ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and GSM Association (GSMA) has agreed to establish the first ever international ‘PTA-GSMA Capacity Building Centre of Excellence’. The signing ceremony was held at PTA Headquarters, Islamabad. Under the agreement, PTA has been declared Centre of Excellence for regional regulatory trainings.

PTA and GSMA will arrange and jointly host international trainings on the emerging topics of telecommunication and ICT development in order to enhance the professional skills and knowledge of the government and regulatory professionals from the South Asian and Central Asian states.

Under the programme, PTA will provide local host facilities such as venue, logistic arrangements while GSMA will arrange trainers/speakers and cover their cost of travel and accommodation. Trainings will be provided free of cost to the participants every quarter for the next two years.

On the occasion of cooperation signing ceremony, Chairman PTA Maj Gen Amir Azeem Bajwa (R) while appreciating GSMA initiative to declare PTA Centre of Excellence, hoped that the first ever GSMA global centre will provide opportunities of capacity building to professionals and policy makers from regional countries to get trainings on cutting-edge technologies such as 5G networks. PTA will put in all possible resources to make it a success story and an example to follow for other regions. He said we hope more professionals from regional countries will participle in the training programmes providing unique opportunity for knowledge sharing. He further said that PTA officials will also be benefited from this Centre and will be able to find solutions to regulatory challenges faced by them.—PR