5G rollout set for major cities by next year: IT Minister
ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for IT & Telecommunications Shaza Fatima Khawaja on Wednesday said 5G rollout is expected in five cities, including Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad, in the first quarter of next financial year.
Addressing a webinar organised by the IT ministry, Shaza said a spectrum auction is scheduled to be held in February 2026 and after about six months of the auction fifth generation of mobile network technology, offering significantly faster data speeds and lower latency than previous generations, is expected to be launched in the federal capital and four provincial capitals. She also said that 4G technology is anticipated in four months of the February auction.
“The demand for auction has come from telecom sectors,” she reiterated. She added that recommendations for the spectrum auction—including the bidding model and base pricing—have been submitted to the Federal Cabinet. The IT minister confirmed that these key decisions will be formalised following the Cabinet approval on Wednesday. The development comes a day after the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC), chaired by Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, approved key recommendations for Pakistan’s largest-ever spectrum auction, enabling the country’s first commercial rollout of 5G services.
Speaking at the presser alongside the finance minister, Shaza said the ECC’s decision clears a critical policy hurdle and that the recommendations would now be placed before the federal cabinet for final approval.
Once cleared by the cabinet, the PTA will issue an Information Memorandum, initiating formal consultations and negotiations with telecom operators. “The government aims to complete the auction by the end of January or in the first week of February,” she said. Under the plan, nearly 600 megahertz (MHz) of spectrum will be auctioned, in addition to the 274 MHz currently in use, making it the largest spectrum auction in Pakistan’s history. Except for the 1800 MHz and 2300 MHz bands, all frequency bands will be auctioned for the first time in the country. She said the spectrum auction will effectively improve internet speed. “Once the auction is complete, we will make sure that user experience of internet improves,” she said. Internet speed will definitely be higher with the introduction of 5G technology, but we will also try to improve speed of 4g, she stressed, adding that by mid-2026 Pakistan will have significant improvement in internet speed. “We are also trying that good internet is available on highways and in the far flung areas as well,” she said. The minister suggested that we need to have growth-focused auction. Speaking about telecom sector’s contribution in revenue generation, Shaza said we have very high taxes on telecom sector which has massively contributed to the Pakistani economy. Staff Report
