ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s federal cabinet has given the green signal for the much-anticipated auction of 5G spectrum services in the country, a report in the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) said this week. 

Caretaker IT Minister Dr. Umar Saif told Arab News in September that Pakistan would carry out a 5G auction to bring fresh investment into the country in the coming months. The use of 5G entails faster video streaming and Internet downloads for mobile users. 

Pakistan last completed the auction for 3G and the more advanced 4G network— the first of its kind in the country— in April 2014. 

“Caretaker Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Dr. Umar Saif Wednesday said that the Federal Cabinet has given the green signal for the auction of the much-anticipated 5G spectrum,” APP said. 

Saif said a Spectrum Auction Advisory Committee, led by Pakistan’s finance minister, had been established to oversee the impending spectrum auction. The report quoted Saif as saying that the committee includes members from Pakistan’s IT, telecommunication, industries and production ministries. 

“The eagerly awaited 5G spectrum is set to make 300 Megahertz of spectrum available, with the potential to revolutionize Pakistan’s telecommunications landscape,” the report quoted Saif as saying. 

The IT minister said a consultant would “soon” be appointed through the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to ensure an efficient spectrum auction process.

 Pakistan has 194 million cellphone users in the country, according to official figures. By 2023, the mobile industry’s economic contribution in Pakistan is estimated to reach $24 billion, global non-profit organization GSMA estimated in 2021.