ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is set to auction a 600-megahertz (MHz) spectrum next month to ensure high speed and reliable Internet services across the country, state media reported on Monday, citing Information Technology (IT) Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja.

The development comes at a time of mounting pressure on Pakistan’s telecom networks, with users and businesses complaining of slow Internet speeds and frequent disruptions as a limited spectrum struggles to serve the South Asian country.

Pakistan has more than 130 million broadband connections but access remains uneven, though its IT exports reached a record $3.8 billion in FY 2024–25, up from $3.2 billion the previous year, marking an 18 percent year-on-year increase, according to the Pakistan Software Export Board.

Speaking at an event in Islamabad, the IT minister said the federal cabinet has ratified the decision of spectrum auction, the Radio Pakistan broadcaster reported.

“This will not only improve 4G speed but also help roll out 5G services,” Khawaja was quoted as saying.

Khawaja last month said the quality of Internet service in Pakistan is not at par with international best practices or even regional standards, and one of the fundamental reasons for this was the non-availability of the spectrum.

Pakistani Internet users currently operate on about 274 MHz of spectrum, compared with around 600 MHz in Bangladesh, that leads to congestion, she told a news conference on Dec. 23, likening the situation to “trying to run eight lanes of traffic through two lanes.”

Speaking at Monday’s event, Khawaja reaffirmed the government’s commitment to investing in capacity-building of the youth.

“Youth are the country’s greatest asset,” she said, highlighting that over half a million young Pakistanis had been trained in various fields over the past 18 months.