According to the PTA chairman, the phased auction of Next Generation Mobile Services spectrum raised $510 million.
Pakistan generated $510 million (Rs142.6 billion) through the landmark auction of Next Generation Mobile Services (NGMS) spectrum, as the telecom regulator on Thursday completed the position assignment auction to determine the exact placement of 5G spectrum blocks acquired by operators.
The announcement was made by Hafeez Ur Rehman, chairman of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority, during a press briefing alongside Shaza Fatima Khawaja after the completion of the multi-band spectrum auction process.
Hafeez Ur Rehman said that 480 MHz of spectrum was sold during the bidding held on March 10, generating $507 million in revenue — roughly Rs142 billion for the national exchequer.
The position assignment auction held today generated an additional $3 million, bringing the total proceeds to $510 million (Rs142.6 billion).
Describing the sale as one of the largest spectrum auctions globally in terms of volume, Hafeez Ur Rehman said the government had fulfilled its responsibility by conducting the auction, and it was now up to telecom operators to turn the spectrum into enhanced services for consumers.
The position assignment stage allowed operators to determine the exact placement of the spectrum blocks they had secured. The process covered the 2600 MHz and 3500 MHz bands, with operators bidding for lower, middle, and upper block positions to optimise network performance and reduce interference between networks.
No position assignment was required for the 700 MHz band, which was secured exclusively by a major telecom operator during the auction.
Shaza Fatima Khawaja, speaking on the occasion, said the successful completion of the auction was made possible by the difficult decisions taken by the government led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
She noted that several countries inquired about Pakistan’s 5G plans during the Mobile World Congress, reflecting growing international interest in the nation’s digital transformation. The minister credited the coordinated efforts of the PTA, the Frequency Allocation Board, and other institutions, while also acknowledging the armed forces for cooperating in vacating the spectrum required for the process.
She announced that 5G pilot projects will begin in major cities next week, with commercial rollout expected in the coming months. “The Internet has become a basic necessity for Pakistan,” she said.
The minister further revealed that, under the prime minister’s directive, the government is finalising a smartphone leasing policy to improve access to smart devices. She also reiterated that the Ministry of IT and the PTA have consistently advocated reducing taxes on mobile services and devices, although such taxes fall under the Federal Board of Revenue’s jurisdiction.
Responding to a question, Hafeez Ur Rehman added that mobile packages have only increased by 10-15% over the past three years despite rising operational costs, assuring that the 5G rollout would not lead to higher package prices.
He added that the deployment of new spectrum would significantly enhance connectivity, with average internet speeds expected to rise from around 4 Mbps to nearly 20 Mbps.
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