Transforming a legacy spectrum deficit into the largest competitive spectrum assignment in the nation's history - 480 MHz auctioned transparently on live national television, commercial 5G launched within nine days. 2023–2026.
The transparent auction of 480 MHz of spectrum is a historic step toward Pakistan's digital future. This milestone reflects our commitment to long-term sector growth, technological progress, and a regulatory environment that protects the rights of both industry and consumers. It will help Pakistan become a truly digital nation.
Verified results of the NGMS/5G multi-band spectrum auction and accompanying policy reforms.
480 MHz assigned out of 597.2 MHz offered across four key IMT bands (700 MHz, 2300 MHz, 2600 MHz, 3500 MHz)
~2.8× increase in total assigned IMT spectrum, the largest expansion in national history
USD 509.6 million (PKR 142.6 billion) for the national exchequer
Surpassing South Korea, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, and Bangladesh (GSMA, March 2026)
Commercial 5G went live immediately across 16+ cities (Zong) and 180 metro sites (Jazz, 1.4+ Gbps)
Jazz announced additional USD 1.0 billion capital investment for 2026–2028
Operating under an outdated spectrum allocation of just 274 MHz for nearly three decades, Pakistan’s cellular operators struggled to serve a population generating traffic comparable to an eight-lane highway on a two-lane road.
Between 2021 and 2025, mobile broadband users expanded from 103 million to 150 million, and annual mobile data usage surged by 120%, reaching 27,727 Petabytes.
To overcome these structural constraints, MoITT collaborated with PTA, FAB, Ministry of Finance, and Ministry of Law & Justice to institute a whole-of-government governance architecture led by a Cabinet-level Spectrum Advisory Committee (SAC) chaired by the Finance Minister.
Six institutional stages converted a decades-old deficit into a transparent, investment-friendly auction.
Reform initiated under the National Digital Agenda
11 formal alignment sessions chaired by Finance Minister
NERA Economic Consulting valuation & GSMA insights
Federal Cabinet approval & Information Memorandum
Live TV broadcast with real-time transparency
Licence signing & ongoing quality oversight
Chaired by the Finance Minister, unifying fiscal, legal, regulatory, and technical decision-making across MoITT, PTA, FAB, MoF, and MoL&J through 11 formal sessions.
Reserve prices fixed below regional benchmarks (~USD 0.004/MHz/pop). PKR-denominated payments with 1-year moratorium and KIBOR+3% installments.
First country in Asia to completely eliminate Right of Way fees for fiber deployment, reducing costs from PKR 36,000/km to zero.
Replaced unachievable peak/minimum speed targets with enforceable median speed floors at District, Tehsil, and Union Council levels.
Electronic Auction System (EAS), mock bidding sessions, round-by-round results at Marriott Islamabad, and live broadcast on PTV - observed by ITU, GSMA and APT delegates.
Reform process initiated under the National Digital Agenda.
Spectrum Advisory Committee (SAC) constituted; NERA Economic Consulting onboarded for valuation and auction design; operator consultation launched.
Valuation and auction design finalized; Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of Cabinet approved SAC recommendations in December.
Federal Cabinet approved Policy Directive; Information Memorandum (IM) issued and amended on February 13, 2026; mock auctions completed.
480 MHz assigned across 3 competitive rounds raising USD 506.6 million. Broadcast live on PTV.
Specific frequency placements finalized in 2600 MHz and 3500 MHz bands, raising an additional USD 3.0 million (Total: USD 509.6 million).
Licence signing ceremony held under the auspices of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Commercial 5G launched by Jazz and Zong.
Frequency Allocation Board (FAB) issued formal frequency assignments.
597.2 MHz offered · 480.0 MHz assigned · USD 509.6M total revenue - via a two-stage electronic auction (Allocation → Assignment) designed with NERA Economic Consulting.
MHz per IMT band · 700 / 2300 / 2600 / 3500 MHz auctioned · 1800 & 2100 MHz remained unassigned
Total assigned MHz per operator (of 480 MHz)
| Operator | 700 MHz | 2300 MHz | 2600 MHz | 3500 MHz | Total Spectrum | Financial Outlay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (PMCL) | 20 MHz | 30 MHz | 100 MHz | 40 MHz | 190 MHz | $239.38M |
| (PTCL Group) | - | - | 60 MHz | 120 MHz | 180 MHz | $156.75M |
| (CMPak) | - | 20 MHz | 30 MHz | 60 MHz | 110 MHz | $113.47M |
| TOTAL | 20 MHz | 50 MHz | 190 MHz | 220 MHz | 480 MHz | $509.60M |
Financial outlay is PKR-denominated at auction-date reference rates, payable with a 1-year moratorium and KIBOR+3% installments - a deliberately pro-investment structure prioritizing network rollout over short-term treasury maximization.
Allocation + Assignment stages combined
Total assigned IMT spectrum (MHz)
Post-auction data compiled by GSMA (March 2026). Pakistan’s leap to 754 MHz secures 8th position in Asia-Pacific.
Figures approximate published GSMA post-auction totals - Australia / Singapore / Japan 1,000+ MHz (Top Tier) · India / Malaysia / Philippines 800–1,000 MHz (Advanced) · Pakistan surpassed South Korea (~680 MHz), Vietnam (~700 MHz), Thailand (~650 MHz), Bangladesh (~600 MHz) and Indonesia (~550 MHz) in a single auction cycle.
Each band serves a distinct layer of the national 4G/5G architecture, aligned with global 3GPP and ITU standards.
3GPP Band n28 (APT-700) · digital-dividend low band · deep rural & indoor coverage · backbone of the 200-sites/year unserved-area mandate.
3GPP Band n40 · TDD capacity band · fully assigned (50/50 MHz) · strengthens 4G LTE-TDD and 5G mid-band.
3GPP Band n41 · largest single block assigned (190 MHz) · high-density urban 4G/5G throughput.
3GPP Band n78 · the global 5G pioneer band · 220 MHz assigned · enables massive MIMO & 1.4+ Gbps metro speeds.
Enhanced Mobile Broadband - multi-Gbps peaks, metro 5G at 1.4+ Gbps demonstrated by Jazz across 180 sites at launch.
Ultra-Reliable Low-Latency Communications - underpinned by the enforceable 35 ms network latency ceiling in licence conditions.
Massive Machine-Type Communications - foundation for IoT, smart cities and industry digitization on the new mid-band layers.
Licence conditions enforce long-term public benefit rather than one-time revenue generation.
Sites added or upgraded annually, with at least 200 sites dedicated to unserved/underserved coverage gaps (utilizing 700 MHz low-band coverage)
Cell site fiberization mandated to increase from ~20% in 2025 to 35% by 2030
Median download speed floor quadrupled to 20 Mbps at licensing, scaling to 50 Mbps by 2030–2035
5G median download speed established at 50 Mbps at launch, scaling to 100 Mbps
Enforceable network latency ceiling set at 35 milliseconds
4G floor: 20 Mbps at licensing → 50 Mbps by 2030–35 · 5G: 50 Mbps at launch → 100 Mbps
≥1,000 sites/year - minimum 200 dedicated to unserved/underserved coverage (700 MHz)
The leadership and enlightened approach by MoITT and PTA in this spectrum auction offers a blueprint for other emerging markets in their digital ambitions. By committing to long-term sector growth and technological progress, rather than short-term revenue maximisation, Pakistan is poised to accelerate its digital transformation.
The Pakistan auction stands out as a successful and well-balanced spectrum award, delivering both strong policy outcomes and commercially viable results for operators… the overall outcome represents a positive example of spectrum award execution in a developing market.
This marks a near-tripling of the total spectrum assigned to mobile operators, expanding it from 274 MHz to over 750 MHz… a deliberate regulatory shift: the PTA is prioritizing rapid infrastructure transformation over short-term treasury gains.
We commend the Government of Pakistan, the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication, and the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority for conducting a forward-looking spectrum auction that strengthens the national digital infrastructure and creates an environment conducive to investment and innovation.
International observers from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), GSMA, and the Asia-Pacific Telecommunity (APT) praised the auction’s execution and live TV broadcasting as among the most transparent regulatory processes observed globally.
Official photographs from the NGMS/5G spectrum auction process and launch events.
19 March 2026
10 March 2026
10 March 2026
12 March 2026
Primary regulatory instruments and independent analyses underpinning the reform. Links open the official repositories of each institution.
Pakistan Telecommunication Authority · Official Press Release · 11 March 2026
Open at pta.gov.pk ↗Pakistan Telecommunication Authority · Official Press Release · 14 March 2026
Open at pta.gov.pk ↗Issued and amended 13 February 2026 · Bidding rules, lot structure, payment terms
Open at pta.gov.pk ↗MoITT · Approved January–February 2026 under SAC recommendations
Open at moitt.gov.pk ↗Signed 19 March 2026 · Enforceable rollout & QoS obligations 2026–2035
Open at pta.gov.pk ↗GSMA Analysis · 24 March 2026
Open at gsma.com ↗Coleago Consulting · 5 May 2026
Open at coleago.com ↗Opensignal Report · 16 March 2026
Open at opensignal.com ↗NERA Economic Consulting · Valuation & auction design · 12 March 2026
Open at nera.com ↗Press Information Department · PR No. 57 · 10 March 2026
Open at pid.gov.pk ↗Habib Metropolitan Financial Services (HMFS) · 10 March 2026
Open at habibmetro.com ↗International Telecommunication Union (ITU) · Geneva, 2015
Open at itu.int ↗