ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has revised the Information Memorandum (IM) for the upcoming 5G Spectrum Auction, with an informational session scheduled for Monday for prospective applicants.
The three main telecom players — Jazz, Zong, and PTCL (which represents the merged Ufone-Telenor entity). No new entrants have shown interest in launching telecom services through the auction.
The PTA will outline technical amendments finalised after consultations with stakeholders, which concluded on Friday. Despite strong objections from the telecom companies, the PTA has decided to maintain the existing Quality of Service (QoS) thresholds to improve data and telecom services for consumers.
The revised IM introduces phased QoS upgrades. In Phase 1 (2026-2028), the median downlink speed for 4G is set at 20 Mbps, while for 5G it is 50 Mbps, with uplink speeds maintained at 20pc of the downlink speed. Phase 2 (2028-2030) will introduce mid-term standards, with a median downlink speed of 35 Mbps for 4G and 75 Mbps for 5G.
In phases 3 and 4 (2030-2035), the final premium service standards will require 50 Mbps for 4G and 100 Mbps for 5G, with uplink speeds continuing at 20pc of the downlink speed.
The amended IM also introduces new technical requirements, including coordination with other operators in Pakistan and synchronisation arrangements across various bands, developed in consultation with the PTA and the Frequency Allocation Board (FAB). Operators will also be subject to existing and future agreements with neighbouring countries, particularly India.
The PTA advises operators that any synchronisation agreement with India will likely involve ‘Clock Synchronisation’ in line with ECC recommendations. In such cases, the frame structure should be LTE (4G) 4:1 and 5G NR 8:2.
Published in Dawn, February 15th, 2026
