Pakistan is set to enter the 5G era with a rollout decision made for seven major cities in the first phase. The country’s federal minister for IT and Telecommunications, Shaza Fatima Khawaja, shared the plan for the country’s next-gen cellular transformation during the 26th ITCN Asia Expo in Karachi.
Pakistan plans for 5G rollout:
- 5G will be launched in 7 major cities in Pakistan
- The government aims to enhance digital infrastructure with next-gen cellular technology
- The plan aligns with the Digital Pakistan vision
But there are challenges the country must grapple with to realize its 5G vision.
- 5G takes exceptionally high investment capital. It requires funding for new cell towers, fiber networks, repair and maintenance, technicians, etc.
- Likewise, migrating from 4G to 5G could pose a challenge if the next-gen network’s use is not justified.
- Users with 4G only handsets will be deprived of the benefits of 5G
Khawaja also shared that the government is preparing to auction 600 MHz of spectrum, which will be the “largest spectrum auction” in the country’s history. She further added that the auction process will be complete by the end of February. 5G will go live in the first half of 2026.
With the next-gen technology, the country seeks to improve its technology landscape by introducing faster mobile data and transforming the broadband experience, which has far-reaching applications spanning agriculture, education, healthcare, etc.