PTA Confirms No Post-Bid Adjustments Allowed During 5G Spectrum Auction

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has confirmed that it will not include a post-auction spectrum trading window in the design of the 5G spectrum auction.

The decision rejects stakeholder proposals that sought to give operators flexibility to adjust their spectrum holdings after the bidding process.

During the consultation process, some stakeholders warned that bidders could end up with uneconomic or fragmented spectrum holdings as demand shifts between frequency bands during competitive bidding rounds. To address this, they suggested introducing a trading window or a similar mechanism before the assignment stage to allow operators to rationalise their spectrum portfolios.

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In response, PTA stated that a trading window is not part of the auction framework and will not be added. The authority said the existing structure of the allocation and assignment stages is adequate to produce efficient outcomes without the need for a secondary adjustment process.

PTA also clarified that spectrum caps will remain in force throughout the auction, regardless of whether any spectrum lots remain unsold. The regulator added that the post-auction spectrum cap policy will be handled separately. As a result, the current cap of 348.5 MHz for International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT) spectrum holdings will continue to apply during the bidding process, even if some spectrum is left unassigned.