The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), with the Ministry of Finance’s approval, has released the Terms of Reference (ToRs) for hiring an international consultant to aid in launching the 5G spectrum in Pakistan. The PTA has invited expressions of interest from consultancy firms to guide the release of 5G spectrum and enhance next-generation mobile broadband services in the country.

Consultant’s Role & Objectives

The ToRs outline the consultant’s primary role: maximizing the release of IMT spectrum to support the proliferation of technology-neutral next-generation mobile broadband services. This effort aligns with international best practices tailored to Pakistan’s economic, societal, and telecommunications context. The consultant aims to ensure regulatory consistency for investors, facilitate broadband expansion, and stabilize the telecom sector, with a focus on socio-economic development.

Key Responsibilities

• Evaluate the spectrum’s valuation for available bands with future projections to boost economic growth and attract foreign investment.
• Consider the impact of past spectrum auctions and renewals, international best practices, and other relevant factors.
• Develop and implement 5G launch models based on international and regional best practices, focusing on potential use cases for Pakistan and viable monetization models.
• Design an investment-oriented spectrum auction that offers opportunities for existing operators and new entrants to acquire maximum IMT spectrum, thereby improving ICT infrastructure and broadband services in Pakistan.
• Emphasize innovative regulatory practices and investment opportunities to support sustainable telecom sector growth and overall socio-economic development.
• Assess the current health of Pakistan’s telecom market for adopting technologies like 5G in consultation with relevant stakeholders.
• Recommend necessary policy actions and reforms to boost infrastructure investment, broadband expansion, and business sustainability.
• Compare Pakistan’s existing cellular/IMT spectrum assignments with regional practices, highlight gaps, and suggest phased auctions of paired spectrum in the 700 MHz, 1800 MHz, and 2100 MHz bands, and unpaired spectrum in the 2300 MHz, 2600 MHz, and 3500 MHz bands.
• Determine per megahertz spectrum prices in USD and PKR with future projections, considering demand and supply models, and propose innovative payment options like flexible installment plans.
• Consider factors such as the number of operators, license tenure, regional/national IMT spectrum models, spectrum block size, minimum bandwidth per operator, license templates including terms and obligations, and incentives for auction winners.
• Provide policy recommendations for spectrum auction design, base price, and duration.

The consultant’s responsibilities extend to developing the information memorandum, including the license template, and assisting in conducting the spectrum auction according to the agreed design. Recommendations on the coexistence of IMT bands between IMT/5G and other services, such as satellite and Wi-Fi, will also be provided.

An international consultant will be hired based on these ToRs. The consultant will create a report after consulting with the industry and relevant stakeholders. Following the completion of the report, the spectrum will be presented for the 5G auction, marking a significant step forward in Pakistan’s telecommunications infrastructure and next-generation mobile broadband services.