The Pakistani regulator has hinted that the country is on the verge of beginning a tender process for the award of 3G licenses, reports Cellular News. “We have the spectrum earmarked, and all the ground work is completed. [We] will soon be inviting applications for 3G spectrum auction,” Muhammad Yaseen, chairman of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), told a local conference. He added that the regulator had been closely monitoring 3G developments in neighbouring countries.

The country’s mobile operators are already gearing up for 3G investment. According to Cellular News, Telenor Pakistan announced recently it would invest a further US$2.5 billion more in the country if it gets a 3G license. The report adds that 3G could be a way for local mobile operators to counter rising taxes and a recent lowering of termination rates. According to Wireless Intelligence estimates, Pakistan had 88.6 million mobile connections by end of second-quarter 2008, making it the tenth-largest mobile market in the world by connections. The market is led by Orascom (34 million connections), followed by Ufone (18.9 million), Telenor Pakistan (18.1 million) and Warid (15.5 million).