Pakistan has lowest spectrum in region

The Global System for Mobile Communications Association (GSMA) has criticised Pakistan over its spectrum policy, saying that the country has the lowest spectrum in Asia-Pacific and the rising cost of spectrum is unsustainable that poses threat to the development of mobile services. GSMA has issued a paper which highlights that mobile network infrastructure is crucial for Pakistan's digital transformation, serving as the backbone for wide-reaching connectivity and socio-economic growth, whereas countries including the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, Bangladesh and Indonesia have more spectrum compared to Pakistan. It said while 'Digital Pakistan' was the government's flagship initiative, launched in 2018, to enhance digital infrastructure and enable rapid delivery of innovative digital services, Pakistan faced several challenges that threatened the sustainability and growth of mobile infrastructure.