$630.4m non-tax revenue estimated: Spectrum committee sets March 10 for 5G auction

ISLAMABAD: The Spectrum Advisory Committee (SAC) locked March 10 for the auction of next-generation mobile (IMT) spectrum/5G with estimated minimum non-tax revenue of USD630.4 million.

This was revealed by senior government officials while talking to Business Recorder after SAC met with Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Muhammad Aurangzeb here on Thursday.

After taking input from all stakeholders, including telecom operators, SAC decided to hold auction on March 10, which was earlier planned for the end of February.

Soon after SAC decision, Pakistan’s long-awaited spectrum auction for next-generation mobile services (NGMS/5G) was pushed back to March 10, 2026, as the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) revised the auction timelines, effectively extending the process by several weeks.

READ MORE: Spectrum auction to double airwaves, ease network congestion

According to the revised schedule issued by the PTA, the main auction (allocation stage) will now commence on March 10 instead of February, following an extended consultation process and staggered pre-auction milestones

Under the updated roadmap, the consultation period on the Information Memorandum (IM) will now conclude on February 6, while the final IM is scheduled for publication on February 13. An information session for prospective applicants will be held on February 16.

The application deadline, including submission of pre-bid deposits, has been fixed for February 27, the same day the PTA will announce the list of applicants. The authority will announce qualified bidders on March 3, followed by a bidder seminar on March 4 and mock auctions on March 5.

Following the allocation stage, the assignment stage will begin upon closure of the auction, with provisional results to be announced after completion of the assignment process. Winning bidders will be required to submit performance bank guarantees within 15 business days, after which licenses will be granted.

Industry observers say the revised schedule reflects PTA’s effort to allow additional preparation time for bidders amid complex auction design, pricing concerns and rollout obligations, though it further delays Pakistan’s entry into the 5G era at a time when data demand and network congestion continue to rise.

Under the directive issued by the Ministry of Information Technology & Telecommuni-cation, PTA has been tasked to auction spectrum in the 700, 1800, 2100, 2300, 2600 and 3500 MHz bands, marking the most expansive spectrum release to date.

The auction will include 15 MHz paired spectrum in 700 MHz, 3.6 MHz in 1800 MHz, 20 MHz in 2100 MHz, 50 MHz in 2300 MHz, 190 MHz in 2600 MHz, and 280 MHz unpaired spectrum in the 3500 MHz band, widely considered critical for 5G deployment.

Base prices have been fixed in US dollars, with 700 MHz paired spectrum priced at USD 6.5 million per MHz, 1 MHz paired spectrum in 1800 MHz 14 million dollars, 1MHz paired spectrum in 2100 MHz is 14 million dollars, 1 MHz unpaired spectrum in 2300 MHz is one million dollars, 1MHz unpaired in 2600MHz is 1.25 million dollars while 3500 MHz spectrum has been set at USD 0.65 million per MHz. Payments will be made in Pakistani rupees, using the State Bank’s prevailing exchange rate.

Operators can pay the full fee by the first anniversary of getting the license or deferred payment options: They can pay at least 50 percent of the fee by the first anniversary, or pay the other 50 percent in five equal yearly instalments starting from the second anniversary. The unpaid amount will have an extra charge (interest) of KIBOR + 3 per cent each year.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026