The number of operational 5G sites in Karachi has more than tripled since July 2026, climbing from 90 to 279 as cellular operators accelerate the rollout of next generation mobile services across the city. The rapid pace of deployment places Karachi ahead of other major cities in the country in terms of overall 5G site activation, according to figures shared through official telecom data.
According to a document from PTA, operators collectively added 189 new 5G sites in Karachi over the period. Jazz led the deployment with 130 new sites, followed by Zong with 122 sites, while Ufone added 27 sites during the same timeframe. Cellular mobile operators have now started 5G services in 23 cities across the country, with Karachi recording the highest number of deployed 5G sites among them. The city, which currently maintains around 5,000 LTE and 4G sites, is expected to see continued expansion of its 5G footprint as operators work toward broader coverage targets set under the national rollout framework.
Industry projections suggest the number of 5G sites in Karachi could reach at least 1,000 by the end of the first rollout phase, which spans from 2026 to 2028, though actual deployment may exceed that figure since the target represents a minimum licensing requirement rather than an upper limit on the number of sites operators can build. Under the terms of this first phase, each cellular mobile operator is required to deploy 2,000 5G sites nationally and upgrade at least 20 percent of its existing 4G sites across six major cities, including Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, and Quetta. Operators are also required to raise their fiber to tower connectivity ratio to 20 percent and improve mobile broadband quality substantially, moving from an average throughput of 4 Mbps toward a median speed of 20 Mbps.
PTA has additionally set specific performance benchmarks for 5G service quality, establishing a median baseline speed of 50 Mbps with a phased target of reaching 100 Mbps as the rollout matures. Beyond these minimum requirements, operators retain flexibility to deploy additional sites based on factors such as population density, traffic demand, subscriber concentration, network usage patterns, and specific coverage requirements in different areas. The continued acceleration of 5G deployment in Karachi reflects the broader momentum building around Pakistan’s national 5G rollout, with the coming months expected to bring further site additions as operators work to meet the requirements set out for the first phase of the country’s 5G expansion programme.
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