Islamabad:SDPI’s distinguished Advisor Emeritus Brig (r) Mohammad Yasin termed the forthcoming auction of nearly 600 MHz of spectrum as potentially the largest in Pakistan’s history, calling it a structural shift rather than merely a technological upgrade.
Yasin was participating in a seminar, on “5G imperative in Pakistan: the need for comprehensive infrastructure, economic readiness and digital sovereignty” organised by Sustainable Development Policy Institute here Monday.
He noted that over 130 million broadband subscribers currently compete for only 274 MHz of spectrum which is far below regional benchmarks. He underlined that the auction will include the 2,300 MHz, 2,600 MHz and 3,500 MHz bands while 2,300 MHz and 2,600 MHz will enhance existing 4G capacity and user experience, the 3,500 MHz band is globally recognised as the primary spectrum for 5G rollout.
Dr Mukarram Khan, Director General, Cyber Vigilance, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), said the PTA must balance the interests of government, cellular mobile operators (CMOs) and citizens.
He said that PTA is engaging with the Federal Board of Revenue to reduce handset taxes and related tariffs acknowledging that high fiscal burdens hinder consumer adoption. He added that Pakistan ranks among the top countries in ICT freelancer revenue and foreign exchange earnings but freelancers often rely on slow mobile broadband. PTA, he added, is working to improve internet resilience, diversify submarine cable connectivity beyond Karachi and facilitate satellite internet services through multiple providers.
ICT Consultant Parvez Iftikhar said the 5G spectrum auction could remove major barriers hindering sector modernisation, however, he cautioned that 5G would not become instantly ubiquitous. He noted that retail broadband would not be the primary driver of 5G, instead, business-to-business (B2B) applications would shape its growth. He emphasised enterprise use cases, including on-campus networks in Special Economic Zones (SEZs) and Special Technology Zones (STZs).
