Telecom Sector to Show 8 per cent growth in FY2022
The government of Pakistan is in a process of expanding the 5G services in the country. For that reason, the government is planning to empower the ICT sector by enhancing consumer welfare, innovative entrepreneurship, and startups. However, some industry players think that “Pakistan’s infrastructure was not ready for it for at least the next two years”. See Also: GSMA Recommends Abolishment of Advance Income Tax on Telecom Services It is also a well-known truth that a number of Pakistanis do not have access to any kind of mobile or telecom services. Similarly, half of Pakistan’s population also does not have internet access. The next big hurdle is affordability. Only a small number of people can afford 5G handsets in the country. It is necessary to shift every Pakistani to 4G first. In Pakistan, approximately 98 per cent of households own a mobile phone. However, the mobile service penetration was 88 per cent at the end of February 2022. Similarly, the 3G/4G subscribers in Pakistan has reached 113 million. Among all the telecom operators in the country, Jazz is leading the market in 4G subscribers with a market share of 39 per cent. Zong is in second place with a 30 per cent share by the end of February 2022. The report also revealed that total borrowings of the sector reached Rs180 billion – 29 per cent higher than Rs140 billion, by February 2022. Check Also: SDPI’s Study Group on ICT 63rd Meeting: Experts Discussed Cybersecurity Challenges
