Pakistan currently has 449 active 5G tower sites operating across 22 cities, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) informed the National Assembly Standing Committee on Information Technology.
During the committee meeting, PTA Director General Amir Shehzad said the regulator is monitoring telecom network performance around the clock by collecting operational data from mobile operators every 24 hours. The system helps identify telecom towers that go offline and allows the authority to closely track network reliability.
PTA Member Sadiq Memon revealed that Karachi currently has 50 active 5G sites, while Hyderabad has only three, highlighting the uneven pace of infrastructure deployment across the country. He cautioned that if the current rollout continues without significant acceleration, nationwide 5G coverage may not be achieved until 2035, by which time newer wireless technologies could begin replacing today’s 5G networks.
Minister of State for Information Technology Shaza Fatima Khawaja told lawmakers that telecom operators had committed to launching commercial 5G services in five cities during the first phase of deployment. She emphasized that Karachi, Pakistan’s largest metropolitan area and economic hub, should receive greater priority in the expansion plans.
Committee Chairman Syed Amin Ul Haque also urged telecom companies to increase the number of 5G sites in Karachi to meet the growing demand for high-speed mobile broadband.
The PTA chairman added that, alongside expanding domestic infrastructure, Pakistani telecom companies are also involved in exporting 5G-related equipment, reflecting the country’s growing capabilities in the telecommunications sector.
Pakistan has yet to launch commercial nationwide 5G services. The government has been working on spectrum planning and regulatory preparations, while telecom operators continue limited network testing and infrastructure deployment ahead of a broader commercial rollout.