The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has officially notified amendments to the Information Memorandum (IM) and licence template ahead of Pakistan’s highly anticipated NGMS/5G spectrum auction scheduled for March 10, 2026. While the base price, rollout obligations, and licence fee terms remain unchanged, the regulator has revised quality of service benchmarks to streamline compliance and accelerate next-generation mobile services rollout across the country.
In the latest notification, PTA clarified compliance requirements, auction procedures, and post-award operational obligations for telecom operators. The amendments are part of the final documentation process before releasing the complete IM.
One of the key changes includes reducing the uplink speed benchmark from 25 percent to 20 percent of downlink speeds for premium services. Additionally, performance measurement will now be based on median downlink speeds instead of minimum speeds, a move aimed at creating more realistic and measurable service standards.
The regulator has maintained the previously announced base spectrum price and licence terms, signaling policy consistency ahead of the auction.
Three-Phase Quality of Service Roadmap
According to the final IM, PTA has structured quality of service (QoS) obligations in three phases spanning from 2026 to 2035.
During Phase 1 (2026–2028), operators will be required to ensure a median downlink speed of 20 Mbps for 4G and 50 Mbps for 5G, with uplink speeds maintained at 20 percent of downlink speeds.
In Phase 2 (2028–2030), standards will rise to 35 Mbps for 4G and 75 Mbps for 5G, keeping the same uplink ratio.
The final combined Phase 3 and 4 (2030–2035) will require 50 Mbps median downlink speed for 4G and 100 Mbps for 5G, marking the premium service stage of Pakistan’s 5G evolution.
A PTA official stated that the updated framework aims to “clarify performance benchmarks and ensure sustainable next-generation service delivery while maintaining regulatory certainty for investors.”
Pakistan has been preparing for 5G rollout for several years, with consultations between regulators and telecom operators ongoing since 2023. The upcoming auction will offer spectrum across low, mid, and high-frequency bands to support nationwide 5G deployment, expand broadband capacity, and enable advanced digital services such as smart cities, IoT, and industrial automation.
Industry analysts believe the revised median speed approach aligns Pakistan with international best practices, ensuring operators focus on overall network performance rather than isolated peak benchmarks.
With the March 10 auction date confirmed, the telecom sector is entering its final preparation phase, marking a significant milestone in Pakistan’s digital transformation journey.
