PTA issues important update for 5G license distribution

2026-03-16 - 08:24

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority has decided to issue 5G licences to telecom companies later this week. According to PTA officials, licences will be granted simultaneously to the three telecom companies that successfully secured bids in the auction. Officials said the licences will be issued after the companies submit the required bank guarantees. One telecom company has already submitted its bank guarantee for the 5G licence, while the remaining two companies are expected to submit theirs within the next one to two days. Under the licence conditions, each company must provide a $15 million bank guarantee to meet regulatory requirements. Last week, Pakistan completed the second phase of its 5G spectrum auction, marking a major step toward launching next-generation mobile services. Federal Minister for IT and Telecom Shaza Fatima Khawaja announced that the auction will generate $510 million for the government and pave the way for 5G services in the country. The telcos acknowledged the fairness and transparency of the spectrum auction process and announced that they have already started tests of 5G services in several areas. PTA Chairman, retired Major General Hafeez-ur-Rehman said that total amount generated from the spectrum auction is $510 million, which is around Rs142 billion.