Pakistan retains G5 regulator status in ITU Benchmark

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has achieved significant success in the global telecommunications regulatory review, retaining its status as a G5 regulator in the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Regulatory Benchmark 2025. The country’s overall score was 75.77, reflecting significant progress in regulatory reforms.

According to the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), Pakistan’s score in 2021 was 58.64, which increased to 75.77 in 2025. During this period, there were significant improvements in spectrum management, competitive framework and digital policy.

The PTA said that Pakistan remained in the “Advanced” regulatory maturity range, which further strengthened the country’s reputation in global telecom forums. According to the statement, digital alignment and regulatory reforms have been appreciated globally and Pakistan is rapidly moving towards the leading tier.

The agency said that by changing the license templates and operational conditions, the uplink speed for premium services has been reduced from 25% of the downlink to 20%. The minimum downlink speed for 5G is 50 Mbps, while the standard for 4G users has been increased from 4 Mbps to 20 Mbps.

The announcement further said that the successful companies will have to set up at least 1,000 new sites every year, of which 20% will be in completely new locations. Interested companies will be able to submit applications and pre-bid deposits by February 27, while the auction of 5G spectrum will be on March 10, 2026.

The government has put up for auction a total of about 597 MHz of spectrum in the 700, 1800, 2100, 2300, 2600 and 3500 MHz bands. In the initial phase, 5G services will be launched in Islamabad and the four provincial capitals.