Pakistan government announces two-year timeline for 5G rollout

During a National Assembly session, the Pakistani government informed lawmakers that extending 5G services across the country is expected to take an additional two years. Parliamentary Secretary for Information Technology Sabeen Ghouri stated that 5G is currently available in 24 cities, with efforts underway to improve service quality before further expansion.

Lawmakers from the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), including Aseefa Bhutto Zardari and Abdul Qadir Patel, criticized the government over poor mobile signals and slow internet speeds. Bhutto Zardari highlighted connectivity issues in Nawabshah and other regions, emphasizing the need for better service for the business community. Patel questioned the logic of introducing 5G while existing 4G services remain unreliable.

The Ministry of IT reported that Pakistan has 210 million mobile users, including 161.7 million broadband subscribers. To support technological advancement, the ministry is considering proposals to reduce mobile taxes, encourage local smartphone manufacturing, and allow duty-free imports of 5G equipment.