Pakistan’s telecom sector has entered the 5G era as Jazz, Zong, and Ufone officially received their 5G licences from the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA). Following the award, Jazz and Zong immediately launched commercial 5G services across major cities, while Ufone is preparing for rollout.
Zong announced the launch of 5G services in more than 16 cities, including Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, and Quetta, with plans to deploy over 1,000 5G sites nationwide this year. The operator is positioning 5G as a platform for enterprise growth, targeting use cases such as cloud services, IoT ecosystems, CCTV solutions, and broader digital transformation. It also plans to leverage AI for personalization, network optimization, and predictive maintenance.
Jazz has rolled out its initial 5G phase across approximately 180 sites in provincial capitals and key metro hubs, including Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi, and Faisalabad. The operator emphasized its spectrum strength, having secured 190 MHz across multiple bands (700 MHz, 2300 MHz, 2600 MHz, and 3500 MHz), enabling a multi-layered network designed for both coverage and capacity. Jazz also confirmed it will continue strengthening its 4G network alongside 5G expansion.
Ufone, while receiving its licence, has yet to launch commercial 5G services. The operator highlighted its strong spectrum position, particularly in the 3.5 GHz band, and expects further advantage following the pending merger with Telenor Pakistan. Once approved, the combined entity is expected to hold 292.4 MHz of spectrum, positioning it as a leading player in terms of capacity and performance.
The developments mark a significant milestone for Pakistan’s digital infrastructure, with operators now competing on network scale, spectrum depth, and enterprise use cases to define the country’s 5G landscape.
