Pakistan announces plan to auction new spectrum of 600 MHz band

Pakistan on Tuesday announced its plans to auction a new spectrum of 600 MHz, aimed at facilitating the launch of 5G services and aligning internet connectivity in the country with global standards. “We are trying to ensure that the auction (of 600 MHz) is completed by the end of January or early February,” IT Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja said while addressing a press conference alongside Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb.

She said that the move would help to bring the internet quality in Pakistan at par with international best practices. She said the major reason was that the spectrum was not available in Pakistan, and the population of 240 million was operating on a spectrum of 274 MHz. “This means we are using two lanes for traffic, which requires eight, which is why there is congestion, your internet does not work, and you face challenges,” she said. Khawaja said that during auctions held in the past, around 60MHz of spectrum was acquired. She said that the Government was going to auction 600 MHz, making it the largest-ever auction.

“Additional bands are being auctioned in Pakistan for the first time, which means that for consumers, not only 3 G and 4G quality will improve, but also ensure the rollout of 5G services,” she said. She said the PTA would ensure that all these rollouts would be completed between four and six months after the auction so that services could “visibly” improve after this period. She said that the Government was making efforts to ensure that 5G services would roll out after six months. The minister also said that the prime minister will soon inaugurate the Connect 2030 vision to ensure that over the next five years, the minimum connectivity available to users should be 100 Mbps.

A US-based consultancy firm, National Economic Research Associates (NERA), presented its report to the Government in November for the 5G spectrum auction, which noted that Pakistan was offering 606MHz of new spectrum across six major bands: 700MHz, 1800MHz, 2100MHz, 2300MHz, 2600MHz and 3500MHz. The 2600MHz band was considered the most suitable for 5G. Earlier, at the outset of the press conference, Finance Minister Aurangzeb said the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) had approved the recommendations of the Spectrum Advisory Committee, which was essential to move ahead with the auction plan. Pakistan IT Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja.