the term of previous government,” she said.



“The review and integration of previous policies was incumbent due to emerging trends in telecommunication sector, changes in market character and its structure. Therefore, the elected government of Pakistan Muslim League (N), after taking office, took up review and integration of policies on highest priority basis.

“The Ministry of IT had engaged a renowned international consultant firm for assistance in the task.”

The release of the draft for approval marks the culmination of rigorous exercise spanning over a year, she said.

To ensure the element of inclusiveness, consultations with all relevant stakeholders were given foremost importance in the process through meetings, questionnaires, workshops, Rahman added.

The minister said the draft was also published on the ministry’s website for public consultation.

She said that the draft policy treats all important areas of telecoms, infrastructure, licensing, services and their ubiquitous adoption. “Along covering the issue arising from the implementation of the previous policy, it includes various new and innovative elements like provisions for a new competition framework satellite communication, spectrum strategy, and market-based spectrum management.”

Published in The Express Tribune, April 4^th, 2015.

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