Tech Desk 
Aug 13, 2025
While Pakistan's aim for 5G rollout has been in limbo for months, owing to the delayed spectrum auction led by regulatory challenges, it now seems that the government is heeding to fast-track the spectrum auction process and the subsequent launch of 5G technology.
The latest expeditory move involves changes to the creation of a high-level advisory committee to oversee the auction.
In this regard, the IT ministry briefed the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) in a recent meeting, according to PhoneWorld.
Officials concerned emphasised that optimising the available frequency spectrum is crucial for the telecom network's expansion, for the betterment of mobile broadband quality, and achieving the 5G roadmap.
As of now, Pakistan's utilisation of the International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT) spectrum falls short of meeting global standards, as the country is employing the 700 MHz, 2,300 MHz, 2,600 MHz, and 3,500 MHz bands for commercial cellular services, but at significantly lower levels compared to other nations.
The IT ministry noted that spectrum auctions for Next Generation Mobile Services (NGMS) were conducted in 2014, 2016, 2017, and 2021, allocating paired spectrum in the 1,800/2,100 MHz, 1,800 MHz, and 850 MHz bands to mobile network operators.
To closely supervise future auctions for additional spectrum, the prime minister and federal cabinet have decided to establish an advisory committee.
This committee will be headed the federal minister for finance and revenue, with key officials being federal and state ministers for IT, industries, and law, as well as senior officials from relevant ministries and agencies, including the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and Frequency Allocation Board (FAB).
To note, the proposal for a new committee formation has been approved by the ECC.
