Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication, Shaza Fatima Khawaja, recently confirmed that 5G services will roll out within months, starting in seven major cities. The announcement came during the 26th ITCN Asia Expo held in Karachi. The government said preparations are largely complete, with final steps focused on auctioning spectrum, upgrading infrastructure, and ensuring reliable connectivity.
Spectrum Auction and Policy Directive
The timing of Pakistan’s 5G deployment depends heavily on the upcoming spectrum auction, which holds major implications for how fast, how wide, and how strong 5G coverage will be. The IT Ministry is awaiting issuance of a policy directive that will set rules for spectrum valuation and auction design.
An international consultant is advising the government on these technical aspects. Key frequency bands under discussion include the 2600 MHz band, and mid-band spectrum availability will shape how well 5G performs in both dense urban areas and quieter suburbs.
Infrastructure Upgrades and Connectivity Gaps to Address Before Full Deployment
To support 5G, Pakistan must strengthen its digital infrastructure. Key bottlenecks include damaged submarine cables especially near Jeddah in the Red Sea which have affected international bandwidth, inconsistent fibre-optic backhaul links, and limited fibre-to-tower or tower connected by fibre coverage.
The Ministry is also pushing for expanded optical fibre networks, increasing international cable capacity, and resolving Right-of-Way (RoW) issues to lay fibre more easily. These upgrades aim to ensure that once 5G is live, it doesn’t suffer from frequent downtimes or speed bottlenecks.
Economic Context and Digital Pakistan into Bigger Tech Ambitions
5G rollout isn’t just about faster phones. The government frames it as part of its Digital Pakistan vision, which includes improving IT exports, expanding youth training in technology especially AI and cybersecurity, promoting innovation ecosystems, and enabling a cashless economy.
Minister Khawaja emphasized that 5G, combined with emerging technologies, will help Pakistan meet targets under its agreement with Saudi Arabia and attract foreign investment. Lower inflation, macroeconomic stabilisation, and improved ease-of-doing-business measures are also part of the narrative supporting the rollout.
What Users and Businesses Could Gain from 5G in Pakistan
Once operational, 5G is expected to deliver much faster internet speeds, lower latency, more reliable connections, and support for high-bandwidth applications. For ordinary users, that could mean smoother video streaming, better gaming, quicker downloads, more reliable video calls.
For businesses and industries, 5G opens opportunities in IoT smart agriculture, telemedicine, augmented reality, and enhanced digital services. Urban areas will benefit first, but government plans suggest extending coverage gradually. Youth trained in digital skills are expected to find new job possibilities in tech fields.
What Could Slow Down 5G’s Arrival and Reach
Despite the positive outlook, several challenges remain. Economic constraints are real: acquiring and deploying expensive infrastructure, ensuring affordable devices, and maintaining power and connectivity in remote or rural regions all cost money.
Legal or regulatory issues such as resolving disputes over spectrum bands some of which are under litigation, telecom company mergers, and spectrum valuation can delay the process. Also, network reliability suffers currently e.g. due to submarine cable cuts which undermines user trust. Ensuring security, managing electromagnetic spectrum, and creating affordability for consumers and ISPs will be crucial.
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