Views On Telecom Infrastructure Sharing In Pakistan
Guest Post From Umar Farooq
Telecom Infrastructure Sharing is an important concept in emerging telecommunication markets. Here’s an extract from a GSM World report
Commercial considerations, rather than regulatory mandates, appear to be driving the increasing trend for Mobile Operators to adopt a variety of infrastructure models. Examples of mobile network sharing can be found in both mature and developing markets, with 3G providing an added impetus to assess the commercial and regulatory viability of network sharing. Network sharing may take many forms, ranging from passive sharing of cell sites and masts to sharing of radio access networks (RANs) and other active elements such as network roaming and the core.
In Pakistan, this concept’s utilization has taken place. However, we still have to see an effective regulation from PTA on this one (Editor’s note: See this link on PTA website for consultation paper on Infrastructure sharing - the pdf is also available here). We have seen different operators having their towers erected on the same roof top and at times within feet from each other on ground. Why couldn’t they use the same tower to place their antennas and share the cost ?
Infrastructure sharing has been taking place where Telenor did strike a lease deal with Wateen Telecom to use their Fibre capacity for their core transmission ring. But here, Wateen established the Fibre to sell its capacity to telecom operators. Infrastructure of RAN or Core Transmission has still some grounds to cover, before telecom operators in Pakistan become mature enough to operate shared structures while reducing operations costs.
The element of operator maturity is key here, because infrastructure sharing, does reduce costs if it is operated efficiently. If not operated efficiently, additional operational costs plus the reduced QOS loss, makes it useless for an operator.
From an end-user’s point of view, you see less number of towers and operators competing on their services rather than coverage.
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