PTA Chairman Reveals 5G Launch Date

Chairman of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Major General (R) Hafeezur Rehman on Wednesday announced the auction date for 5G services.

Addressing the NA Standing Committee on IT and Telecom in Islamabad today, the chairman said 5G will be launched by April 2025. The PTA is actively working to attract new companies to participate in the auction and aiming to expand the market and enhance competition, he added.

The Chairman assured that despite the current challenges, including the ongoing recovery of the submarine cable—which may extend until August 27—the planned system upgrades are not expected to cause further disruptions to internet services.

It is pertinent to mention that internet has been largely disrupted across the country for more than a week now.

Chairman PTA said telecom companies are currently utilizing 265 MHz of spectrum. The regulator plans to make an additional 567 MHz available for 5G services, with efforts in place to persuade the government to offer this spectrum at a lower cost.

The chairman also noted that Saudi Arabia sold its spectrum at $90,000 per megahertz, while Pakistan previously sold 4G spectrum at $29 million per megahertz. The aim is to keep the cost of spectrum low to benefit local consumers, he stated.