5G rollout to begin soon: govt sets auction price

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has announced the set of conditions for the upcoming 5G spectrum auction, including the government’s decision to fix the dollar rate on auction day at the request of telecom operators.

The move aims to address the concerns of operators over exchange rate fluctuations during the auction process, and to resolve the longstanding complaint of fluctuating rates due to volatile exchange rate.

PTA Director General Aamir Shahzad said that the telecom operators will be required to set up 1,000 new sites annually as part of their network rollout, with a focus on expanding coverage to both urban and rural areas. The government has reiterated that tower fiberisation will be mandatory, and a 5G coverage map must be submitted by operators to ensure nationwide service availability.

Out of the 1,000 sites, 200 will be designated for areas experiencing network problems, helping to improve connectivity in underserved regions. The rollout will begin with 5G services launching in the federal capital and provincial capitals in the first phase.

The government has also outlined fiberisation goals, requiring operators to increase the fiberisation of towers each year. As for the 4G network, the minimum download speed will be maintained at 20 Mbps for the first two years, while 5G will offer a download speed of 50 Mbps, drastically improving mobile internet performance.

Officials expect a 25 per cent increase in mobile speed across the country following the auction and launch of 5G services, which will significantly enhance the user experience.

The 5G spectrum auction is scheduled for February 27, 2026, with a bank guarantee of $15 million required from participating operators. In the first round, operators will need to purchase 2600 MHz and 3500 MHz spectrum bands, with a spectrum cap in place to ensure no single operator can acquire the entire spectrum in any given band.