Pakistan is set to begin its long-awaited NGMS/5G spectrum auction on Tuesday, marking a major step toward the commercial rollout of next-generation mobile services in the country. The auction, organized by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), will follow a two-stage clock auction format through an electronic auction system, allowing telecom operators to bid remotely for spectrum across multiple frequency bands. Three telecom companies, Jazz, Zong, and Ufone, have qualified to participate in the bidding process.
Auction Format
According to the PTA’s Information Memorandum, the auction will be conducted in two stages: allocation and assignment. In the allocation stage, the auction will begin at government-set reserve prices for six spectrum bands: 700 MHz, 1800 MHz, 2100 MHz, 2300 MHz, 2600 MHz, and 3500 MHz. Operators will submit bids through the electronic system, and prices will rise in subsequent rounds if demand exceeds available spectrum.
The 2600 MHz and 3500 MHz bands, considered crucial for 5G capacity, are mandatory bidding bands in the first round, with a combined minimum requirement of 100 MHz. If demand exceeds supply in any band, the auction will proceed to additional rounds until demand becomes equal to or lower than the available spectrum.
Assignment Stage
Once the allocation stage concludes, the auction will move to an assignment stage after a one-day break. In this phase, operators will bid for the specific positions within each spectrum band, determining whether their holdings fall in low, middle, or top frequency blocks. The final spectrum allocation results will be announced after the completion of this stage.
Auction Monitoring
The auction will be managed from a dedicated control room at PTA headquarters in Islamabad. The PTA, along with international consultant NERA Economic Consulting, will supervise the electronic bidding system. Round-by-round results will be verified and announced publicly at the Crystal Ball Room of the Islamabad Marriott Hotel, while updates will also be posted on the PTA website.
Toward 5G Launch
The government plans to commercially launch 5G services by mid-2026 following the auction. Under the rollout obligations, each operator will deploy 1,000 new sites annually for nine years, expand 4G coverage, and progressively increase network fiberization.
The move is expected to enable advanced applications such as the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence services, smart cities, virtual reality, and high-speed fixed wireless broadband. Officials say the auction could significantly boost Pakistan’s telecom capacity as mobile data usage continues to grow rapidly across the country.
