Telecom operators have halted plans for network expansion and technology upgrades in Islamabad’s I-16 sector, citing low population density and poor return on investment as the key constraints discouraging new infrastructure spending. The Cabinet Division recently informed the National Assembly that no cellular mobile operator currently has immediate plans for site expansion in the sector, and none have outlined any timeline for deploying 5G services there, leaving residents with limited and often unreliable mobile coverage for the foreseeable future.
According to the Cabinet Division’s response, the absence of dedicated cellular sites remains the primary reason for weak to non-existent mobile coverage in I-16, a sector that, along with neighbouring I-14, was only recently developed and currently ranks as the least populated sector in Islamabad. The government also noted that Ufone will only consider expansion into the area once its merger with Telenor has been completed, effectively pushing any potential investment decision from that operator further into the future and leaving the remaining operators to weigh the commercial case largely on their own.
Despite the overall slow pace of investment, the government pointed to a modest improvement in existing infrastructure, with twelve dedicated cellular sites now operating across the two sectors combined, up from nine previously reported. Sector I-14 currently receives partial to adequate coverage, supported by three sites operated by Jazz, three by Zong, two by Telenor and one by Ufone, with Zong having already begun offering 5G services within that sector. The situation in I-16 remains considerably weaker by comparison, since the sector currently has zero dedicated cellular sites of its own. Instead, Jazz, Zong and Ufone extend limited coverage into I-16 from adjoining sites positioned at the edge of the sector, an arrangement the government said results in weak signal quality for residents even though the edge sites themselves are functioning normally, meaning the shortfall stems from a lack of dedicated infrastructure rather than any malfunction in existing equipment.
Following complaints from residents about distorted networks and poor signal quality, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority took up the matter directly with the affected cellular mobile operators, directing them to analyse the specific coverage deficiencies in I-16 and pursue network optimization measures aimed at improving both voice and data service quality within the sector. The regulator said it would continue engaging with all cellular mobile operators on the issue going forward, though the government’s written response to the National Assembly acknowledged that any substantial improvement in coverage would first require operators to establish sufficient commercial justification before committing to fresh investment in the area.
In the interim, the Minister in charge of the Cabinet Division offered residents a practical workaround for managing weak indoor signal reception, suggesting the use of type approved repeaters and signal amplifiers to boost coverage within homes and offices. The minister also pointed to Voice over Wi-Fi as an alternative means of improving indoor connectivity, subject to applicable regulatory requirements, though this approach depends on residents already having access to a stable home internet connection capable of supporting voice traffic. The situation in I-16 illustrates a broader challenge facing telecom regulators in newly developed urban sectors, where commercial viability calculations based on population density can leave residents in a prolonged gap between the establishment of a residential area and the arrival of dedicated telecom infrastructure suited to serving it.
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