ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s push to launch 5G has hit another procedural snag after the Spectrum Advisory Committee (SAC) failed to convene on Saturday due to a countrywide pen-down strike by lawyers, delaying critical review of the freshly submitted 5G auction framework, officials confirmed.
The consultant hired for the auction, US-based National Economic Research Associates Inc. (NERA), has submitted its final assessment to the government, but the high-level committee’s inability to meet has pushed forward an already tight schedule set by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who wants the auction wrapped up by February 15.
Court verdict on 2600MHz now crucial
The most immediate bottleneck remains the long-running litigation over the 2600MHz band, considered the most commercially valuable for early 5G deployment. A ruling by the Sindh High Court, originally expected on Saturday, could not be announced due to the strike.
Senior officials told The Public Tribune that the verdict is now expected next week. “The entire auction calendar hinges on the clearance of the 2600MHz band,” one official said.
Despite the delay, the Ministry of IT & Telecom insists that the deadline is still achievable — but only if the judgment comes “without further procedural hurdles”.
Telenor–PTCL merger adds another layer of delay
NERA’s report had already been waiting for clarity on the Telenor Pakistan–PTCL merger, now approved by the Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP). With the number of mobile operators reduced to three, the consultant has reassessed the competitive landscape and built multiple auction modules accordingly.
Govt weighs pricing strategy amid heavy sector taxation
Sources reveal that NERA has presented two contrasting pricing strategies:
- Higher base price, generating substantial upfront revenue for the government;
- Lower base price, giving operators room to invest quickly in network rollout.
NERA has also flagged Pakistan’s 37% tax burden on telecom services, estimating that the government could collect Rs37 billion in taxes for every Rs100 billion increase in sector revenues once additional spectrum becomes available.
Pakistan’s telecom revenue stood at Rs800 billion last year.
Pakistan offering one of its largest-ever spectrum bundles
The consultant’s final framework includes 606 MHz of new spectrum across six bands:
700MHz, 1800MHz, 2100MHz, 2300MHz, 2600MHz, and 3500MHz.
Nearly 190MHz in the 2600MHz band — the prime 5G band — is expected to be part of the auction, pending the court ruling.
PTA officials say Pakistan’s “spectrum starvation” is already depressing digital consumption. Average monthly data use stands at 6GB per user, though demand has swelled to 9GB.
Next steps hinge entirely on court clearance
Once litigation on the 2600MHz band is resolved:
- SAC will finalize the auction plan,
- IT Ministry will send its directive to the ECC,
- The proposal will then move to the federal cabinet,
- PTA will issue the Information Memorandum the next day.
The PTA says the end-to-end process usually takes two to three months, meaning the auction can take place between Feb 15 and Mar 15 — but only if the court verdict arrives immediately.
