Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited has completed the acquisition of 100 percent of the issued share capital of Telenor Pakistan and Orion Towers, marking one of the most significant consolidations in the country’s telecom sector in recent years.
The transaction, which closed on December 31, 2025, positions PTCL to play a central role in the upcoming 5G spectrum auction and reshapes the competitive landscape of Pakistan’s mobile market.
The deal concludes a lengthy process involving regulatory reviews, shareholder approvals, and competition clearances.
With the acquisition finalized, PTCL has effectively brought Telenor Pakistan and its associated tower infrastructure under its corporate umbrella, alongside existing subsidiaries such as Ufone and U Microfinance Bank.
Recognizing Telenor’s significant impact on Pakistan’s telecom sector, PTCL remarked that the company “has played a crucial role in enhancing service quality and broadening connectivity for almost twenty years.”
Internally, the combined structure has been referred to as a merged operating group, designed to optimize assets, spectrum use, and network investment across multiple platforms.
PTCL leadership has framed the acquisition as a strategic move aimed at strengthening national digital infrastructure and improving service quality for consumers. Executives have stated that the consolidation will allow better coordination of network resources, faster deployment of advanced technologies, and improved operational efficiency at a time when the telecom sector faces rising costs and slowing average revenues.
“This is a proud moment for PTCL and a significant milestone for Pakistan’s telecom sector. Our focus remains on delivering a customer-centric, seamless, and high-quality services for improvement in user experience as we bring combined strengths at scale upon completion of regulatory approvals,“ said President & Chief Executive Officer PTCL and Ufone Hatem Bamatraf, at the press conference announcing the developments.
Pakistan has had a history of delaying the launch of 5G services for several years due to policy uncertainty, pricing concerns, and regulatory complexity. With the acquisition complete, PTCL is now structurally better positioned to bid aggressively for spectrum, leveraging scale, existing subscriber bases, and integrated tower assets to support a nationwide rollout.
Under current regulatory directives, Telenor Pakistan will continue to operate as a separate legal entity during the transition period. Full operational integration with PTCL and Ufone is expected to take place gradually, subject to final approvals and technical alignment. During this phase, customers are expected to experience continuity of services, with no immediate changes to pricing or network access.
Industry observers note that the merged operating company, commonly referred to as MergCo, is expected to emerge as a formidable competitor in the next phase of Pakistan’s telecom market. With combined spectrum holdings, an expanded subscriber base, and access to Orion Towers’ nationwide infrastructure, MergCo is widely seen as being well positioned to compete directly with Jazz on both spectrum depth and tower scale, particularly as the industry prepares for 5G deployment.
In comments made while responding to a query to TechJuice, Awais Vohra, the newly appointed chief executive of Telenor Pakistan, said the company had been unable to develop or execute an expansion plan over the past several years due to prolonged delays surrounding the PTCL transaction.
He added that with the acquisition now completed, Telenor Pakistan is reassessing its position and exploring new avenues of opportunity under the updated ownership structure.
