The first phase of Pakistan’s 5G spectrum auction has concluded, raising $507 million through the sale of several frequency bands, according to the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority.

PTA Chairman Hafeez-ur-Rehman stated that the auction saw strong participation from telecom operators, with a large portion of the available spectrum successfully sold.

Out of the 597.2 MHz spectrum offered in the auction, about 480 MHz was purchased by operators.

In the 700 MHz band, two of the three available lots were sold. The 2300 MHz band saw complete allocation of all available lots. Likewise, all 19 lots in the 2600 MHz band were acquired during the bidding process.

For the 3500 MHz band, 22 out of the 28 available lots were successfully auctioned.

The PTA chief noted that the additional allocations will expand the country’s overall spectrum capacity by approximately 1.7 percent, which is expected to help improve network performance and support the transition toward 5G services.

Among the operators, Rong Communications secured 110 MHz of spectrum, while Ufone obtained 180 MHz. Jazz emerged as the largest buyer, acquiring 190 MHz in the auction.

The auction marks an important milestone in Pakistan’s preparations for the rollout of 5G connectivity, which authorities expect to introduce in the near future.