In accordance with instructions from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Pakistan’s telecom and digital sectors will benefit greatly from the long-awaited spectrum auction, which is scheduled to be completed by December 2025.
Tuesday’s meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunications featured a presentation of the timeline.
Monday’s meeting of the Auction Supervisory Committee (ASC), which is headed by Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, is scheduled to examine the suggestions made by a consultant hired for the process. The consultant’s report will be presented during the meeting, paving the way for formal approval of the auction. The procedure will be finished before the end of the year, according to officials.
At Parliament House, the Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology, led by Senator Palwasha Mohammad Zai Khan, convened to discuss pressing issues in the digital and telecom industries. The committee was briefed by the Frequency Allocation Board (FAB) regarding its preparations for the spectrum auction, highlighting significant achievements made since 2021.
According to the FAB, essential frequency bands have been aligned with global 5G standards, including the clearance of 30 MHz and the identification of additional millimeter-wave bands in the 3 GHz and 24 GHz ranges. These steps are crucial for enabling next-generation connectivity in Pakistan.
Despite progress, committee members raised concerns over delays caused by litigation and stay orders on certain frequency bands. They noted that Pakistan’s digital ecosystem is experiencing significant economic losses as a result of these legal obstacles.
The Special Secretary of the Ministry of IT assured the committee that the auction would proceed as planned, with all necessary measures being taken to meet the revised December 2025 deadline. The official emphasized that, in order to guarantee efficiency and transparency, the procedure is being carried out in accordance with the Prime Minister’s instructions.
For more daily updates, please visit our News Section.