The federal government has expressed confidence that 50 percent of the planned 600 megahertz 5G spectrum will be acquired in the upcoming spectrum auction.
Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima said the government is preparing to auction a total of 600 MHz of 5G spectrum as part of its efforts to accelerate the rollout of next-generation mobile services across the country.
She said that following cabinet approval expected today, the Information Memorandum will be issued within five to six days. The minister added that the government is aiming for at least half of the total 600 MHz spectrum to be successfully acquired during the auction process.
Referring to previous auctions, Shaza Fatima noted that in the last three spectrum auctions, only 100 MHz was offered, out of which telecom operators acquired just 60 MHz. She said these outcomes have been taken into account while planning the upcoming auction.
The minister explained that the 5G spectrum auction was delayed due to ongoing court cases, but said the federal government and the Attorney General played an active role in resolving the legal challenges. She added that all court cases related to spectrum have now been concluded, removing a major hurdle.
She also pointed out that the merger of Telenor and Ufone has been completed, addressing another key obstacle to the auction.
With these issues resolved, Shaza Fatima said there is now hope that the 5G spectrum auction will be held in February. She clarified that she could not comment on revenue expectations at this stage, adding that projections can only be made after cabinet approval.
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