Islamabad: The government of Pakistan is planning to introduce 5G services in the country by mid-2025, revealed Parliamentary Secretary for IT Sabreen Ghori on Wednesday.
Speaking during the National Assembly session, she also assured lawmakers that internet speeds in the country would improve further in the coming months.
Internet Speed and Connectivity Issues
Ghori explained that there are multiple reasons for slow internet speeds in Pakistan and that the government is actively working to resolve these issues.
Lawmakers raised concerns over internet disruptions, with PPP’s Agha Rafiullah stating that internet speeds often suffer, making it difficult to even download videos. MPA Shagufta Jumani humorously remarked, “Which fish are these that only chew Pakistan’s internet cables?” in reference to previous explanations for internet outages.
Challenges in Implementing 5G in Pakistan
Despite the promise of 5G, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority’s (PTA) 2024 annual report highlighted that transitioning to 5G would be challenging for Pakistan, even with rising broadband penetration.
Investment in the telecom sector has significantly declined from a peak of $1.6 billion in 2021–2022 to just $765 million in 2023–2024. Additionally, while average revenue per user has increased in rupee terms, it has dropped in dollar terms compared to other similar countries.
The PTA report also pointed out that the high upfront capital investment required for 5G could result in a slow return on investment, making telecom operators cautious in their approach.
