Pakistan’s telecom regulator, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), has confirmed that 5G licences will be handed out to mobile companies later this week. This comes right after the recent 5G spectrum auction wrapped up in early March 2026.
The auction happened on March 10, with an assignment stage on March 12, where the main operators, Jazz, Zong, and Ufone, won spectrum blocks in bands like 2600 MHz and others.
The licences will go to these three winners at the same time, once they submit performance bank guarantees of about $15 million each. One company has already sent in its guarantee, and the other two are expected to do so in the next day or two. The whole process raised around $507–510 million (roughly Rs 142 billion) for the government, which was a big win after years of delays in bringing 5G to Pakistan.
This step opens the door for commercial 5G services soon. Officials are pushing hard to start rollouts before Eid-ul-Fitr, with pilot projects likely kicking off next week in big cities like Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad. Telecom companies have already run some 5G tests in different areas and say the auction was fair and clear.
PTA Chairman Hafeez-ur-Rehman called it a key move to boost digital connectivity and help Pakistan grow in technology. Federal IT Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja highlighted how this will support faster internet, better services, and overall economic progress.