Pakistan will auction 600MHz of spectrum next month to fix slow mobile internet, boost 4G quality and launch 5G in provincial capitals within six months.
Cabinet Clears Major Spectrum Auction Framework
Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja has announced that the government will auction around 600 megahertz of additional spectrum within the next few weeks. She said the federal cabinet has already approved the framework for a major auction that will cover seven spectrum bands in total.
Out of these, five spectrum bands will be auctioned in Pakistan for the first time, while two bands have been auctioned previously. According to the minister, the fresh release of spectrum is designed to ease network congestion, improve mobile broadband speeds and prepare the ground for a nationwide 5G rollout.
Pakistan Running 240m Users on Only 274MHz of Spectrum
Shaza Fatima openly acknowledged that Pakistan’s slow and inconsistent mobile internet is closely linked to a severe shortage of available spectrum. At the moment, the country’s entire mobile internet network for a population of nearly 240 million is running on just 274 megahertz of spectrum.
She compared this situation to trying to run four-lane traffic on a two-lane road. By contrast, she noted that Bangladesh, despite having a smaller population, operates on nearly 600 megahertz of spectrum. This gap helps explain why Pakistani users often experience call drops, buffering and slow downloads, especially during busy hours.
4G Improvements in Months, 5G in Capitals Within Six Months
The minister said that once the auction is completed, users should see visible improvements in 3G and 4G service quality within three to four months, as operators begin to deploy the newly acquired spectrum. Better spectrum availability allows networks to carry more data, serve more users at the same time and deliver higher speeds.
She added that 5G services are expected to be launched within six months in provincial capitals, including Islamabad. The aim is to provide ‘future-ready connectivity’ that can support advanced use cases in economic growth, national security, education, healthcare, agriculture and exports. Pakistan is already the world’s fourth-largest freelancing economy, and the IT industry is growing at an annual rate of around 20 to 21 percent, making reliable connectivity even more critical.
MVNO Policy and Local ISP Licences to Boost Competition
Alongside the spectrum auction, the federal cabinet has approved a Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) policy. This will allow new mobile brands to enter the Pakistani market without building their own towers and core networks. Instead, MVNOs will buy network capacity in bulk from existing operators and sell services under their own brands.
The minister said the policy is expected to increase competition, improve affordability and attract foreign investment. Globally, the MVNO market is valued at about 94 billion dollars and is projected to reach 174 billion dollars by 2032. Pakistan hopes to capture some of this growth by opening its market to specialist virtual operators. In another reform, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority has started issuing district-level ISP licences, allowing local cable operators and small companies to legally provide internet in villages and under-served towns, which should help democratise fibre expansion.
New Submarine Cables to Strengthen International Connectivity
Shaza Fatima also highlighted progress on international connectivity. Pakistan has joined the world’s longest submarine cable system, SMW-6, and two additional undersea cables are expected to become operational this year. These links will add more international bandwidth and provide backup routes in case of cable cuts on existing systems.
The minister said that by diversifying and expanding its undersea cable network, Pakistan can reduce its exposure to disruptions like those recently reported in the Red Sea region. Better international connectivity is essential if faster 4G and 5G services are to deliver consistent performance during peak usage and large data transfers.
Balancing Security Concerns with Digital Rights
Responding to questions about temporary internet shutdowns, the minister clarified that any suspension of services is ordered strictly on security grounds by the Interior Ministry, not as a routine policy of the IT Ministry. “Human lives are more important than connectivity,” she said, stressing that such steps are taken only in extreme situations.
Despite these challenges, Shaza Fatima expressed confidence that the combination of new spectrum, MVNO competition, stronger fibre networks and expanded submarine cable capacity would transform Pakistan’s digital landscape over the next few years. She said users should notice clear improvements in internet speed and reliability within three to four months of the auction, and described the reforms as a long-term investment in securing Pakistan’s digital future.
