3G / 4G Auction Starts: Four Operators to Submit Sealed Bids Today

3G_Pakistan

Telenor, Mobilink, Ufone and Zong are submitting their sealed bids for 3G and 4G licenses today to leave behind Warid, the only operator in the market to have not participated in the bidding process.

Market sources confirmed ProPakistani that four operators are submitting their sealed bids today in order to qualify for the final bidding process to be held on April 23rd, 2014.

Unlike it was speculated earlier, there is no new entrant submitting the sealed-bid today, leaving only four operators to compete in the spectrum auction.

There are a total of three 3G and two 4G licenses to be auctioned, however, there is a possibility under which four operators might get 3G licenses.

Warid will remain the only local operator to have not participated in the bid. As anticipated, it is likely that rest of the four operators are likely to get equipped with at least 3G license.

10Mhz block of 3G spectrum (2100Mhz) is base priced at US295 million while a block of 10Mhz block from 4G spectrum (1800Mhz) is base priced at US210 million.

As per the plan, today (4PM – Pakistan Time) is the deadline for operators to submit the sealed bids.

In today’s sealed bids, operator will show their interest in amount and type of spectrum they want to buy in the bidding. A upper floor of 15Mhz for 3G spectrum and 10Mhz for 4G spectrum is applicable.

Operators – along with bid application — will submit pre-bid deposit for 15% of the base price of the amount of spectrum they stated in their Sealed-bid offer in order to qualify to participate in the auction.

Qualified operators will move on to next round of bidding to be held on April 23rd, 2014.

Pakistan Telecommunication Authority will notify about the qualified bidders on April 17th, 2014.

Pakistan is aiming to generate at least US 1.305 billion dollars from the auction.

Tech and telecom reporter for over 15 years


  • I am curious about the Waird, do it have some other plans? Waird should be in the game. they cant stay out ;)

    • Muft chahye services ?
      Is se zyada kia sasta hoga ?
      10 RS main poora din call or sms kar kar k ab tak thakay nahi ?

      • aisay packages ka to pata nahi laiken networks kay self imposed call centre taxes, balance checking charges, call connect charges, delivery reports charges, maintenance kay naam per charges wagera in sab chezo kay bawujod nakammi quality ke services say zaror thak gaya hon
        in networks ko moqa milay to service centre visit aur incoming calls per bhi charges laga dain. Aur ye sab ikathay plan ker kay implement kartay hain.

        • Lagta hai aap ne foreign operators k tariffs nahi dekhay. You can afford to have 5 sims in Pakistan only. Had u been in europe, america or even middle east, 2 sims rakhna bhi aapko mushkil lagta. You are paying peanuts dear. Us pe bhi shikway hain jo khatam nahi hotay. Kitnay kharch kartay hain aap ? Monthly kitna bill aata hai ya kitnay ka card dalwatay hain ?
          1000 ? 2000 ?
          I doubt :)

          • Jitni kum sim utni kum headache for both sim owner and his callers :P

            And compare our non free balance checking delivery reports etc, even in poor african countries they are free. Some poor countries even have free voice mail facility and our country telecoms have disabled voice mail service.

            Since the beginning of my convo with you I am not comparing rates. As our telecos don’t have any good offer. Sasti call lo to sms ke taraf say mar pardti hay. Sasta SMS lo to call rates ke taraf say mar pardti hay.

            GPRS sasta hay, laiken mobilink warid gprs to waisay he failed hay, tower to tower travel kay waqt GPRS hang ho jata hay. ghar main bethay istemal karo to theik hay.
            Telenor main sasta internet chahiyay to djuice kay mehangi calls walay packages per jao.

            Jitna awam pay kar rahi hay utna aur usi quality ka unhain mil raha hay. Laiken wo extra deductions 100rs say 40 to aisay he companies aur taxes main chalay jatay hain. Kia faida balance checking per charges laganay ka agar balance do teen dafa string mila ker errors dekhnay kay baad zong per ata hay. Konse quality kay naam per ye companies bheek lay rahi hain.

      • Good reply. Majority is so cheap that wants everything for free…without even thinking that nothing is free in this world. Telecom must stop offering such packages and upgrade quality of the service.

  • aaah…..!Monopoly of government and Operators (who fight in front of awam and united on the back hand)…. i wish koi ne entrant fight karta …where is TURKCELL???

  • There are few changes made to the IM as well. I have read a in depth document and analysis on another website. The revised IM had given great advantage to the new operator which wants to operate in Pakistan. So why no one is interested ?

    • Because of the licensing fee, hardware cost, opportunity cost
      and poor ROI. Warid is still struggling to survive/sell its business to cut
      their losses. Why would a new operator will join such a market with extremely
      low ARPU, bad data penetration, low
      elasticity to prices, high taxes, bad law and order situation, electricity load
      shedding, diesel theft, bribery, network shut down…. and the list goes on. Our telecom industry is involved in self
      destructive, non-sustainable price wars. This can’t go on forever. Even
      existing operators would have to cut their losses at some point of time. Jobs
      will be reduced, costs will be optimized, prices will increase and market will
      consolidate. It’s just a matter of when. There are a lot of better opportunities around
      the globe with far less risk and far more ROI for new entrants.

  • I am sure 3G itni sasti nahi hogi jitna log excited horahay hain, majority will definitely get disappointed with the prices.

    • Your are right say! – Pata nahi log kuch zyada excited ho rahay hai – shayad yeh cheez abhi ankaoon say deki nahi hai isi waja say :)

      Abhi 2GB bandwidth kam say kam Rs: 200 rupees ki hai tu 3/4G par yeh bandwidth kia Rs. 50 rupees ki hoge?

      I have friends in KSA and already compared the rates so its not cheap as compare with their 2G.

    • Off course. It will be not cheap and all operators will be united not to be involved in a price war

  • Guys… Warid is going to be merge with Ufone… Reason behind the cause is that
    Etisalat Telecom is going to buy Warid. Same the PTCL who already bought Wateen Telecom within Pakistan. Hope for best…

      • How PTCL will operate LTE 4G, they already deployed LTE network at karachi, lahore and islamabad

      • I can also confirm that Ufone is most likely in buying Warid.
        While Zong is another one who want to buy warid.
        PTCL sources.
        The use of Ericsson services in first place was the biggest disadvantage to warid instead of the cheaper and easily controlled huwai servers and BTS …

  • Anyone tell,
    When it Practically Implemented?
    i mean when we will be using 3G (in April ? May? June? or something else)

    • in major cities, isl, rwp,lhr,kch, and one or two more..you will get at least in two to three months.while all over pakistan it took morethan a year or maybe two

    • can not be speculated, but it will help economy overall.. and more money to operators in yearly income will bring more taxes, more technological growth and penetration, helping businesses of people. So overall, it will help the economy to grow ..

  • Oh! Warid is not participating…!!?? What is the reason behind that? Is Warid a poor company? they have not enough money to buy a single licence even 5Hz? Or they have less customer level as compared to other operators?

  • If there are only four operators for submitting the sealed bids it means auction is over today. So we will not have to wait till 23 april.

    • you have to because the final list will be announced by the pta and auctions will be finalized..they just submitted their proposals.
      who submitted what, no body knows
      their offers,i.e 3G or 4G lisence, fees etc

    • Bakwas na kar yaar. 600M rupees maybe. Dollar impossible.
      2 months ago it was being sold off for $1Bn and nobody was willing to meet that price.
      Warid also has to renew its 2G license for $280M.
      Yaar please don’t spread these things. Its bad.

        • Looks like you operate a Warid franchise. Denying the facts and still insisting that Warid will get 4G!!!
          Thik hai Sheikh sb ka bohot asar o rasook hai Pakistan mein but PTA oun kay abba gi ka nahi kay 4 din baad bid submit kar daien gaey.
          Grow up!

        • yaar faltoo batain na kar yaar. Better realise Warid and Wateen are winding up and selling out assets soon. Be prepared and work proactively to save your career. Dont keep denying yaar. Act before its too late bhaiyya.

        • Where is your Warid now, huh?? You have been saying all over that Warid will get 4G bla bla, now what? They didn’t even submitted their bid LOL

  • Auction is over. Only 4 Companies BID For License and now no more Electronic Auction is required. On 17th April, 2014. We will be able to know that who will be the winner of 4G and 3G Spectrum.

    Wish you best of luck all the operators. :)

  • Pakistan is going to run side by side with whole world after the auction of 3G/4G

  • with this submission of bids,this is now confirmed 3/4g license will be obtained by the operators

  • Very good step by PTA .This is a time for 3g and 4g to enter in country like PAKISTAN.Some non state actors are sabotaging this auction towards failure.We are with you PTA.Puppet Media should take responsibility.Come on guys Developed countries are progressing towards 5g.

  • The reports from reuters is totally baseless.. even on base price, 3/4G will fetch more than 1.3B US$.. This will be a productive auction..

    GodSpeed PTA

  • The reports from reuters is totally baseless.. even on base price, 3/4G will fetch more than 1.3B US$.. This will be a productive auction

  • the auction is going to be held on 23rd of this month..and after two weeks 3g will start operating..good news as well as a good sign for us..

  • ya hope for best..just thanks that 3g and 4g both are coming..if govt just wait for new operators then it may take more time to start 3g or 4g..so its good that its going to start.

  • Although the four are the best mobile operators working in Pakistan and when it comes to 3G tech , i t will will be more like an achievement


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