ISLAMABAD: Telenor has so far invested more than US $ 3.5 billion Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) to expand its network and provide modern telecom services.
Aggressive investment is in pipeline to shift 80 per cent of network to 4G by next year, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Telenor Pakistan, Irfan Wahab Khan said.
He briefed the media personnel about Telenor Pakistan’s new campus-345 which had been built with an investment of US $ 80 million.
The CEO said Telenor was continuously transforming its workplace to be innovative and inspire great ideas, adding that for them, innovation goes beyond sophisticated equipment and high-tech settings.
Irfan Wahab said at new campus, the innovative and collaborative working environment give employees the freedom and flexibility to create solutions that supplement their ambitions.
He said it took 12 years to roll out 2G in the country, three years to roll-out 3G while one third of the country was covered with 4G in one year and it was envisaged to reach 80 per cent by next year.
He said though it would require huge investment, it would connect the far-flung areas through voice as well as data connectivity.
Rejecting the notion of building monopoly in telecom sector, the CEO said Pakistan was one of the most competitive markets, with lowest voice and data tariffs.
Irfan Wahab said Telenor had emerged as Pakistan’s primary digital lifestyle partner as it continued to lead the country’s Information and Communication Technology (ICT)-powered digital revolution. With best-in-class mobile broadband and aggressive 4G roll-out with intelligent use of spectrum catering to both data and voice customers, Telenor is constantly reaching out to the previously un-served people and making the most of communications technology for a larger social impact.
During a visit to Network Operations Center in the building, Chief Technology Officer at Telenor Pakistan, Khurrum Ashfaque told media that the Center makes real-time monitoring of network possible to cater to any changes on the go.
Khurrum Ashfaque also gave a demonstration of License Assisted Access (LAA) trial of 4.5G services active in selected areas of 345.
“As we aim for our 4G services to cover over two-third of our network in 2018, we are constantly introducing new and improved services for our customers that supplement our expansion efforts,” he said and added as an example, to efficiently meet the future data requirements of indoor customers, Telenor Pakistan has performed and successfully completed a field trial of License Assisted Access, which is a 4.5G functionality.
