The first round of Pakistan’s 5G spectrum auction has been completed, with telecom operators submitting bids for two of the six frequency bands offered by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority.
The auction formally began earlier in the day after being inaugurated by Muhammad Aurangzeb and Shaza Fatima Khawaja along with PTA officials. The regulator has offered around 600 megahertz of spectrum for bidding, with three telecom operators taking part in the process as Pakistan prepares to launch 5G services.
During the first stage, bidding was held for the 2600 MHz and 3500 MHz bands. In the 2600 MHz band, 190 megahertz of spectrum was available across 19 lots, but operators submitted bids equivalent to about 300 megahertz, indicating demand well above supply.
PTA said a total of 30 bids were received for the 2600 MHz band, resulting in 11 additional bids beyond the available lots. Due to the higher demand, the base price for the next round has been increased by 5 percent.
In the 3500 MHz band, a total of 280 megahertz of spectrum was offered across 28 lots, while operators submitted bids for 20 lots during the first round.
Director Generate Pakistan Telecommunication Authority Amir Shehzad said the second round of the auction will begin shortly and will run for 30 minutes, adding that strong competition among telecom operators signals significant progress toward the launch of 5G services in Pakistan. Officials expect further bidding activity in the next stages of the auction.
