All five international consultants qualified in the technical bids for consultancy services to the government of Pakistan in the 5G spectrum auction/release of IMT Spectrum for improving Next Generation Mobile Broadband Services in the country. The financial bids of these firms will be opened on October 3, 2024, as confirmed by official sources to NetMag. The government aims to complete the 5G spectrum auction by April 2025. The five international consultants/firms that submitted their technical and financial bids include Aetha Consulting Limited, Detecon Consulting FZ-LLC, Frontier Economics Limited, Kom Konsult (Private) Limited, and National Economic Research Associates Inc.
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) conducted a detailed technical evaluation according to Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) rules. Initially, PTA short-listed 10 international consultants/joint ventures/firms from the expressions of interest (EOI) submitted for the consultancy. A total of 11 firms had submitted EOIs, including JHK Construction Company, which was disqualified after mistakenly submitting its EOI, as it is a construction company. PTA shortlisted the other 10 firms.
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The selected consultant will provide policy recommendations for enhancing infrastructure investment, broadband proliferation, and sector growth. They will also compare Pakistan’s current cellular/IMT spectrum assignments with regional practices, identify gaps, and recommend a phased auction of paired spectrum in the 700 MHz, 1800 MHz, and 2100 MHz bands, as well as unpaired spectrum in the 2300 MHz, 2600 MHz, and 3500 MHz bands.
The consultant will determine per MHz spectrum prices for the mentioned bands in USD and PKR, with future projections for the next three years, using demand and supply models and offering innovative payment options such as flexible/dynamic installment plans. Scenario-based options will be developed regarding spectrum price, payment terms, and rollout obligations.
Recommendations will be made based on international standards to limit human exposure to electromagnetic fields and to propose mitigation techniques for health hazards, particularly in dense 5G networks. A detailed report will also be provided on spectrum valuation, including the base price in USD and PKR for the spectrum bands, along with future projections for the next three years.
