Second phase of auction finalized as telecom operators secure key spectrum bands for 5G rollout in Pakistan on Thursday.
The second phase of 5G spectrum auction is being labelled as a major step toward launching next-generation mobile services.
Federal Minister for IT and Telecom Shaza Fatima Khawaja announced that the auction will generate $510 million for the government and pave the way for 5G services in the country.
The second phase of the 5G spectrum auction was held at the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), where telecom companies competed for spectrum positioning. Operators bid for positions in the 2600 MHz and 3500 MHz frequency bands, which are considered critical for deploying 5G networks.
The results for the positioning of both bands were announced by Federal IT Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja and PTA Chairman after the bidding process concluded.
According to the auction details, the bidding process for the 2600 MHz band positioning was completed in three phases. Meanwhile, the 3500 MHz band positioning saw a longer bidding process and concluded after five rounds of bidding.
The positioning results for both bands were announced simultaneously after the completion of the auction process.
During the auction briefing, PTA DG Licensing Aamir Shahzad said that three telecom operators participated in the auction and purchased 480 MHz of spectrum. He explained that in the second phase, operators were bidding for band positioning rather than additional spectrum allocation.
According to Shahzad, the auction began with the 2600 MHz positioning bid, followed by bidding for the 3500 MHz band.
The first round of bidding for the 2600 MHz band started with a 15-minute session in which all three telecom companies participated through online bidding. Interest remained strong as the process moved into the second round, where the positioning price for the 2600 MHz band was set at $100,000.
All three operators continued to participate, and the process entered the third round, after which the 2600 MHz positioning was finalized, with each telecom company selecting its respective position.
The 3500 MHz positioning auction began at 12:30pm, with the IT minister formally inaugurating the process. The bidding continued through five rounds, with telecom companies maintaining their positions through the early rounds.
In later rounds, the bid amount increased sharply from $100,000 to $1 million, reflecting strong competition among operators.
Despite the rising price, none of the telecom companies relinquished their preferred positions, and the bidding concluded successfully after the fifth round.
