Pakistan’s PTA  plan to hold a 5G spectrum auction has been delayed by at least four months. This is because the Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) is still reviewing the merger between Telenor Pakistan and PTCL’s mobile company, Ufone. The merger was filed in February 2024, but it has not yet been approved.

The delay is causing uncertainty about how many companies will take part in the 5G auction. The government wants to start 5G services by June 2025, but this delay is making that difficult.

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) said that the technical work needed for the auction is complete. However, the auction cannot move forward until the government finalizes its policies and gives clear directions.

Originally, the plan was to finish policy changes by March, announce them in April, hold the auction in May, and start 5G services in June. But now, with no progress in May, this timeline looks unlikely.

Telenor and PTCL are unhappy with the delay and have asked the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) to help speed things up. PTCL has also promised to invest $1 billion if the merger is approved.

Because of these delays, Pakistan’s 5G rollout is delayed. Interested in more details about Pakistan PTA? Our team is happy to assist you at info@nanotechsol.com.