The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has forwarded the Spectrum Sharing Framework to the Ministry of IT and Telecom (MoIT&T) after developing and approving it under Clause 8.16 of the Telecom Policy 2015.
According to PTA documents, the initiative is intended to improve spectrum efficiency, accelerate the rollout of 4G and 5G services, reduce infrastructure duplication, and lower overall network deployment costs.
The updated draft is now awaiting policy-level approval from the Federal Government. The framework is designed to allow eligible telecom license holders to share assigned spectrum across multiple frequency bands, including 700, 850, 900, 1800, 2100, 2300, 2600, and 3500 MHz.
The framework allows spectrum sharing between licensees of the same category while requiring operators to continue meeting existing rollout targets, Quality of Service (QoS) standards, and regulatory obligations.
PTA said the move is aimed at improving the use of limited national spectrum resources and supporting faster digital expansion across Pakistan.
The development comes alongside the introduction of the Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) Framework 2024, which opened the 6 GHz band for unlicensed use to support next-generation Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 technologies.
In another step to improve digital penetration, PTA started issuing District Level Class Licenses for Internet Services from January 1, 2026.
These licenses are valid for 10 years and are limited to one district per entity in an effort to promote local entrepreneurship. The licensing structure includes a Rs. 20,000 application processing fee and an initial license fee of Rs. 300,000.
The federal and provincial governments have also introduced measures to support telecom infrastructure growth by removing Right of Way (ROW) charges.
Following directives issued by the Prime Minister in 2025, organizations, including the Capital Development Authority, National Highway Authority, and several provincial governments, issued notifications to abolish or reduce ROW charges to zero.
The governments of Punjab, Balochistan, and Sindh have specifically moved to eliminate these charges to encourage the expansion of fiber optic infrastructure.
Although most federal and provincial authorities have implemented the ROW waiver directives, issues related to cantonment areas are still unresolved.
The Prime Minister has directed the Minister for Economic Affairs to coordinate with the Ministry of Defense to resolve the remaining matters.
Telecom operators have indicated plans to significantly expand fixed-line infrastructure in the coming years following these cost-reduction measures.
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