‘Faster, cheaper, better’: 5G spectrum auction enters second bidding round

The government’s 5G spectrum auction is underway in Islamabad, with the three bidders — Zong, Jazz and Ufone — competing heavily at 2600 megahertz for the key frequency band needed for the 5G service.

Pakistan is offering 700 MHz for $32.5 million, 1800 MHz for $16.8m, 2100 MHz for $70m, 2300 MHz for $10m, 2600 MHz for $12.50m and 3500 MHz for $6.5m per lot.

After the first round of bidding, the compiled results were opened. The PTA had offered 190MHz in lots of 10MHz each, while the bidders demanded 30 lots. Eleven extra lots totalling 110MHz were made available for auction. The PTA has decided to increase the bid price of the 2600MHz band by five per cent of its base price.

For the other 5G band — 3500MHz — 28 lots of 10MHz were offered but the telecom companies placed bids for only 20 lots. The bidding has now entered the second phase.

The bidding process was launched in the presence of Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, Information Minister Attaullah Tarrar, former IT minister Syed Aminul Haque, and the chairperson of the National Assembly Standing Committee on IT and Telecom, along with some members of the committee.

Addressing the event, Aurangzeb thanked all the members of the spectrum committee and gave credit to the IT minister for ensuring the continuity of the IT policy resulting in the spectrum auction despite changing administrations.

Regarding how the auction was going to be “an enabler”, he said, “I’ve always said digital is not an end in itself; it’s a means to an end. Faster, cheaper, better — it’s as simple as that.”

He added, “When we talk about jobs, when we talk about [how] the private sector has to lead the country, this is exactly what the government should be doing … providing the........

© Dawn Business