ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has approved three major telecom operators to participate in Pakistan’s upcoming Next Generation Mobile Services (NGMS) and 5G spectrum auction, set to commence on March 10, 2026.
In an official statement, the regulator confirmed that Pak Telecom Mobile Limited (Ufone), Pakistan Mobile Communications Limited (Jazz), and CMPak Limited (Zong) successfully fulfilled the documentation requirements within the stipulated deadline, submitting complete applications along with the mandatory bank guarantees.
PTA said the evaluation process was conducted strictly in accordance with the criteria outlined in the Information Memorandum. Applications underwent detailed technical and financial scrutiny before the final list of qualified bidders was issued on March 3.
No new telecom operator entered the race after the application deadline closed on February 27, the regulator added.
To ensure transparency and preparedness, PTA has scheduled a bidders’ seminar on March 4, followed by a mock auction session on March 5 ahead of the formal bidding round.
A total of 597.2 MHz of spectrum across six frequency bands will be offered in the auction. Mandatory bidding will take place in the 2600 MHz and 3500 MHz bands, which are considered critical for the nationwide rollout of 5G services.
Additional spectrum on offer includes the 700 MHz band for broader geographic coverage, 1800 MHz and 2100 MHz bands to strengthen network capacity, and the 2300 MHz band to expand high-speed data services.
The government expects commercial 5G services to be launched in major urban centers by mid-2026 under a phased deployment strategy, marking a significant step toward accelerating Pakistan’s digital transformation and next-generation connectivity landscape.
