Dawn
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02:36 Dec 30, 2025
• Companies say it must reflect sector’s ‘economic realities’, urge federal cabinet to prioritise long-term benefits over short-term revenue • Call for pragmatic approach aligned with national objectives • Zong, Huawei test high-capacity backhaul ahead of 5G rollout ISLAMABAD: The telecom industry has demanded rational conditions in the spectrum auction policy expected to be announced by the federal cabinet in the coming days, suggesting that the government needs to prioritise long-term economic benefits over short-term revenue generation. Telecom companies say spectrum is an invisible infrastructure but a crucial one as it drives digital connectivity — the foundation of modern life. Financial technology adoption, freelancer platforms, and digital tools used by schools and hospitals all depend on mobile broadband capacity. However, the problem is that while the demand for connectivity has surged in the country, spectrum availability remains scarce. Currently, Pakistan has just 274 MHz of spectrum allocated na...