The Federal Minister for Information Technology (IT) and Telecom, Syed Amin-Ul-Haque, predicted that 5G services will be available in Pakistan by July 2023. On Thursday, the minister made the announcement at Career Feast 2022, an event hosted by the University of Karachi’s Department of Computer Science.
Since he originally said that 5G technology will be launched in Pakistan in December 2022, the minister has now presented a revised timetable. He emphasised the importance of tight collaboration between academic institutions and the IT industry in order to satisfy the nation’s future expectations.
“We are aiming to ensure that everyone in every corner of the country has access to technology,” he said. The minister emphasised that, in comparison to other ministries, which had export growth of just 2% to 3%, the IT ministry saw the highest export growth of 47.44%.
Haque stated that the government intended to boost the money set aside for entrepreneurs to $500 million by 2020. When he took control, IT exports were worth $1.4 billion, but he claims they are now worth $2.6 billion.
The potential economic, consumer, and environmental advantages of 5G connectivity have been highlighted in a study conducted for Ericsson by management consulting company Analytics Mason, which lists Pakistan as one of the 15 national growth markets.
According to a research titled “The Future Value of Mobile,” with regulatory and political help, all 15 nations might witness GDP growth of between 0.3% and 0.46% by 2035, which is considered to be three to seven times the cost-to-benefit ratio. based on studies in developing markets.
In addition to Pakistan, the study also includes Bangladesh, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa, Thailand, and Turkey.
Pakistan has already taken attempts to accelerate the deployment of 5G technology. According to Syed Aminul Haq, the federal minister for IT and telecoms, who made the statement in August, the technology will be installed ahead of the 2018 elections.
The paper also examines several business case scenarios, such as vertical spreads, and evaluates the implications of various 5G spectrum deployment options to increase mobile broadband and fixed wireless access (FWA) across consumer, industry, logistics, rural, and public sector groups.
In this Analysys Mason Future Value of Mobile in Emerging Markets report, which is based on extensive research, the potential economic, social, environmental, and national benefits of 5G in these sectors are extensively broken down into feasible and realistic scenarios in each of the 15 nations. Ericsson’s Andrew Lloyd, head of government and policy advocacy, was quoted in a news release.
Each of these 15 countries and their citizens stand to benefit greatly from 5G connectivity, thanks to the efforts of governments, regulators, and policymakers. Aside from the potential for economic benefit, 5G offers the ability to increase social participation and well-being, reduce environmental impact, and bridge the digital divide in locations with limited access to fixed infrastructure.
The study’s detailed method uses national government data and reports, Ericsson network insights, and new mapping techniques, such as the distribution of population density and existing national infrastructure like road and rail networks and agriculture, to make a cost-benefit analysis of the different models for deployment options.
The main assumption behind the deployment options is that the 5G baseline rollout will be incorporated into existing mobile radio network sites. Alternatives such as adding low-band 5G spectrum coverage (which provides extensive geographic coverage at the low end of 5G capabilities and is suitable for agricultural or logistical installations) or mid-band 5G spectrum coverage (which provides less geographic coverage) are thoroughly investigated. but with enhanced speed and capacity, making it suited for complex services, automation, and production.
Expanded mid-band 5G coverage has the potential to deliver over 80% of the economic benefits, making it a major success factor. Smart industries and smart village clusters account for 85-90% of overall economic growth in every rising economy.
Agriculture may account for up to 10% of the GDP in various marketplaces in the 15 countries. According to the study, boosting rural 5G coverage might result in a 1.8% increase in agricultural GDP over time. Furthermore, the implementation of 5G will boost efficient agricultural practises and reduce food waste.
The research emphasises the benefits of having sufficient spectrum for 5G deployment, both in terms of regional coverage, which low-bands are best suited for, and in the 3.5GHz range, where high-capacity 5G installations are taking place in other locations. “It’s already happening,” said Analysys Mason Partner Janet Stewart.
The average cost of 5G deployment is estimated to be between $3 and $8 billion per country. An additional 20-35% expenditure is required to improve coverage. Large GDP benefits from coverage extension over the baseline, particularly from mid-band coverage increase, can emerge from industrial adoption.
Most countries expect the overall economic gain (GDP) to be three to seven times more than the additional cost of expanding coverage. According to the estimates, 5G mobile broadband may offer a consumer surplus of USD 1 to 10 billion per nation, with coverage expansion adding another 20 to 30 percent.
The societal benefits will be greatest for 5G-based FWA, smart industries, freight and logistics, agricultural, and healthcare applications.
Adoption of 5G technology can reduce emissions by encouraging digital transformation in areas such as construction, freight and logistics, smart manufacturing, and agriculture.
The paper focuses on how politicians, regulators, and governments can help the 5G ecosystem provide benefits. Adopting a 5G National Strategy and Roadmap that recognises 5G as a national infrastructure, as well as implementing 5G spectrum rules that encourage a rapid and extensive rollout with deployment targets that fit with connectivity policy goals, are examples of this. Setting standards and methods for infrastructure deployment and site upgrades is simple. Spectrum charges are easily transferred.
Furthermore, promote 5G in the public sector, stimulate 5G use and adoption in business and manufacturing, and partner with communication service providers to enhance coverage in areas where commercially run solutions are not economically possible. 5G is available in 15 countries.
According to Marc Lefkowitz, Director of YouTube Partner Development and Management Asia-Pacific (APAC), who spoke at the event, over 5,400 YouTube channels in Pakistan have more than 100,000 subscribers. He emphasised that Pakistan is one of the fastest-growing markets in the APAC region. Over the previous year, the number of YouTube channels in the country climbed by 35%.
According to him, more than 350 of these channels had more than a million users. According to Lefkowitz, the site intends to continue assisting Pakistani content producers in pursuing their passions while also advancing their careers.
By June 2021, there will be more than 110% more Youtube Channels earning Rs 1 million or more than the previous year.
