Pakistan is geared up towards a 5G future after successfully conducting the second phase of 5G spectrum auction. The latest auction allotted 480 MHz of airwaves to telcos, earning the authority, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), $510 million.
Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Chairman Hafeez Ur Rehman said that it was one of the biggest spectrum sales in terms of value and shared that the government had fulfilled its duty by conducting the auction. Now, he says that it’s up to the telecom operators to roll out 5G in the country and lead the next-generation digital era.
The position assignment stage allowed operators to determine the precise placement of the spectrum blocks they had secured.
The position assignment had fixed operators for the placement of the spectrum blocks they bought. The telcos bought resources between the 2600 MHz and 3500 MHz bands.
There was no need for the assignment process for the 700 MHz band. It was secured by a single telco.
Shaza Fatima Khawaja, Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication, said the successful auction was made possible after a set of difficult decisions taken by the government led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
“The Internet has become a basic necessity for Pakistan,” she said.
Also: Starlink gets Pakistan approval for Starlink internet
5G in Pakistan
With spectrums secured, Pakistani telecom operators such as Jazz, Ufone, and Zong will start a pilot project in 2026 across major cities in Pakistan before their commercial launch.
Jazz is the leading operator in the country with over 74.2 million users and a market share of over 36%. Ufone has over 72 million users with 35% market share, while Zong is the third largest telco with 53.8% million subscribers and a healthy market share of 26.60%.
| Pakistan’s major operators | Subscribers (million) | Market Share |
| Jazz | 74.2 million | 36.60% |
| Ufone | 72.4 million | 35.70% |
| Zong | 53.8 million | 26.60% |
With 5G on the horizon, Pakistan is looking at the prospect of a tangible digital transformation of the country with electronic payment, faster data rate, and growth of the IT sectors.
- Check out major 5G advantages