5G Rollout in Pakistan Stalled by Spectrum Disputes and Merger Delays

Pakistan’s planned 5G launch has hit a roadblock as the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) awaits clarity on both legal and regulatory fronts, the Competition Commission of Pakistan has yet to approve PTCL.Official’s proposed acquisition of Telenor, causing uncertainty for the upcoming spectrum auction, with unclear submissions from PTCL delaying the merger process, no green light has been issued

Legal cases involving key 2.6 GHz spectrum, essential for high-speed networks, have also restricted available bandwidth, of the total 194 MHz under discussion, only 54 MHz is currently usable, the unresolved disputes make it impossible to offer the full spectrum capacity for bidding, hindering operator readiness and rollout planning

The advisory committee responsible for the auction cannot finalize guidelines until the merger is approved and litigation resolved, pushing the expected timeline several months beyond the original mid-2025 target, telecom providers are unable to plan investments or infrastructure upgrades without clear policy and spectrum availability

These overlapping delays pose a major threat to Pakistan’s 5G ambitions, despite the government’s commitment to digital growth, the combined impact of regulatory backlog and legal issues has forced authorities to postpone the launch, risking further technological and economic lag behind regional counterparts

Read more: Pakistan to roll out 5G by April 2023