Islamabad
In a major push to address rising internet demand and improve mobile broadband quality, the federal government has decided to auction more than 200 percent additional telecom spectrum, Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja told the National Assembly in a written response.
The minister said Pakistan’s current spectrum allocation of 274 MHz is insufficient to meet growing demand for high-speed mobile broadband and remains among the lowest in the region when compared with other countries.
“To bridge this gap, the government has initiated the process of releasing approximately 600 MHz of additional spectrum for Cellular Mobile Operators,” Khawaja said.
According to official details, the upcoming auction will cover multiple frequency bands, including 700, 1800, 2100, 2300, 2600 and 3500 MHz. The volume of spectrum on offer exceeds existing allocations by more than 200 percent and will be auctioned once all regulatory and policy directives are completed.
The minister acknowledged public concerns over slow internet speeds, attributing the issue to a combination of peak-hour congestion, limited fiberization, backhaul constraints, power disruptions and geographical challenges. She stressed that cellular mobile operators are mandated to maintain uniform Quality of Service (QoS) standards and nationwide coverage obligations.
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), she added, is continuously monitoring mobile service quality through regulatory oversight, complaint-based surveys and system analysis to ensure operators comply with license obligations.
Officials expect the release of additional spectrum to significantly reduce network congestion, enhance backhaul efficiency, expand network capacity and improve overall mobile broadband services. The move is also seen as critical for supporting next-generation technologies, including 5G.
Under the government’s Digital Nation Vision, PTA has undertaken multiple reforms to strengthen digital infrastructure. These include upgrading QoS standards — with 3G minimum speeds raised from 256 kbps to 1 Mbps and 4G from 2 Mbps to 4 Mbps — and further enhancements currently under consideration in line with international benchmarks.
Other measures include the introduction of VoWiFi and VoLTE to improve voice quality, especially indoors, active infrastructure sharing to reduce deployment costs, national roaming along major highways, and annual targets for expanding Fiber-to-the-Site (FTTS) infrastructure.
The government said the combination of additional spectrum, improved service standards and expanded fiberization will not only improve user experience but also provide a strong foundation for Pakistan’s future 5G rollout and digital economy growth.
