LAHORE: The immediate impact of Pakistan’s 5G spectrum auction may not be visible to consumers, but the additional spectrum is expected to ease congestion on existing 4G networks and lay the groundwork for future 5G rollout, starting in major cities before expanding nationwide, according to a telecom expert.
Expert Aamir Atta said that Pakistan’s telecom sector has entered a new competitive phase following the long-awaited 5G spectrum auction, which raised $510 million and redistributed key frequency assets among the country’s three major operators — Jazz, Ufone and Zong.
The auction allocated spectrum across several critical bands used both to expand existing 4G capacity and to support future 5G services. Each operator adopted a distinct acquisition strategy, reflecting differing priorities around nationwide coverage, network capacity and high-speed performance.
According to the results, Jazz secured the largest allocation, acquiring 190 MHz across multiple bands, including 700 MHz, 2300 MHz, 2600 MHz and 3500 MHz. Ufone acquired 180 MHz, focusing on high-capacity bands, including 120 MHz in the 3500 MHz band and 60 MHz in the 2600 MHz band, while Zong secured 110 MHz across the 3500 MHz and 2600 MHz bands.
The competitive landscape may shift further if the planned merger of Telenor Pakistan with Ufone proceeds, subject to regulatory approvals. The combined entity is expected to hold one of the largest spectrum portfolios in the country, spanning low-, mid- and high-frequency bands. Once completed, the merged entity is projected to hold 236.2 MHz of spectrum, compared with 227.2 MHz for Jazz and 147.6 MHz for Zong.
Atta noted that larger contiguous blocks in this band enable operators to deploy wider 5G channels, significantly boosting peak download speeds, improving network throughput and supporting a higher number of simultaneous users in dense urban environments.
As operators step up investment in network upgrades, fibre connectivity and tower infrastructure, competition is expected to intensify not only on coverage but also on speed, capacity and overall user experience, he added.
With spectrum positions now clearer and the Ufone-Telenor merger still pending, the next phase of competition in Pakistan’s telecom sector will depend largely on how effectively operators translate spectrum assets into real-world network performance.
