The federal government on Tuesday completed its 5G spectrum auction in Islamabad with 480 megahertz sold for $507 million at the end of the third round of bidding.
The three telecom operator — Zong, Jazz and Ufone — competed heavily at 2600 megahertz for the key frequency band needed for the 5G service. Zong acquired 110MHz, Ufone 180MHz and Jazz 190MHz during the auction.
Pakistan offered 700 MHz for $32.5 million, 1800 MHz for $16.8m, 2100 MHz for $70m, 2300 MHz for $10m, 2600 MHz for $12.50m and 3500 MHz for $6.5m per lot.
Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, IT Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja and Information Minister Attaullah Tarar jointly inaugurated the auction alongside Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Chairman Major General (retd) Hafeez Ur Rehman.
The auction was concluded after three rounds, with the results announced by Hafeez Ur Rehman, who was flanked by IT Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja and Information Minister Attaullah Tarar.
According to the PTA, the auction saw the sale of two lots in the 700 MHz band, all five lots in the 2300 MHz band, all 19 lots in the 2600 MHz band, and 22 out of 28 lots in the 3500 MHz band, taking the total spectrum sold to 480 MHz.
In mobile spectrum, lots refer to specific, divisible blocks of radio frequency spectrum that regulators, i.e. PTA, divide and auction off to mobile network operators for providing 3G, 4G, or 5G services.
In terms of allocation, Jazz emerged as the largest buyer, securing 190 MHz of spectrum, including 50 MHz in the 3500 MHz band, 70 MHz in the 2600 MHz, 50 MHz in the 2300 MHz and 20 MHz in the 700 MHz.
Ufone acquired 180 MHz, including 120 MHz in the 3500 MHz band and 60 MHz in the 2600 MHz band, while Zong secured 110 MHz in the auction, including 50 MHz in the 3500 MHz band and 60 MHz in the 2600 MHz band.
Speaking on the occasion, IT Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja said the government had made around 600 MHz spectrum available for the auction, which was conducted live in line with the directives of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to ensure transparency.
She said Pakistan had reached a “choking point” in terms of spectrum availability, and the additional spectrum would significantly improve internet quality across the country.
Earlier, the launch ceremony of the next-generation internet service auction was inaugurated by Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb and Federal Minister for IT and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja.
Addressing the ceremony, Federal Finance Minister Aurangzeb said significant work was being carried out in Pakistan’s information technology sector.
He said the government was taking steps to stabilise the national economy and had also introduced energy-saving measures in view of the evolving regional and Middle Eastern situation.
Aurangzeb described the auction as an important milestone for the IT sector, expressing confidence that it will contribute positively to the national economy.
The Finance Minister said as the country moves toward new economy encompassing technologies such as AI, blockchain, and Web 3.0, the availability of spectrum will play a crucial role in supporting these advancements.
