AstanoshKhan
<b>PTI: NAYA PAKISTANI</b>
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Cellular companies have agreed upon long awaited tower sharing concept, that was somewhat being implemented at small scale earlier.
Our sources at cellular companies have confirmed us that all cellular companies have agreed to make tower sharing mandatory, if new BTS deployment is in 100 meter radius of any existing site in urban areas or with-in 500 meter radius in rural areas.
With ongoing recession and particularly the power crisis, cellular firms were keenly looking into tower sharing possibilities, which was previously ignored for multiple reasons.
Earlier, back in 2007/08, cellular firms first voiced about tower sharing, however, major players were then reluctant to share their towers. With time, when cellular companies are somewhat similar in network strength, feasibility has tremendously increased for sharing tower and infrastructure.
These days, fuel for un-interrupted power supply is the leading expense for cellular companies. According to a senior official at network company, fuel expense for one mobile company can go as high as Rs. 250 million per year.
It is expected that WLL companies will follow the suit. A group has been formed that will recommend the procedures for sharing towers for WLL companies operating in Pakistan.
Mobile Operators Signed MoU of Infrastructure Sharing
By Sana Fatima · Monday, Aug 9, 2010
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and the Cellular Mobile Operators (CMOs) of Pakistan have signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on infrastructure sharing.
The MoU is signed for three years but this duration can be extended by the mutual agreement of the concerned parties, upon expiration of the initial term. The MoU signed by all five mobile operators wants to stimulate up the current pace of infrastructure sharing among cellular mobile and Wireless Loacal Loop (WLL) operators in the country and to increase the overall industry lease ratio to a reasonable mark. The parties expect that this cooperation will serve to support mutual interests, international best practices, the public convenience, improved aesthetics and decreased capital costs for rollout extensions.
According to the MoU, parties agree that the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) on infrastructure sharing will be followed in letter and spirit subject to technical and commercial considerations. The PTA will facilitate processing of infrastructure sharing cases to the extent possible within its jurisdiction. Each operator in cooperation with other industry players will put in its best efforts to make commercial arrangements powerful and struggle to take up its own and overall industrys lease ratio to a level of 1.5 within next 3 years with yearly benchmarks aimed at 1.1, and 1.3 for first and second years, respectively provided that the same is technically feasible for the operators.
It may be mentioned that lease ratio means number of operators sharing one tower. If a tower is used by more than one operator, it would improve the lease ratio, decreasing the number of towers installed across the country. Presently in Pakistan lease ratio is 1.02, which means out of every 100 towers only two are shared by operators. If the ratio increases to 1.5 as expected it would mean that 50 out of every 100 towers are shared by operators.
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Cellular companies should also think of sharing other resources like optical fibres, franchises, customer care centres, etc. furthermore, they should invest the savings earned through these steps for the development of latest Telecom services and equipment/ infrastructure in Pakistan.
Good going PTA...
Our sources at cellular companies have confirmed us that all cellular companies have agreed to make tower sharing mandatory, if new BTS deployment is in 100 meter radius of any existing site in urban areas or with-in 500 meter radius in rural areas.
With ongoing recession and particularly the power crisis, cellular firms were keenly looking into tower sharing possibilities, which was previously ignored for multiple reasons.
Earlier, back in 2007/08, cellular firms first voiced about tower sharing, however, major players were then reluctant to share their towers. With time, when cellular companies are somewhat similar in network strength, feasibility has tremendously increased for sharing tower and infrastructure.
These days, fuel for un-interrupted power supply is the leading expense for cellular companies. According to a senior official at network company, fuel expense for one mobile company can go as high as Rs. 250 million per year.
It is expected that WLL companies will follow the suit. A group has been formed that will recommend the procedures for sharing towers for WLL companies operating in Pakistan.
Mobile Operators Signed MoU of Infrastructure Sharing
By Sana Fatima · Monday, Aug 9, 2010
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and the Cellular Mobile Operators (CMOs) of Pakistan have signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on infrastructure sharing.
The MoU is signed for three years but this duration can be extended by the mutual agreement of the concerned parties, upon expiration of the initial term. The MoU signed by all five mobile operators wants to stimulate up the current pace of infrastructure sharing among cellular mobile and Wireless Loacal Loop (WLL) operators in the country and to increase the overall industry lease ratio to a reasonable mark. The parties expect that this cooperation will serve to support mutual interests, international best practices, the public convenience, improved aesthetics and decreased capital costs for rollout extensions.
According to the MoU, parties agree that the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) on infrastructure sharing will be followed in letter and spirit subject to technical and commercial considerations. The PTA will facilitate processing of infrastructure sharing cases to the extent possible within its jurisdiction. Each operator in cooperation with other industry players will put in its best efforts to make commercial arrangements powerful and struggle to take up its own and overall industrys lease ratio to a level of 1.5 within next 3 years with yearly benchmarks aimed at 1.1, and 1.3 for first and second years, respectively provided that the same is technically feasible for the operators.
It may be mentioned that lease ratio means number of operators sharing one tower. If a tower is used by more than one operator, it would improve the lease ratio, decreasing the number of towers installed across the country. Presently in Pakistan lease ratio is 1.02, which means out of every 100 towers only two are shared by operators. If the ratio increases to 1.5 as expected it would mean that 50 out of every 100 towers are shared by operators.
-----------------------------------
Cellular companies should also think of sharing other resources like optical fibres, franchises, customer care centres, etc. furthermore, they should invest the savings earned through these steps for the development of latest Telecom services and equipment/ infrastructure in Pakistan.
Good going PTA...
