The Government of Pakistan has assigned E-Band spectrum to Cellular Mobile Operators (CMOs) to support high-capacity wireless backhaul following the recent launch of 5G services in the country.
The move follows the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority’s (PTA) auction of 480 MHz of spectrum in March for next-generation mobile services. According to the PTA, the E-Band spectrum assignment is intended to support the deployment and expansion of 5G networks.
According to a PTA document, the current tower fiberization level across Pakistan’s mobile sector is approximately 17.9 percent.
Among the operators, Jazz has the highest fiberization level at 22 percent, followed by CMPak/Zong at 19 percent, Telenor at 16 percent, and Ufone at 9 percent.
Under the NGMS/5G licence conditions, all CMOs are required to achieve a minimum Fiber-to-the-Site (FTTS) ratio of 20 percent during Phase-I (2026-28). This requirement will gradually increase to 35 percent by Phase-IV (2032-35).
The PTA document states that increasing fiberization will help meet the backhaul capacity requirements of 5G services.
The PTA document states that E-Band spectrum has been assigned to CMOs to provide high-capacity wireless backhaul, helping operators deploy and expand their 5G networks.
The document also notes that the Government of Pakistan is facilitating the provision of Right of Way (RoW) through policy and administrative measures to improve the ease of doing business and accelerate network rollout across the country.
PTA officials said telecom operators can use the E-Band spectrum in areas where fiber connectivity is unavailable. They explained that E-Band provides high-capacity wireless links capable of carrying the large amounts of data generated by 5G networks.
Officials added that operators will procure the necessary equipment to use the E-Band spectrum, allowing them to rapidly expand network capacity without laying fiber in every location.
According to PTA officials, each telecom operator will decide where fiber deployment is the better option and where E-Band wireless backhaul is a more practical solution.
Officials also clarified that no additional spectrum charges are being imposed for the E-Band assignment. They added that the Frequency Allocation Board will continue approving microwave spectrum allocations as part of the regulatory process.
According to officials, the combination of expanded fiber infrastructure and E-Band wireless backhaul is expected to strengthen Pakistan’s 5G infrastructure while improving the quality and coverage of next-generation mobile services.
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