DTH Licence Auction in Pakistan Postponed

The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) auction for DTH Broadcasting Licences, which was slated for 7 December, was postponed.

PEMRA cited the appointment of its new Chairman, Mr. Absar Alam, as the reason for rescheduling the bidding. In view of the importance of the DTH project, Mr. Alam wanted to ensure that all legal and security issues relating to the project were covered and that the auction process was fair and transparent.

Three 15-year non-exclusive licences were set to be auctioned, each with a minimum price of PKR 200mn (approx. USD 1.91mn), a fixed annual fee of PKR 10mn (approx. USD 95,400), and an annual variable licence fee equivalent to 2% of the gross revenue earned from the DTH services.