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Round 6 of the 3G auction concludes with no new bids: Live updates
[April 23, 2014]

Round 6 of the 3G auction concludes with no new bids: Live updates


(Express Tribune (Pakistan) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) To boost Pakistan's digital economy, the government on Wednesday began the sale of 3G and 4G licences to cellular service providers. Available to citizens of more than 160 countries, the decade-old technology is auctioned to four major telecom companies with government aiming to raise up to $1.3 billion.



Since the auction process was terminated prematurely on three different occasions in the past, the event is seen by all segments of the society as a historical moment.

5:10pm The figures remain unchanged at the end of Round 6.


According to DG Commercial Affairs PTA Dr Mohammad Saleem, if no new bids are placed for three rounds, the PTA may conclude the auction.

"60 percent to 70 percent of the auction process is complete," he added.

Colin Brooks, associate partner with Value Partners Management Consulting Limited, one of the firms consulting the PTA, said that the auction was transparent, efficient and timely, and will probably meet its intended target.

#3GAuction is slower than Internet Explorer and PTCL Broadband #10but misbah still wins :) mdash Jao Muh Dho Ja Kr (@hassanthegr8) April 23, 2014 So no change in bids for round 5 and 6. Is this the saturation point? #10#3gAuction #Pakistan mdash Faizan Qureshi (@faizanqur) April 23, 2014 4:35pm @WajSKhan @Goshno @arif_isf all bidders have 3 waivers each. We await next round bids and once all waivers run out I think it should end mdash Omar Manzur (@isloodiaries) April 23, 2014 3:55pm According to the PTA website, the results have not changed after Round 5.

2:55pm Round 5 results are expected at 3:45pm.

The market talk is that the PTA is looking good for $1.3 billion.

With free tea and snacks available at the event, the atmosphere at the auction is festive and the PTA chairperson looks upbeat as he mingles with the attendees.

2:45pm Round 4 saw bidding only for Block A, in which the bid increased by$6.02 million.

This brings the total bid of all four blocks at end of Round 4 to $902.82 million, a total increase of $17.82 million from Round 1.

There is still no interest shown in Blocks B and C.

Considering how slowly the auction is moving, it might go on for another day.

2:30pm According to an information and communications technology (ICT) expert, the auction is going according to PTA's expectations and the government is likely to generate revenue between $1.2 billion and $1.5 billion.

The expert added that currently the operators are bidding on 10MHz blocks (A and D) and once the the companies feel they could lose out in the bid, they will then switch to the 5MHz blocks (B and C) which have not shown any change throughout the three rounds.

2:12pm #3G Spectrum Auction #Pakistan the road traversed from Chairman #PTA presentation. pic.twitter.com/NcW8y0yeak mdash Parvez Iftikhar (@Parvez_Iftikhar) April 23, 2014 2:07pm PTA chairperson while speaking to The Express Tribune said he is hopeful that the government will raise at least $1.1 billion from the auction.

The telecommunication officials also said that the auction may be extended till tomorrow or even day after it.

2:00pm After #3GAuction it'll take years for #Pakistan to actually get #3G, nations at the same time would've moved to more newer techs like 5G LTE mdash Anonymous (@AnonymousPKT) April 23, 2014 idding to continue till we get a winner. Auction can enter into second day, or even third day as well. #3gAuction http://t.co/CpoDGQQYb4 mdash Zohaib (@Iwantmzr7back) April 23, 2014 1:55pm The results of the spectrum auction will determine whether or not the auction was a success. But for PTA this is a big test after all this is the job PTA's chief and his team were trusted with by the finance ministry.

In his budget speech for fiscal 2014, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar had set a target of $1.2 billion under non-tax revenues, which was supposed to be earned from the auction of 3G licences.

Dar went one step further in January this year and said the government was expecting to raise $2 billion from the auction,which was later reduced to $1.3m after the absence of any new entrant.

1:47pm The fourth round of bidding is underway and the results are expected around 2pm.

4G technology has already been deployed in 101 countries.

1:25pm In the third round, PTA received a total bid of $896.8 million.The bid for lot A increased by $5.9 million. The results can be viewed below: 3G and 4G Spectrum Auction going on , results are good at stage 3#10http://t.co/PcO5a3mlMx mdash Armando Ali Handroo (@ShaukatAliY) April 23, 2014 g1:15pm If one of the four bidders who are each bidding for four blocks bids higher on a second block, they will get that too. This means that one company can lose out in the auction.

Therefore, all bidders have to be careful when they keep their bids the same in each round in case someone swoops in and bids higher for the block they are bidding the base price for.

1:00pm The bidding for the third phase of the auction is ongoing and the result is expected to be announced at 1:30pm.

3G/4G auction underway in #Pakistan. Lots of suits here. pic.twitter.com/G07casRiSc mdash Nosheen Abbas (@Goshno) April 23, 2014 Late but much needed #3G and #4G Auction in #Pakistan History in the Making. Pakistan can produce many future Tech Gaints! #TechChilla mdash Kamran Y. Khan (@IMKamiKhan) April 23, 2014 12:45pm Expressing their frustration, some of the people seem to be bored with the auction drama and cannot wait to find out the result of the spectrum auction.

ored with this auction woction drama can I just have 3G on my phone now?! mdash Samra Muslim (@samramuslim) April 23, 2014 Wake me up when the auction ends. #3GAuction #3GO mdash FurSid (@fursid) April 23, 2014 For an all-electronic auction, we sure as hell know how to waste time. Tea break, lunch break, 11 o clock starting time.

mdash Abdullah Saad (@kursed) April 23, 2014 12:35pm The second phase of bidding is also complete. There has been an increase in the total bid as compared to the first phase of bidding. The results can be viewed below: 12:30pm The CEOs of telecom companies participate in the spectrum auction from their offices.

CEOs of #telecom companies participating in #3G auction from their offices pic.twitter.com/OMw4qvcUOP mdash Mudassir Jehangir (@mjmufti) April 23, 2014 12:20pm The PTA Chairperson Syed Ismail Shah addresses the attendees at the spectrum auction.

Chairman PTA addressing #3G auction session. Auction starts after this. Bravo Ismail Shah pic.twitter.com/XRGtMo1eKa mdash Mudassir Jehangir (@mjmufti) April 23, 2014 A lot excitement and buzz can be seen at the Marriot hotel in Islamabad at this historic moment.

At the Marriott #3g auction. Lots of excitement and buzz. Full house with attendees from #mobilink and other celco's. pic.twitter.com/U3ft18RFCn mdash Omar Manzur (@isloodiaries) April 23, 2014 12:10pm PTA has organised the viewing of online bidding at Marriot in Islamabad. As big screens flicker with bidding activity, journalists, politicians and members of civil society gather together to witness what many called a historic moment.

The successful auction of 3G and 4G spectrums is expected to create more than 900,000 jobs in the country's telecom sector.g 12:00pm According to RadioPakistan, PTA has received $885 million in the first phase of bidding for the 3G and 4G auction.

The first phase of bidding for 3 and 4 G spectrum license auction has been completed, in which PTA has received 885 million US dollars offers mdash Radio Pakistan (@RadioPakistan) April 23, 2014 #PTA has received offers beyond base price on completion of first phase of 3 and 4G spectrum licenses auction: Chairman PTA Dr. Ismael Shah mdash Radio Pakistan (@RadioPakistan) April 23, 2014 11:50am It is hoped that next generation mobile services will enable higher GDP growth and introduce more innovative e-services, such as E-medicine and E-education.

The deployment of 4G technologies will also provide our engineers and technician opportunities to acquire the latest skills and become competitive in the international market.

Stage backdrop for PTA 3G auction seems like it was designed 15 years back #Pakistan pic.twitter.com/RJlJ4Kjug0 mdash Hassan Naqvi (@shznaqvi) April 23, 2014 3G 4G auction. oh god, what are we doing when the poor can't even buy tomatoes? #Eh mdash Madam Speaker Sherni (@mahobili) April 23, 2014 Most probably Telenor and Mobilink would be coming up with the highest bids, followed by Zong and Ufone. Warid stays behind.

mdash Umer Mukhtar (@umerspeaks) April 23, 2014 11:40am The auction is being carried out under the Simultaneous Multiple Round Ascending (SMRA) mechanism.

Under the SMRA mechanism, all lots are auctioned simultaneously over a series of rounds. Bids are submitted on individual lots at the announced prices in each round, at the end of which a standing high bidder is identified for each lot.

The standing high bidder is committed to the lot and cannot withdraw he is only released when outbid by another bidder. When a lot receives at least one bid, the price for the lot increases in the next round.

11:35am All four bids for the 3G auction have been committed. The bidding for the auction of the 4G spectrum will now start.

More than 160 countries have already launched 3G mobile services including Afghanistan.

11:20am: People on twitter express disappointment over the fact that Warid one of the main telecom companies in Pakistan is not participating in the auction.

Mobilink, Telenor, Ufone and Zong taking part in the bid to secure their 3G and 4G licenses. Where is @OfficialWarid? mdash Tanvir Hussain (@TanvirH) April 23, 2014 Ufone, Mobilink, Telenor and Zong, all four are bidding for 3G and Im here using Warid. Just converted to it 3 months back! =( mdash Hassan Zia (@Hzia24) April 23, 2014 The four obviously being Ufone, Mobilink, Telenor and Zong. Warid misses out.

mdash Emad Zafar (@EmadZafar) April 23, 2014 11:10am All the four existing telecom companies who had submitted bids 3G and 4Gspectrumglicences had qualified for the auction.

After scrutiny of submitted bids, China Mobile (Zong), PTML (UFone), Mobilink and Telenor Pakistan qualified for the bidding. Warid, the fifth local telecom operator, did not participate in the bidding process.

Today is D-Day or in #Telecom terms 3G/4G day. Bidding has started and Telenor, Mobilink, Ufone and Zong are participating. #3gAuction #Pakistan mdash Wajahat Kazmi (@kazmiwajahat) April 23, 2014 11:00am Number of active 3G subscriptions have surpassed one billion, according to experts. Third-generation mobile services is now a decade old technology.

People on twitter question why it took Pakistan so long: So auction for 3G and 4G started today !!! Why did it take us 2-3 years to do it?? No one answerable!! No one questionable #ThisIsPakistan mdash Amjad Ali (@mrcruizy) April 23, 2014 10:55am The base prices for 3G and 4G licences have been set at $295 million per 10MHz and $210 million per 10MHz respectively.

3G and 4G Auction, #Pakistan finally to jump into the league of the extraordinary internet speeds ) mdash Elie Gohar Durrani (@khaneliegohar) April 23, 2014 10:50am The first phase of the auction has begun.

In order to ensure transparency, the PTA has decided to keep the auction web-based which will not require the physical presence of the four cellular mobile operators (CMOs) participating in the bidding process.

10:45am Anxiously waiting :) all set for spe ctrum auction #4G #PTA mdash Kashif Zulfiqar (@kzkashif01) April 23, 2014 The Day of Judgement Arrives :) #10#Pakistan going for formal spectrum auction after delaying it thrice. http://t.co/WPLRehehZi #Tech mdash Muhammad Tahir Akbar (@Tahir_Akbar2) April 23, 2014 Happy 3G/4G Auction Day. Magic is in the air! In other news, little sparrows and other animals helped me get ready for work ala Cinderella.

mdash Dishoom Bhai Jaan (@dishoomjee) April 23, 2014 i cant wait for dancing adds of mobile companies after the 3G auction mdash Jao Muh Dho Ja Kr (@hassanthegr8) April 23, 2014 10:40am The bidding will take place in 5 phases, each 45 minutes long.

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority has put on sale 30MHz of spectrum in 3G [2100MHz] band and 20MHz of spectrum in 4G [1800MHz] band.

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