Pakistan is getting close to starting its fifth-generation services, which is a big deal. The Auction Advisory Committee is now going to tell Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar about what’s happening with the spectrum auction for the fifth-generation mobile services. This is a time for Pakistan and its fifth-generation mobile services. The Auction Advisory Committee has a lot of information to share with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar about the fifth-generation mobile services and the spectrum auction.
The meeting is about the Pakistan 5G spectrum auction. We need to make some decisions about rules and plans for the Pakistan 5G spectrum auction. People in charge want to make sure everyone agrees on the Pakistan 5G spectrum auction before they start doing things. They want to get everything for the Pakistan 5G spectrum auction.
NERA Report Marks a Key Milestone
The main thing people are talking about in this meeting is the report made by National Economic Research Associates Inc. (NERA). This company is, from the United States. It helps other companies with advice. The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) asked National Economic Research Associates Inc. (NERA) to help them in November 2024. National Economic Research Associates Inc. (NERA) had to tell the government how to set up the 5G spectrum auction, how money to charge and how to organize it.
NERA did a lot of research on the market and the economy. They also looked at the side of things. After that, NERA gave its suggestions to the Auction Advisory Committee, which is also called the Spectrum Advisory Committee, on November 15, 2025. The NERA report gives us a plan to follow for the auction process. This includes things like the minimum prices, how the NERA spectrum will be packaged, and what to consider when rolling it out.
Final Decisions on Auction Framework Underway
After the NERA report was submitted, the federal government and the Auction Advisory Committee have to make decisions on some very important things about the auction. These things are the auction format, the price that people have to pay, how the spectrum will be divided up, and what the telecom operators have to do after the auction is over. The telecom operators will have to follow these rules, and the federal government and the Auction Advisory Committee will make sure they do. The auction format and the spectrum allocation strategy are crucial, for the NERA report and the federal government, and the Auction Advisory Committee have to get them right.
The committee is now making its decisions because most of the rules are clear. People in charge say that understanding these rules is really important for the auction process to be fair and open to everyone. The officials want to make sure that the auction process is good for investments and that everyone has a chance. The committee wants the auction process for the investments to be transparent and competitive.
PTCL–Telenor Merger Influences Market Landscape
The whole telecom market has had an effect on when the 5G auction happens. Now that things are moving forward with PTCL buying Telenor Pakistan, one big question mark is gone. The 5G auction timeline is looking clearer because of this. The telecom market and the 5G auction are connected, so changes in the market can affect the auction.
In December 2025, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority said yes to a No Objection Certificate for PTCL. This happened after the Competition Commission of Pakistan gave its approval for Phase II. The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority and the Competition Commission of Pakistan had some rules that PTCL had to follow. These rules were made to make sure that all the companies in the market have a chance to compete with PTCL and that PTCL does not become too powerful in the Pakistan market. The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority and the Competition Commission of Pakistan wanted to safeguard competition in the Pakistan market and prevent PTCL from dominating the market.
People are saying that the final money matters for the PTCL and Telenor deal will be settled by 2026. This will make the sector more stable before the PTCL and Telenor companies bring in the 5G service.
Auction to Proceed Despite Earlier Technical Disputes
The government is going to sell the rights to use the 2600 MHz band. They were worried about some problems with the 2600 MHz band, but they have decided to go ahead with the sale anyway. The main reason they are doing this is that no court has told them to stop the sale of the 2600 MHz band.
Delays have been going on for a time, and this has left a lot of valuable spectrum unused. This is causing Pakistan to lose money. It is also slowing down the country’s move to digital. The people in charge think that if this is delayed more, it will be bad for people who want to invest in the telecom sector. It will also hurt ideas and the quality of the services that people get from their phone and internet companies. Pakistan’s telecom sector will suffer because of this.
Spectrum Bands and Auction Scope
The current plan is to sell a total of 606 megahertz of spectrum. This spectrum will be sold across six frequency bands. The spectrum being sold is a deal. It is 606 megahertz. This will be auctioned off. The six key frequency bands are where the spectrum will be sold. The plan is to sell the spectrum in these bands.
- 700 MHz
- 1800 MHz
- 2100 MHz
- 2300 MHz
- 2600 MHz
- 3500 MHz
These bands are really important for things like fast internet and apps that need to work quickly. They are also necessary, for digital technologies that will be used with 5G networks. The 5G networks need these bands to function properly.
People in the industry say that making this spectrum available will allow phone companies to make their networks better, improve the service they offer, and help technologies like smart cities, Internet of Things, and really fast mobile internet work properly. This spectrum is important for telecom operators to improve network capacity, enhance service quality, and support things like Internet of Things and advanced mobile broadband.
Target Timeline for 5G Auction
The government wants to have the 5G spectrum auction by March. This is what they are aiming for. The 5G spectrum auction is not final yet. It still needs to be approved. They also need to give out instructions and release the Information Memorandum for the 5G spectrum auction.
When we finish these steps, the auction process will officially start. This is a deal for Pakistan. It shows how far they have come with stuff and telecommunications. The auction process is a part of Pakistan’s digital and telecommunications development.
Looking Ahead
The upcoming briefing to the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister is really important for Pakistan’s 5G plan. Pakistan’s 5G roadmap will be finalized after this briefing.
The people in charge are feeling a little hopeful that everything will go smoothly because the rules are getting clearer and the market is getting ready.
They think the 5G auction in Pakistan will happen as planned after a wait for the 5G auction. The Pakistan 5G auction is something everyone has been waiting for.
If implemented successfully, the auction could unlock significant economic opportunities, attract foreign investment, and accelerate Pakistan’s transition into the next generation of digital connectivity.
