Overview
- Federal IT Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja said the cabinet has approved a framework to auction about 600 MHz within weeks across seven bands, five of them offered in Pakistan for the first time.
- Authorities project noticeable 3G/4G improvements within three to four months after the sale and initial 5G launches in provincial capitals within about six months, including Islamabad.
- Pakistan currently runs nationwide mobile internet on roughly 274 MHz for nearly 240 million people, which officials cite as the core cause of slow speeds.
- The cabinet approved a Mobile Virtual Network Operator policy allowing new brands to lease capacity from existing carriers to increase competition and improve affordability.
- The PTA approved district-level ISP licensing to let local cable operators and small firms legally provide internet in under-served areas and support wider fiber buildout.