5G goes live in major cities as PTA awards licences
ISLAMABAD: Following the formal signing of the spectrum auction results on Thursday, telecom operators have launched 5G services in selected areas across major cities of the country.
The licence agreements were signed by Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Director General Licensing Aamir Shahzad with senior management of Jazz, Ufone and Zong at a ceremony attended by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, IT and Telecom Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja and PTA Chairman Hafeezur Rehman.
Jazz, Ufone and Zong have officially launched 5G services after being awarded Next Generation Mobile Services (NGMS)/5G licences by the PTA.
Jazz said that in the first phase, 5G is live across 180 sites in several major cities, including Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar, Quetta, Multan and Faisalabad.
PM hails launch as ‘major milestone’ for Pakistan
With the addition of new spectrum, the company claimed it is delivering faster speeds, low latency and improved reliability, while continuing to expand its nationwide 4G network.
In the recent auction, Jazz was the only operator to secure spectrum across all key bands, including 700 MHz, 2,300 MHz, 2,600 MHz and 3,500 MHz. The company said it has invested over $11 billion in Pakistan over three decades.
Ufone, aiming to strengthen its position in the 5G market, acquired the largest share of the 3,500 MHz band, considered the global standard for 5G.
The company is also in the final phase of acquiring Telenor Pakistan. The combined entity, ‘MergeCo’, is expected to become the country’s largest spectrum holder with a diversified portfolio of 292.4 MHz, which is 8 MHz more than the closest competitor, Jazz.
Zong announced that its 5G services have been commercially launched in more than 16 cities, including Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar and Quetta. The company plans to deploy and upgrade over 1,000 5G sites nationwide in 2026.
Zong added that it conducted Pakistan’s first 5G trial in 2019. Its parent company, China Mobile Limited, is the world’s largest telecommunications operator.
‘Major milestone’
Addressing the ceremony, PM Shehbaz congratulated telecom companies on their spectrum acquisitions. He said the launch of 5G marked a major milestone for Pakistan and would benefit sectors such as agriculture, technology and industry.
Stressing that the spectrum auction was conducted transparently despite legal challenges, he appreciated Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar for facilitating the process.
He added that transactions such as the divestment of Pakistan International Airlines were also carried out transparently, setting new precedents.
The premier expressed hope that 5G would expand nationwide and stressed the need to accelerate adoption so that youth can benefit from modern technology.
Speaking on the occasion, the IT minister said that 480 MHz of spectrum had been added to the system, up from 274 MHz previously, which would significantly improve internet speeds. She added that while 5G has been launched, 4G services would also improve.
The PTA chairman said Pakistan now ranks first in the region in terms of spectrum capacity.
With input from Syed Irfan Raza
Published in Dawn, March 20th, 2026