PTA has confirmed that Pakistan’s long awaited 5G spectrum auction will take place on March 10, 2026, as the country moves closer to next generation mobile connectivity. Chairman Hafeezur Rehman announced that initial rollout of 5G services will begin in federal and provincial capitals before gradually expanding to other cities over the coming years. The regulator has released the final Information Memorandum, retaining the core auction framework after completing industry consultations earlier this month. According to officials, feedback from telecom operators and appointed consultants was reviewed, but key elements including quality of service benchmarks, rollout obligations, base pricing, and payment terms remain unchanged. Only minor technical clarifications were introduced to address queries raised during the consultation process, which formally concluded on February 6.
Under the approved framework, approximately 597.2 MHz of spectrum will be made available across low, mid, and high frequency bands to support nationwide deployment. The offering includes paired spectrum in the 700 MHz, 1800 MHz, and 2100 MHz bands, along with unpaired spectrum in the 2300 MHz, 2600 MHz, and 3500 MHz bands. The first phase of bidding will follow a multi round electronic clock auction format, beginning with mandatory participation in the 2600 MHz and 3500 MHz bands. Applications must be submitted by February 27 at 4:00 pm PST along with a 15 million dollar bank guarantee. PTA will publish the list of applicants the same day, while qualified bidders will be announced on March 3 after regulatory scrutiny. An information session is scheduled for February 16 to address procedural and technical questions, and qualified participants will take part in mock auctions prior to the main allocation stage. If demand exceeds available spectrum in any category, prices will increase in successive rounds before moving to the assignment phase, after which provisional winners will have 15 business days to submit performance bank guarantees before licenses are issued.
Chairman Rehman stated that improved connectivity remains central to achieving the government’s Digital Pakistan objectives. To facilitate faster infrastructure development, the government has removed right of way fees that previously delayed fibre optic deployments and granted operators a one year moratorium on upfront spectrum payments. PTA has also allowed flexibility in spectrum sharing and relaxed certain regulatory conditions to enable faster network expansion. Operators have been given the option to pay either 100 percent of the spectrum fee upfront or 50 percent upfront with the remaining amount payable in five equal annual installments at KIBOR plus 3 percent. PTA has fixed the dollar exchange rate for payment purposes to provide financial certainty. Following license issuance, commercial 5G services are expected to launch within three to seven months, subject to network readiness and regulatory approvals. Operators will be required to deploy 1,000 new sites annually, including at least 200 sites per year to address coverage gaps.
While 5G deployment is a major milestone, PTA emphasized that improving 4G quality remains a priority as around 90 percent of users continue to rely on existing networks. The regulator has set clear performance benchmarks, raising minimum 4G download speeds from 20 Mbps in 2026 to 27 to 50 Mbps by 2030 to 35, while reducing latency targets from 75 milliseconds to 50 milliseconds. For 5G, minimum download speeds will increase from 50 Mbps initially to 100 Mbps by 2030 to 35, with latency targets reduced to 35 milliseconds. According to PTA leadership, stronger 4G performance is expected to enhance user experience, stimulate higher data usage, and support a healthier telecom ecosystem. Operators are already preparing investment strategies and have placed orders for 5G equipment, while local manufacturing of 5G enabled smartphones is underway with between 500,000 and 600,000 units produced so far.
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