Update: The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has completed the second round of bidding in the second phase of Pakistan’s 5G spectrum auction.
All three participating telecom operators submitted bids for positioning in the 2600 MHz spectrum band, with competition continuing among them to secure preferred band placement.
Following the completion of the second round, PTA has now launched the third round of bidding as the auction process moves forward.
Update: All three participating telecom operators have shown interest in securing band positions within the 2600 MHz spectrum, pushing the auction into its second round.
Officials said the base price for positioning in the 2600 MHz band has been set at $100,000 for this round.
The second round of bidding will last 15 minutes, with all three qualified operators taking part in the process.
The second phase of Pakistan’s 5G spectrum auction has begun at the headquarters of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority, with the assignment stage now underway to determine the positioning of spectrum bands purchased earlier.
The process was launched by PTA Chairman Hafeez Ur Rehman along with board members and senior officials.
All three telecom operators are participating online, with each round of bidding lasting 15 minutes followed by 15 minutes for result compilation. A 30 minute break will be given after every round.
During this stage, operators will compete for top, mid and low positions in the 2600 MHz and 3500 MHz frequency bands. Bidding will begin with the 2600 MHz band, while the 3500 MHz band will be auctioned later. If two or more operators compete for the same band position, bidding will continue until only one operator remains.
If telecom companies mutually agree on band positions, PTA will announce the results without bidding. Otherwise, competitive bidding will take place, with a base positioning fee of $100,000 that may rise to $1 million if the auction moves to further rounds.
The first phase of the 5G auction concluded earlier this week, during which 480 MHz of spectrum was sold out of 597.2 MHz available. China Mobile Pakistan Zong acquired 110 MHz, Pak Telecom Mobile Limited Ufone purchased 180 MHz, and Pakistan Mobile Communications Limited Jazz secured 190 MHz.
The auction generated about $507 million in revenue, with PTA expecting an additional $1 million to $2 million from the positioning bids in the ongoing second phase.