Agriculture and industrial areas in Punjab:

[Lahore_Real_Estate]

Mobile Phone Companies Allowed to Set Up BTS Towers

LAHORE: Punjab Board of Investment and Trade (PBIT) has facilitated the leading telecom companies of Pakistan towards resolution of their expansion plans in Punjab, worth $250 million, for year 2010-11.

In this connection, PBIT organised a meeting of representatives of telecom companies with chief minister, Punjab in the chair, during which all the issues relating to expansion plans were resolved and now, the companies can install towers in the agriculture and industrial areas also.

The companies are likely to install 800 - 1100 Base Transmission Service (BTS) towers within the current financial year which will lead to creation of 2400 to 3300 direct jobs and an investment equivalent of USD 250 million. Chief minister, Punjab has already formulated a high powered committee to resolve the issues of environment, law and security of the issuance of SIMs.

It is worth mentioning that major telecom companies, including Mobilink, Telenor, Ufone, Warid and Zong approached PBIT for resolution of their problems they had been facing in Punjab. Year 2009 Policy of Punjab Government restricted telecom companies to install BTS towers in commercial area only, which was hampering their expansion to rural and industrial areas.