ISLAMABAD – On Tuesday, March 10, 2026, VEON Ltd. announced that its Pakistani subsidiary, Jazz (JazzWorld), emerged as the largest winner in the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority’s (PTA) historic Next Generation Mobile Services (NGMS) auction. Jazz secured 190 MHz of additional spectrum for a total sum of $239.375 million, tripling its total holdings and solidifying its position as the country’s primary digital infrastructure provider.
The auction, which raised a total of $507 million for the Pakistani government, marks a decisive pivot in the nation’s digital strategy, nearly tripling the total spectrum available to mobile operators from 274 MHz to 754 MHz.
Technical Specs: Multi-Band 5G Portfolio
Jazz’s acquisition strategy focused on a balanced “coverage and capacity” model, securing vital frequencies across four key bands:
- 700 MHz (20 MHz): Specifically acquired for wide-area coverage and penetration in rural and underserved communities.
- 2300 MHz (50 MHz): Dedicated to enhancing network capacity and urban mobile broadband.
- 2600 MHz (70 MHz): The primary mid-band for high-speed 5G deployment.
- 3500 MHz (50 MHz): High-frequency spectrum for ultra-low latency and enterprise-level 5G services.
The addition brings Jazz’s total spectrum holdings from 94.4 MHz to 284.4 MHz. This capacity expansion is critical for a market where average data consumption (8 GB/user) currently lags significantly behind the regional average (20 GB/user).
Context: The “Digital Highway” Reform
The auction follows a period of “spectrum starvation” in Pakistan, where limited bandwidth had constrained the rollout of high-quality digital services. VEON Group CEO Kaan Terzioğlu commended the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication for conducting a “forward-looking” auction that creates a conducive environment for investment.
To support this new spectrum, Jazz has committed to a $1 billion investment over the next three years to modernize its core network and scale its “JazzWorld” digital ecosystem, which currently serves over 100 million users across fintech, health-tech, and entertainment services.
Operational Rationale
Aamir Ibrahim, CEO of JazzWorld, highlighted that the new spectrum allows the company to transition from a “Connectivity Company” to a full-scale “ServiceCo.”
“As we upgrade our customer value proposition with augmented intelligence, it is essential to continue investing in technologies that enable superior digital experiences,” Ibrahim stated.
The company also announced that 5G test trials will be available at 180 towers for Jazz customers starting Wednesday, March 11.
Next Step: Assignment Stage
While the allocation stage is complete, the Assignment Stage is scheduled for Thursday, March 12, 2026. During this technical phase, operators and the PTA will finalize the exact frequency positions (upper, middle, or lower segments) within each band to prevent interference and optimize network planning.
Following assignment, initial 5G rollouts are expected to begin in Islamabad and provincial capitals within the next five to six months.
