The federal government plans to conduct a separate auction of 5G spectrum for Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) within months of the nationwide rollout, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Chairman Hafeez Ur Rehman said on Thursday.
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He made the announcement during a meeting in Islamabad with GB caretaker Minister for Information Technology Ghulam Abbas, where discussions focused on improving digital connectivity and addressing telecom challenges in the mountainous region.
Abbas emphasised that GB should not lag behind other parts of the country in access to high-speed internet, noting that enhanced connectivity was essential for e-governance, online education, telemedicine and the growth of IT-based businesses. He said limited bandwidth and infrastructure gaps had hindered socio-economic development, particularly affecting youth, students, entrepreneurs and the tourism industry.
The PTA chairman said preparations for the additional spectrum auction were already underway, with the authority contacting the GB Council, AJK Council and the Ministry of IT and Telecom to begin work on the required regulatory framework.
According to Rehman, technical testing, regulatory reviews and spectrum arrangements would require extra time, making a separate auction necessary for GB and AJK. He added that the regulator preferred providing spectrum free of cost in both regions so telecom operators could invest more in infrastructure development.
During the meeting, PTA Director General (Licensing) Amir Shahzad recommended that the GB government follow AJK’s model by abolishing right-of-way (RoW) charges for telecom infrastructure. The federal government has already instructed its departments to grant free access for fibre-optic network deployment.
The AJK government recently waived RoW charges for IT infrastructure and introduced a one-window system for issuing no-objection certificates related to telecom towers and fibre installation. Applications will be processed within 15 days, with automatic approval granted if no objections are raised.
Officials believe these measures will reduce financial and administrative hurdles, enabling faster broadband expansion in the region. Abbas said he had directed the GB law department to review existing RoW policies and expressed support for eliminating such charges to accelerate internet penetration.
