Islamabad, Oct 22: US Consultancy NERA to Oversee Pakistan’s 5G Auction Process
The letter of intent (LOI) to provide consulting services to the Pakistani government in the 5G spectrum auction/release of IMT spectrum for the enhancement of Next Generation Mobile Broadband Services in the nation has been accepted by National Economic Research Associates Inc. (NERA), an international consulting firm based in the United States.
The government intends to finish the 5G spectrum auction by April 2025, therefore the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) sent NERA a letter of intent (LOI) with a seven-day turnaround time.
According to sources, the LOI on the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority’s (PPRA) e-Pak Acquisition & Disposal System (EPADS) was approved by NERA. An agreement between the parties is anticipated to be signed this week, following which NERA will formally begin operations. Within 60 working days, the consulting firm must produce a report on the spectrum’s valuation, including the base price and other technical factors.
NERA was chosen to provide consulting services to the Government of Pakistan for the spectrum auction/release of IMT Spectrum in order to improve Next Generation Mobile Broadband Services in the nation. NERA placed in the top two technical companies and had the lowest financial bid of $0.750 million.
In order to identify the discrepancy and propose a phase-wise auction of paired spectrum in the 700 MHz, 1800 MHz, and 2100 MHz bands and unpaired spectrum in the 2300 MHz, 2600 MHz, and 3500 MHz bands, compare Pakistan’s current cellular/IMT spectrum assignments with regional patterns.
For the spectrum bands listed in (b) above, the per MHz spectrum pricing is determined in USD and PKR with forecasts for the next three years using both supply-side and demand-side models. Additionally, creative payment options such as flexible/dynamic installment plans are provided. different alternatives based on scenarios for each MHz pricing in relation to rollout requirements, payment conditions, etc.
A study on spectrum valuation is also included, along with forecasts for the next three years. It includes the base price in USD and PKR for paired spectrum in the 700 MHz, 1800 MHz, and 2100 MHz bands and unpaired spectrum in the 2300 MHz, 2600 MHz, and 3500 MHz bands.
