Zong has announced the results of its latest 5G pre-launch speed trials conducted across multiple urban topologies in Islamabad, recording peak download speeds exceeding 1,400 megabits per second. The tests mark a significant step in the telecom operator’s preparations for a nationwide 5G commercial rollout, with the company attributing the high performance benchmarks to its optimised infrastructure and spectrum utilisation efficiency, which it described as a key factor in achieving such results during the pre-commercial testing phase.
The announcement places Zong as the second Pakistani telecom operator to publicly share early 5G testing results this year, following Jazz, which last week revealed download speeds of 1,400 megabits per second recorded on a handset connected to a 5G signal in Islamabad. Together, the two disclosures paint a picture of Pakistan’s major telecom operators actively demonstrating technical readiness as the industry moves closer to a full commercial 5G launch following the completion of the country’s 5G spectrum auction. Zong’s history with 5G in Pakistan stretches back further than most, having conducted the country’s first 5G trial in 2019 and established Pakistan’s first functional 5G node, before completing South Asia’s first 5G international video call in 2020, demonstrating low-latency capabilities at a regional level. Between 2021 and 2025, the company continued investing in infrastructure upgrades, artificial intelligence-integrated traffic management systems, and broader network enhancements in preparation for the eventual commercial launch.
For the upcoming rollout, Zong has outlined a three-pillar strategic approach that encompasses customer experience, diversified services, and artificial intelligence-driven optimisation. The customer experience pillar focuses on ensuring a smooth and seamless transition for existing fourth-generation users migrating to the new high-capacity fifth-generation network. The diversified services pillar is aimed at expanding the range of offerings and capabilities that fifth-generation connectivity makes possible, from enhanced mobile broadband to enterprise and industrial applications. The third pillar, artificial intelligence-driven optimisation, centres on deploying intelligent network self-management tools capable of maintaining peak speeds and network stability during periods of high traffic demand. With trials now demonstrating commercially competitive speeds and a clear strategic framework in place, Zong appears well-positioned to be among the leading operators when Pakistan’s 5G services open to the public.
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