The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has begun the spectrum assignment stage for Next Generation Mobile Services (NGMS) or 5G, marking the next step after the country’s multi-band spectrum auction earlier this week.
All three telecom operators Jazz, Zong and Ufone are participating in the assignment exercise. Officials say the process will decide how the acquired spectrum blocks will be placed within the available frequency bands to ensure better network performance and minimal interference.
According to PTA’s Director General Licensing, Aamir Shahzad, the three telecom companies collectively purchased 480 MHz of spectrum during the first phase of the auction. He said the current stage focuses on determining the positioning of those frequencies, which plays an important role in how efficiently telecom networks operate.
The assignment process will begin with bidding for the 2600 MHz band, while the 3500 MHz band will be handled later. However, no assignment exercise will be required for the 700 MHz band, as it was secured solely by Jazz during the auction.
Officials explained that the assignment mechanism consists of three possible positions within each band-lower, middle and upper blocks. Operators can bid for their preferred placement within these categories. If more than one operator chooses the same position, competitive bidding will begin to determine the final allocation.
Under the mechanism set by the regulator, the starting price for the first round has been fixed at $0.1 million. If the bidding moves to the next round due to competition, the price will increase to $1 million.
Industry experts say this stage is a crucial technical step before telecom operators can move forward with network planning and begin preparing for commercial 5G services in Pakistan.
The PTA successfully conducted the multi-band spectrum auction on Tuesday, which was described as a landmark step towards expanding next-generation connectivity in the country.
The auction is part of the government’s broader efforts to accelerate digital transformation, improve mobile broadband services and support the growing demand for high-speed internet.
The assignment stage is considered a key step before telecom operators move towards network planning and eventual rollout of 5G services in Pakistan.
