Pakistan’s 5G spectrum auction date revised to March 10

Pakistan’s auction of next-generation mobile services (NGMS/5G) spectrum will be held on March 10, with an estimated minimum non-tax revenue of $630.4 million, after approval by the Spectrum Advisory Committee, Business Recorder reported, citing senior government officials. 

The decision was taken after the Spectrum Advisory Committee met with Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Muhammad Aurangzeb on Thursday. The auction was earlier planned for late February.

Following the committee’s decision, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) issued revised auction timelines, pushing the allocation stage to March 10, 2026, and extending pre-auction processes by several weeks.

Under the updated schedule, consultations on the Information Memorandum will conclude on February 6, with the final document to be published on February 13. An information session for prospective bidders is scheduled for February 16.

Applications, along with pre-bid deposits, must be submitted by February 27, the same day the PTA will announce the list of applicants. Qualified bidders will be announced on March 3, followed by a bidder seminar on March 4 and mock auctions on March 5.

After the allocation stage, the assignment stage will begin upon closure of the auction. Provisional results will be announced following completion of assignments, after which winning bidders will be required to submit performance bank guarantees within 15 business days before licenses are issued.

Under directives from the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication, the PTA will auction spectrum in the 700, 1800, 2100, 2300, 2600 and 3500 MHz bands, marking the largest spectrum release to date.

The auction will offer 15 MHz paired spectrum in the 700 MHz band, 3.6 MHz in 1800 MHz, 20 MHz in 2100 MHz, 50 MHz in 2300 MHz, 190 MHz in 2600 MHz, and 280 MHz unpaired spectrum in the 3500 MHz band.

Base prices have been set in US dollars, with the 700 MHz band priced at $6.5 million per MHz, the 1800 MHz and 2100 MHz bands at $14 million per MHz each, the 2300 MHz band at $1 million per MHz, the 2600 MHz band at $1.25 million per MHz, and the 3500 MHz band at $0.65 million per MHz. Payments will be made in Pakistani rupees at the prevailing exchange rate of the State Bank of Pakistan.

Operators will have the option to pay the full license fee by the first anniversary of license issuance or opt for deferred payments, with at least 50% payable by the first anniversary and the remainder in five equal annual instalments starting from the second year, carrying an additional charge of KIBOR plus 3%.