Pakistan concludes 5G spectrum auction, raising over $500M

In total, 480 MHz of spectrum was sold across multiple bands. Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) put a total of 597 MHz of spectrum on the table, with just over 100 MHz of this going unsold. Spectrum across six frequency bands (700, 1,800, 2,100, 2,300, 2,600, and 3,500 MHz) was up for grabs. Veon subsidiary Jazz secured 190 MHz, while Ufone acquired 180 MHz, and China Mobile-backed Zong snapped up 110 MHz across different bands. Jazz picked up 50 MHz in the 3,500 MHz band, 70 MHz in the 2,600 MHz band, 50 MHz in the 2,300 MHz band, and 20 MHz in the 700 MHz band. Ufone grabbed 120 MHz in the 3,500 MHz band and 60 MHz in the 2,600 MHz band. Zong secured 50 MHz in the 3,500 MHz band and 60 MHz in the 2,600 MHz band. The auction increased the spectrum available to mobile operators from 274 MHz to 754 MHz. Jazz is the biggest carrier in Pakistan with more than 74 million customers. Ufone is the country's second-largest telco. Pakistan has a population of more than 250 million people. Pakistan's government had previously set a target to launch 5G services last summer, though this did not come to fruition.