By James Barton
Pakistan and Indonesia are preparing to auction 5G spectrum in the near future.
Following a public consultation on the use of 700MHz and 26GHz spectrum, Indonesia’s Ministry of Communication and Informatics – known locally as KemKominfo – is set to auction spectrum in these bands “for the purposes of providing cellular mobile networks” and with the goal of bringing national 5G speeds “closer to developed countries.”
While KemKominfo did not specify a timeframe for auctions, it appears Pakistan’s Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication (MoITT) is hoping to see 5G services launch by August 2024, with CommsUpdate reporting that the ministry has submitted a business plan for the launch of 5G to Pakistan’s caretaker federal cabinet.
According to local media, the proposals include establishing an inter-ministerial committee to advise on 5G development, as well as appointing an international consultant to help structure the auction of 5G-capable spectrum.
The MoITT has reportedly also made proposals aimed at lowering the cost of deploying infrastructure, and is exploring further ways of encouraging operators to bid in the spectrum auction. The ministry underlined that a competitive process must be used to allocate spectrum to ensure fair competition.
