There have been discussions about holding a 5G spectrum auction ever since the caretaker government took power. Now, Pakistan has approved the 5G spectrum auction, according to a reliable source. An advisory committee has also been formed to help with the preparations.
Caretaker Minister for Information Technology (IT), Dr. Umar Saif, confirmed the information in a statement to the media. He disclosed the formation of an advisory committee for the spectrum auction, which would be headed by the acting finance minister. Ministers of business and information technology make up the committee.
In April 2014, Pakistan finally finished the bidding for its first-ever 4G network, which is more advanced than 3G.
The much-anticipated 5G spectrum auction has been granted the go-ahead by the Federal Cabinet, according to caretaker Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Dr. Umar Saif, who spoke on Wednesday, according to APP.
Additionally, Umar Saif stated that 300 MHz spectrum would be offered in the 5G auction. After selecting the consultant, the spectrum would be put up for auction by Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), the country’s primary telecom regulator.
The federal cabinet has also approved the sharing of telecom towers and infrastructure, the minister continued. He continued by saying that all telecommunications operators can benefit from the infrastructure sharing prior to the 5G auction because it enables them to deploy equipment on different towers.
Also noteworthy is the fact that Pakistan has already trailed behind other countries in the 5G spectrum rollout. By the middle of 2023, 5G will be implemented, according to a statement from the Ministry of IT and Telecom, which was also making an effort to draw in foreign companies.
The PTA and related departments received instructions from the IT ministry last month. The 5G spectrum auction, which is anticipated to take place in August 2024, is projected to bring in millions of dollars for the government, according to sources.
Sources claim that telcos currently use about 367 MHz of spectrum; the forthcoming spectrum auction will expand this to over 600 MHz. The much-anticipated 5G spectrum launch in Pakistan over the next 10 months is practically unattainable because local cell carriers are apparently refusing to buy 5G licences due to economic instability.
In Pakistan, there are 194 million mobile users, according to government statistics. According to estimates made in 2021 by international non-profit organisation GSMA, the mobile sector will provide a $24 billion economic contribution to Pakistan by 2023.