PTA has formally issued fifth-generation mobile network licences to Pakistan’s three major telecom operators, Jazz, Zong, and Ufone, in a ceremony held at the Prime Minister’s House in Islamabad, clearing all three companies to begin rolling out commercial 5G services in selected areas of major cities across the country with immediate effect. The milestone marks the culmination of a process that began with the completion of Pakistan’s 5G spectrum auction, during which 480 megahertz out of a total 597 megahertz available was sold, generating approximately 510 million United States dollars in revenue for the government.
The licensing ceremony was attended by Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja, PTA Chairman Hafeez Ur Rehman, the chief executives of all three telecom companies, and members of the federal cabinet. As part of the formal licensing process, all three operators submitted the required bank guarantees to fulfil the conditions set by the regulatory authority. PTA’s Director General Licensing, Aamir Shehzad, signed the licences alongside the telecom chief executives, completing the regulatory formalities that unlock the operators’ ability to commercially deploy fifth-generation services. The ceremony was notably kept simple in keeping with the government’s ongoing austerity measures and current energy challenges. PTA Chairman Hafeez Ur Rehman briefed attendees on the auction process and outlined the regulatory framework that will govern the phased rollout of 5G across urban centres nationwide.
With licences now formally in hand, telecom operators are expected to commence fifth-generation services in selected zones of major cities as the initial phase of a gradual nationwide expansion. Alongside the new 5G deployments, improvements to existing fourth-generation services are also anticipated as part of the broader network upgrade cycle being driven by the additional spectrum acquired through the auction. Officials indicated that the expansion will proceed in a measured and phased manner, with the objective of delivering meaningfully faster internet speeds and improved connectivity for both individual consumers and businesses across Pakistan, beginning with the country’s most densely populated urban areas before extending to wider geographies over time.
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