Pakistan is set to hold its long-awaited Next Generation Mobile Services (NGMS) / 5G spectrum auction on March 10, 2026, with three telecom operators, Jazz, Zong, and Ufone, qualified to participate, according to the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA).
The auction will offer spectrum across six frequency bands, with a total of 597.2 MHz available, including four new bands being introduced to support 5G services. The government has set reserve prices in US dollars per MHz, which will be converted into Pakistani rupees at the exchange rate on the auction day.
Spectrum Bands and Reserve Prices
Operators can bid for the following spectrum blocks:
- 700 MHz: 2 × 15 MHz available — reserve price $6.5 million per MHz
- 1800 MHz: 2 × 3.6 MHz available — reserve price $14 million per MHz
- 2100 MHz: 2 × 20 MHz available — reserve price $14 million per MHz
- 2300 MHz: 50 MHz available — reserve price $1 million per MHz
- 2600 MHz: 190 MHz available — reserve price $1.25 million per MHz
- 3500 MHz: 280 MHz available — reserve price $0.65 million per MHz
The 2600 MHz and 3500 MHz bands are mandatory, requiring operators to collectively bid for at least 100 MHz in the first round to support 5G deployment.
Auction Format
The auction will use a two-stage clock auction mechanism:
Allocation Stage:
Operators bid for generic spectrum blocks across bands. If demand exceeds supply in any band, the price increases in the next round.
Assignment Stage:
Conducted after a break, this stage determines the exact position of the spectrum within each band (low, middle, or top).
The process will be managed through an Electronic Auction System (EAS) at PTA headquarters, with operators participating remotely.
Payment Terms
Winning bidders can choose from the following:
- 100% upfront payment, or
- 50% upfront with the remaining amount in five equal annual installments at KIBOR + 3% interest.
Network Rollout Requirements
Under the policy directive issued by the Government of Pakistan in January 2026, operators must deploy 1,000 new sites per year for nine years, including 200 sites annually to address coverage gaps.
5G rollout will initially cover federal and provincial capitals, followed by additional cities in phases through 2035.
Sector Context
Pakistan’s telecom sector continues to expand, with 205 million subscribers and 157 million broadband users in 2024-25, according to PTA data. Monthly data consumption per cellular subscriber now averages 9.3 GB, reflecting rapid growth in mobile broadband demand.
The auction is expected to pave the way for commercial 5G launch by mid-2026, enabling applications such as IoT, AI-driven services, virtual reality, and smart city infrastructure.
