Wi-Tribe to launch 4.5G service in Pakistan from June

E-Paper | October 05, 2026

Wi-Tribe to launch 4.5G service in Pakistan from June

APP Published March 21, 2017

Wi-Tribe will be launching 4.5G service for the first time in Pakistan, with the target to be operational in five cities by June 2017.

According to private news channels, Wi-Tribe has announced a $15 million contract, forming a strategic partnership with China's Huawei, for the advanced up-gradation of LTE services in at least five cities, including Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Karachi, and Faisalabad.

4.5G provides better performance than 4G systems and is used as an interim step towards the deployment of full 5G capability.

The technology will initially be tested at the head office in Islamabad before it becomes fully operational across the city.

This is the first time that LTE-A (5G) is being inducted in Pakistan's broadband-saturated market. This is also the first time that 3.5 Ghz is being deployed in South Asia and the Middle East.

LTE-A equipment is capable of delivering data at the rate of 1GB per second, compared to LTE, which can only deliver as much as 300MB per second.

However, Wi-Tribe will provide speeds of 100Mbps per connection. By the end of 2018, these will be raised to 200Mbps.

The service provider plans to deliver 400Mbps to its customers by 2019.

Wi-Tribe was launched in Pakistan in 2009 and provides telecommunication services in five cities.

Tech

$1.1 billion raised from 3G, 4G auction

3G and 4G mobile internet users cross 30m milestone

Telenor Pakistan granted 4G license for $395m

amumiya

Mar 21, 2017 04:51pm

i am laughing ,whos going to affrd this and where is efficiency of 3g .

Recommend 0

KHALID YOUSAFZAI (UK)

Mar 21, 2017 04:53pm

how much % tax increase for the general public ......entering into politician's pockets

Recommend 0

MOhammed

Mar 21, 2017 04:57pm

Do we have 3 G and 4 G operational as claim by the operators, if yes, is there is any survey conducted by the PTA, which proves 3G and 4G is operational. I have serious doubts as it take ages to open web page on the mobile set Good luck with 4.5 G

Recommend 0

A. A.

Mar 21, 2017 05:07pm

Its not about the speed (anything above 20Mbps is a good enough speed for almost all the internet services). Its about reliability of the connection. In my experience, Fibre to the user (FTTU) has been the most reliable technology for consistent high speed internet. I personally use a 500 Mbps connection at home and hardly see any difference in the quality of internet services in comparison to my old 100 Mbps connection. Suggest to concentrate on consistency than the Mbps numbers (speed).

Recommend 0

I m Pakistan

Mar 21, 2017 05:26pm

Wi tribe once used to be a hope in Pakistani market, however very rapidly lost its place by surrendering it's quality goals. Now it's just a money grabbing machine. It won't make much difference what technology its using until it improves upon its customer care standards. It lacks coverage in major part of country. The outdated equipment thus spared by adopting 4.5G will be relocated to other areas hence they will still retain the tetechnology.

Recommend 0

I m Pakistan

Mar 21, 2017 05:21pm

Recommend 0

Prashant

Mar 21, 2017 05:29pm

You don't use a spectrum of 3.5GHz, that's insanity.

Recommend 0

PTI SUPPORTER

Mar 21, 2017 05:50pm

This would be great. I'm eagerly waiting for fastest internet.

Recommend 0

Mark

Mar 21, 2017 05:55pm

Pakistan have only 2 G service ...Majority of people do not know how fast is 4G service ..WI-Tribe broadband service is rubbish. First they need to increase broadband service to minimum 10 MB

Recommend 0

Najum

Mar 21, 2017 06:13pm

Wi-Tribe provides virtually no bandwidth quotas. You pretty much run out of BW allocations after watching about a dozen so youtube videos.

Recommend 0

apoorva

Mar 21, 2017 06:22pm

Verizon is still testing 5g and Pakistanis are using 4.5 g .Great !!!!

Recommend 0

N.Sid

Mar 21, 2017 06:32pm

@Mark So you know more about Pakistan living in India. Pakistan has functional 3G and 4G service and broadband customers has surpassed 50 million.

Recommend 0

Maxx

Mar 21, 2017 06:35pm

@apoorva Read it again in the write up. "This is the first time that LTE-A is being inducted in Pakistan's broadband saturated market. This is also the first time that 3.5 Ghz is being deployed in South Asia and Middle East."

Recommend 0

Nawaz

Mar 21, 2017 06:37pm

Nice joke!

Recommend 0

Fudayl Z. ahmad

Mar 21, 2017 06:40pm

@Mark you should try to know more about Pakistan, no matter you are an Indian or not.

Recommend 0

JP Gupta

Mar 21, 2017 06:39pm

Thats Nice!!. Good going Pakistan..

Recommend 0

Awais

Mar 21, 2017 06:43pm

First introduce unlimited monthly usage packages, that would be a great start

Recommend 0

saudagar

Mar 21, 2017 06:52pm

let every pakistani and indian be able to pay all bills of electricity,housing,taxes,grocery,medics,cylinders,newspapers all errands ,this saves billions in travelling and man hours ,thanks to technology !

Recommend 0

vikas

Mar 21, 2017 07:01pm

Hey Did you guys finally get HD dish TV or still waiting for it? Maybe you can see TV in 4.5G phone now. Keep it up.

Recommend 0

A. A.

Mar 21, 2017 07:12pm

@saudagar We pay bills online without stepping outside our homes via internet banking, easypaisa and other similar services (though most still goes to the banks, mainly due to lack of knowledge). I personally don't remember the last time I actually went to a bank to pay utility bills.

Recommend 0

72v

Mar 21, 2017 07:52pm

Hope the price beats India price of less than 10 Rupees a day for 1 GB data

Recommend 0

Tariq GUlzar

Mar 21, 2017 08:20pm

Handset availability of 4.5G handsets and network coverage will be the major challenges and until they become widely available it will be a theoretical and show case service only.

Recommend 0

SID

Mar 21, 2017 08:17pm

@72v Good joke.

Recommend 0

Zakir hussain

Mar 21, 2017 08:34pm

@72v Hope the price beats India price of less than 10 Rupees a day for 1 GB data.. 10rs converted to pakistan currency will be around Rs5

Recommend 0

Sameer

Mar 21, 2017 09:27pm

Blown my mind was. I was thinking of commenting congratulatory message...then I saw 100Mbps Max and 400Mbps by 2019. Not even half of what LTE A offers even in the 4.5G brackets. This is not even news.

Recommend 0

SWEET

Mar 21, 2017 09:31pm

@Zakir hussain sir it will be 16 pkr not 5.pls check inr to pkr exchange rate.Not Ur imaginary rate.

Recommend 0

SID

Mar 21, 2017 10:04pm

@Zakir hussain Reliance JIO offers 1GB 4G data @ INR 10 per day ( PKR @ 16 per day ) . After 1GB data consumption, speed will be down to 128 Kbps. Plus there free voice call for life time. Govt owned telecom giant BSNL has unveiled a plan for 2GB 3G data @ INR 11 per day ( PKR @ 18 per day.) This includes outgoing call free for 25 minute per day to any network.

Recommend 0

Zakir hussain

Mar 21, 2017 10:32pm

@SWEET sorry typo..read 15 instead of 5

Recommend 0

Branded Content

Putting better health in more hands: Reckitt Pakistan unveils Saaf Sehatmand Pakistan in partnership with Aga Khan Foundation

Powered by Dettol and Harpic, the flagship platform begins in schools to provide safe drinking water, rehabilitated toilets, handwashing facilities and hygiene education.

28 years of McDonald’s Pakistan: celebrating the local partners behind the Golden Arches

The milestone highlighted the structural evolution of the company's local procurement model.

Etihad Town Sialkot delivers Possession ahead of time

The project was delivered within just 1.5 years against a 3-year payment plan, while commercial possession had already been handed over to customers in January 2026.