PTA Announces 5G Spectrum Auction for March 10

In Islamabad today, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Chairman Hafeezur Rehman announced the upcoming 5G spectrum auction scheduled for March 10. The event comes as part of the government’s ambitious “Digital Pakistan” vision aimed at improving connectivity across the country.

Rehman highlighted the critical role that improved telecommunications play in achieving this goal, emphasizing that fiber-optic infrastructure projects have benefited from the removal of right-of-way fees, a move facilitated by the Ministry of IT & Telecom. He explained that these streamlined procedures are expected to expedite project execution and reduce costs for telecom operators.

The chairman also provided an overview of Pakistan’s telecommunications landscape, noting that 5G services would initially be rolled out in federal and provincial capitals before expanding to other major urban centers over the coming years.

Rehman underlined the importance of not only focusing on future developments but also ensuring improvements in current technology as well. He stated, “Our priority remains enhancing 4G services for our 90% of users currently dependent on it.” To achieve this, he explained that Pakistan is leveraging existing bands to boost service quality and drawing lessons from Bangladesh’s successful 4G rollout.

He elaborated on the initiatives planned for the upcoming auction. “Operators are well-prepared,” Rehman affirmed, noting they have already placed orders for 5G equipment and are producing locally manufactured 5G-enabled smartphones at a rate of up to 600,000 units so far. However, he also emphasized that early network deployment is contingent on the availability of spectrum licenses.

Rehman outlined specific terms for the auction, including a flexible spectrum-sharing policy and relaxed regulatory conditions. He noted that operators were granted a one-year moratorium on upfront payments to focus on improving service quality. “Our goal,” Rehman explained, “is to align Pakistan’s telecommunications progress with regional best practices, ensuring both connectivity and high-quality services for our population.”

Director General Licensing Aamir Shahzad further detailed the auction process, describing it as a multi-round electronic clock auction where mandatory bidding would take place in the 2600 MHz and 3500 MHz bands. The auction is scheduled to conclude with a provision stage that will require participants to submit performance bank guarantees within 15 business days before final license issuance.

PTA set clear exchange rates for US dollars to Pakistani rupees for payment purposes, offering operators the option of either paying upfront or in installments over five years at an interest rate above KIBOR. The PTA anticipates that 5G services will launch within three to six months post-licensing, initially focusing on federal and provincial capitals before expanding incrementally across other urban centers.

Furthermore, Rehman laid out ambitious targets for improving service quality in both 4G and 5G networks. For 4G, he indicated that minimum download speeds would rise from the current 20 Mbps to 50 Mbps by 2030–35, with latency times reduced from 75 milliseconds to 50 milliseconds over this period. In the case of 5G, initial speeds are expected to increase from the current 50 Mbps to 100 Mbps by 2030–35, while latency targets are set to be cut down to an even more stringent 35 milliseconds.

These ambitious plans underscore Pakistan’s commitment to bridging the digital divide and harnessing technological advancements for national development.