Federal Minister for IT and Telecommunication, Shaza Fatima, announced Pakistan’s preparation for a nationwide 5G rollout following plans to double the country’s internet spectrum. Since the last auction in 2014, Pakistan has operated on 274 MHz of spectrum. Doubling this will significantly improve digital connectivity.
The Minister highlighted ongoing infrastructure progress, including connections to seven submarine cables and plans for three more. By year-end, Pakistan will link to the world’s largest submarine cable, boosting internet capacity further.
To encourage digital inclusion, the government is developing policies for easy smartphone installment purchases. Under the DigiSkills initiative, 100,000 people were trained last year, and the plan now aims to train one million students in Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Shaza Fatima emphasized empowering women in the digital economy, affirming efforts to ensure public spaces are safe for women to actively contribute to Pakistan’s digital transformation.
