The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Chairman, Major General (R) Hafeezur Rehman, announced that 5G services will be launched by April 2025. He shared this news while speaking to the National Assembly Standing Committee on IT and Telecom in Islamabad.
The PTA is working hard to attract new companies for the 5G auction, which will help grow the market and increase competition. Despite challenges like the ongoing repair of the submarine cable, which might continue until August 27, the Chairman assured that the planned upgrades won’t cause more internet problems.
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The internet has been widely disrupted in Pakistan for over a week now. The Chairman explained that telecom companies are currently using 265 MHz of spectrum, and the PTA plans to add another 567 MHz for 5G services. They are also trying to convince the government to offer this additional spectrum at a lower cost.
He mentioned that Saudi Arabia sold its spectrum for $90,000 per megahertz, while Pakistan sold 4G spectrum for $29 million per megahertz. The goal is to keep the spectrum cost low to benefit local consumers.
