The federal government has approved the launch of fifth generation mobile network trials in Gilgit Baltistan, formally bringing the region into Pakistan’s wider next generation telecom roadmap after remaining outside the initial rollout framework. The decision marks a major development for the region’s digital infrastructure, where connectivity challenges and limited broadband capacity have remained a long standing concern for businesses, students, and public services. The approval allows telecom operators to begin pilot testing of fifth generation services under a structured regulatory framework.
The move follows months of engagement between regional authorities, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority, and Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunications to address the exclusion of Gilgit Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir from the earlier national planning process. Officials had repeatedly stressed the importance of high speed digital infrastructure for improving public service delivery, education access, healthcare connectivity, and digital entrepreneurship in remote areas. A formal policy framework for the trials was prepared and reviewed through the Ministry of Law and Justice and Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunications before receiving final approval from the Prime Minister’s Office and relevant regional authorities.
Following regulatory clearances, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority has issued the necessary directives to telecom operators to initiate trial deployments in the region. These trial runs are expected to evaluate network performance, spectrum efficiency, and infrastructure readiness before a dedicated spectrum auction is carried out for Gilgit Baltistan. Unlike the national spectrum process, the region will move through a separate auction cycle due to regulatory and technical requirements unique to the area. This approach is intended to ensure operators have the required framework and incentives to expand digital infrastructure in mountainous and geographically complex terrain.
The approval is being seen as an important step in extending advanced mobile broadband services to underserved regions and aligning Gilgit Baltistan with Pakistan’s broader digital transformation agenda. Improved connectivity through fifth generation technology is expected to support sectors such as tourism, digital commerce, remote education, and telemedicine, all of which rely heavily on stable and faster internet access. As Pakistan moves closer to its nationwide fifth generation rollout, Gilgit Baltistan’s inclusion signals a wider effort to ensure regional digital inclusion and strengthen the country’s telecommunications ecosystem through expanded access to high speed mobile services.
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