The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC), chaired by Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, on Tuesday approved key recommendations for Pakistan’s largest-ever spectrum auction, enabling the country’s first commercial rollout of 5G services.
The approval is based on proposals of the Spectrum Advisory Committee, also chaired by the finance minister, following consultations with stakeholders, including users, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), and a review of international and regional benchmarks on spectrum pricing, payment terms, and auction design.
“We have been on the journey of Digital Pakistan, and accelerating that journey,” said Aurangzeb, adding that the spectrum auction is an important enabler in this regard.
Speaking at a press conference alongside the finance minister, Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima said the ECC’s decision clears a critical policy hurdle and that the recommendations would now be placed before the federal cabinet for final approval.
Once cleared by the cabinet, the PTA will issue an Information Memorandum, initiating formal consultations and negotiations with telecom operators.
High spectrum pricing: Govt finds itself in a catch-22 situation
“The government aims to complete the auction by the end of January or in the first week of February,” she said.
Under the plan, nearly 600 megahertz (MHz) of spectrum will be auctioned, in addition to the 274 MHz currently in use, making it the largest spectrum auction in Pakistan’s history.
Except for the 1800 MHz and 2300 MHz bands, all frequency bands will be auctioned for the first time in the country.
Meanwhile, Aurangzeb said that the recommendations were developed with a “Pakistan-first” approach, noting that spectrum pricing and payment structures were carefully designed to balance fiscal considerations with the telecom sector’s capacity to invest in network expansion.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s IT minister admitted that a limited spectrum availability is a major reason for poor internet quality in the country, saying that around 240 million people currently operate on just 274 MHz of spectrum, far below regional peers.
She said the additional spectrum would reduce congestion, improve 3G and 4G services, and enable the introduction of 5G in Pakistan for the first time. The PTA will impose rollout obligations on winning bidders to ensure network deployment within four to six months.
The IT minister said the auction aligns with the government’s broader digital transformation agenda under the Digital Nation Pakistan Act and the “Connect 2030” plan, which targets average internet speeds of up to 100 Mbps over the next five years and aims to improve Pakistan’s position in international connectivity rankings within three years.
She added that the government has already abolished Right of Way charges to encourage investment in fibre infrastructure, noting that less than five per cent of the country is currently fibreised.
