Islamabad – February 19, 2026: The government expects to raise between $300 million and $700 million from the upcoming spectrum auction scheduled for March 10, as Pakistan prepares to expand mobile capacity and accelerate 5G rollout.
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority confirmed that no changes are expected in the auction schedule. A total of 597 megahertz across multiple frequency bands will be offered, with each of the three existing telecom operators required to acquire a minimum of 100 MHz.
According to PTA Director General Licensing retired Brigadier Aamir Shahzad, even if operators secure only 300 MHz at the prescribed base rate without competitive bidding, the government could generate around $300 million. If the full 597 MHz is sold at slightly competitive rates, proceeds could reach up to $700 million, though this scenario is considered less likely.
The auction will follow a multi-round electronic clock format, with the main allocation stage beginning on March 10. The 2600 MHz and 3500 MHz bands will be offered in the first round. Following the auction, 5G services are expected to be rolled out within three to six months, subject to infrastructure deployment.
PTA Chairman retired Maj Gen Hafeez-ur-Rehman stated that the new spectrum will help improve service quality and boost data speeds. Over the past five years, approximately 50 million new users have joined mobile networks, while only 10 MHz was added during the 2021 auction. He projected a 25 percent improvement in mobile broadband speeds after the auction.
Average revenue per user has increased from $0.7 to $1.3 and is expected to rise further as data consumption grows. To support faster deployment, the government has removed the right-of-way fee of around Rs36,000 per kilometre annually, encouraging fiberisation. Operators have also been allowed spectrum sharing, regulatory relaxations, and a one-year window to make capital investments without upfront spectrum payments.
Operators will be required to expand 5G coverage beyond Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, and Quetta. Fibre-to-the-site ratios must increase from 20 percent to 35 percent by 2035. Minimum 4G download speeds will rise to 20 Mbps in 2026-27 and 50 Mbps by 2030-35. For 5G, minimum download speeds will increase from 50 Mbps initially to 100 Mbps by 2030-35, with latency targets reduced to 35 milliseconds.
