ISLAMABAD:The Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication has finalized the first-ever Infrastructure Sharing Framework and uploaded the draft on its website to get the stakeholders’ feedback.
The draft will be sent to the Federal Cabinet for approval after necessary changes, said the ministry in a news release.
Telecom infrastructure sharing is a broad range term that generally refers to sharing of telecom network components and associated non-electronic and physical infrastructure.
The concept of infrastructure sharing promotes resource optimization by better utilization of assets, avoiding duplication of network infrastructure, and also saving time & costs and accelerating service rollouts.
The telecom network deployment involves heavy CAPEX and OPEX liabilities for operators and is considered a major deterrent for network expansions.
Furthermore, delays in rolling out new network infrastructure, which is attributed to procuring Right of Ways (RoW), Operational cost, maintenance cost & Average Revenue Per User (ARPU), are the challenges to licensed operators that shall be addressed.
The infrastructure sharing enabled the operators to focus on the competition in the service layer regardless of the extent of the sharing. It shall also facilitate domestic and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).
Operators can share whole or strategically passive elements of their network to share infrastructure costs while providing acceptable performance.
Furthermore, these savings can facilitate mobile operators’ migration to next-generation technologies.