Pakistan’s 5G Era Begins: IT and Finance Ministers Outline Vision for the Country’s Digital Future
March 10, 2026
Pakistan has taken another step toward the future of connectivity with the first round of bidding in the country’s upcoming 5G spectrum auction. The initial stage of the auction process has now concluded, offering the first glimpse into how telecom operators are competing for the spectrum that will power the next generation of mobile networks.
How the First Round Worked
The auction is being conducted through a digital bidding system where telecom operators submit their bids electronically. In the first round, participating companies were given a 60 minute window to submit and finalize their bids through the auction software.
All three operators successfully submitted their bids within the allotted time. Once the submission window closed, the bidding round officially ended and the evaluation process began.
How the Bids Were Evaluated
After the bidding window closed, the submitted bids were automatically evaluated through the auction system. The software checked whether the bids complied with the rules outlined in the Information Memorandum for the auction.
This included verifying spectrum caps, which limit the maximum amount of spectrum that any single operator can acquire. The automated system ensured that all bids met these requirements before generating the results for the round.
Following the automated checks, the results were also manually verified by teams from the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and external consultants to ensure accuracy and transparency.
Strong Demand for the 2600 MHz Band
One of the key bands in the auction is the 2600 MHz band, which is considered important for expanding network capacity.
In this band, a total of 190 MHz of spectrum was available, divided into 19 lots of 10 MHz each. However, operators submitted bids for 30 lots in total.
This means demand exceeded supply by 11 lots. In spectrum auctions, when demand is higher than the available supply, the price of that spectrum band increases in the next round of bidding. As a result, the 2600 MHz band will move into another competitive round.
Lower Demand in the 3500 MHz Band
The situation was different in the 3500 MHz band, which is widely associated with 5G deployments globally.
In this band, 280 MHz of spectrum was available, divided into 28 lots. So far, operators have submitted demand for 20 lots, equivalent to 200 MHz of spectrum.
Since demand has not exceeded supply in this band, the auction dynamics remain different compared to the 2600 MHz band.
What Happens Next
The auction will now move into the next round of bidding. All six spectrum bands in the auction will remain open, giving operators the flexibility to reconsider their bidding strategies.
In bands where demand exceeds supply, prices will increase in the next round. Meanwhile, operators may also decide to adjust their demand or shift their focus to other bands depending on pricing and availability.
Each bidding round will continue until demand matches the available spectrum. Only then will the auction process conclude and final spectrum assignments be determined.
Why This Matters
Spectrum auctions play a critical role in shaping a country’s digital infrastructure. The outcome will determine how much spectrum operators acquire to expand their networks and support future technologies such as 5G.
For Pakistan, this process represents an important milestone in improving mobile connectivity, supporting rising data demand, and enabling new digital services across industries.
As the auction progresses through additional rounds, the results will provide further insight into how operators are positioning themselves for the next phase of Pakistan’s digital evolution.
