LAHORE:

Federal Minister for IT and Telecom Shaza Fatima Khawaja said the government will auction the 600-megahertz spectrum next month, a move aimed at expanding mobile internet capacity and improving service quality across the country.

According to an official statement issued on Saturday, the minister said the additional spectrum would help address connectivity constraints and support the growth of digital services, including e-commerce, e-governance and other online facilities by providing faster and more reliable internet access to citizens.

She was speaking at the Indus AI Week conference at the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), where she, along with LCCI President Faheemur Rehman Saigol, inaugurated the chamber’s online membership portal. The minister said LCCI had become the first chamber in the country to introduce online services for its members. She said the portal would allow new and existing businesses to obtain membership, access information and enhance collaboration efficiently. According to her, the use of digital platforms would make business processes more transparent and faster, contributing to economic activity.

Senior office-bearers, former presidents and members of the executive and standing committees of the chamber were also present at the event.

Highlighting the government’s “Smartphone for All” policy, the minister said steps were being taken to make smartphones more accessible so that citizens could participate in the digital economy. She said one million people would be reskilled and upskilled in artificial intelligence, with a focus on youth, women and professionals.