Pakistan eyes 5G launch in 2024

Supposed rollout this year delayed amid political change

Pakistan is gearing up for the launching of its 5G network services by August 2024, the country’s Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication (MoITT) said. 

According to local reports, the ministry has developed and submitted to the caretaker federal cabinet a comprehensive business plan to inaugurate 5G services in the country.

To ensure a smooth and efficient rollout, the plan includes the hiring of an international consultant to advise in the development of an auction mechanism of available 5G spectrum, as well as the creation of an inter-ministerial advisory committee to oversee 5G development. 

“We took a big step forward for 5G spectrum auction in Pakistan, with the Federal Cabinet ratifying the decision to constitute an auction advisory committee, taking the first step towards spectrum auction,” said Pakistan’s Caretaker Minister for IT and Telecommunication Dr. Umar Said.

The Ministry also noted that every operator should be allocated spectrum with a competitive process in place for spectrum allocation in a bid to ensure a fair and competitive environment.

In addition to these developments, Dr. Said added that the Cabinet approved the National framework for telecom infrastructure sharing which will enable the telecom companies to reduce their cost of business and improve their coverage footprint by sharing their infrastructure.

Previous reports showed that the government had planned to launch 5G technology in Pakistan by March 2023 but was delayed and moved to June 2023 due to political change in the country.