Pakistan’s IT Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja announced on Thursday, March 13, 2026, that 5G pilot projects will start in major cities from next week. She said commercial rollout of 5G services is expected in the coming months.
The announcement came right after Pakistan raised $510 million (about Rs142 billion) from the Next Generation Mobile Services (NGMS) spectrum auction. The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) also finished the position assignment auction. This step let operators decide the exact placement of their spectrum blocks.
Minister Praises Team Effort
Shaza Fatima Khawaja spoke to journalists after the auction process ended. She said many countries asked about Pakistan’s 5G plans during the Mobile World Congress. This showed growing interest from abroad in Pakistan’s digital growth.
She thanked the PTA, Frequency Allocation Board and other departments for their hard work. She also mentioned the Armed Forces helped by freeing up the required spectrum.
“The Internet has become a basic necessity for Pakistan,” she said.
The minister added that the government is working on a smartphone leasing policy on the prime minister’s orders. This policy aims to make smart devices easier for people to get.
She pointed out a big challenge in the sector. Average revenue per user (ARPU) in Pakistan is the lowest in the region. This makes it hard for telecom companies to invest more money.
She repeated that her ministry and the PTA keep pushing to lower taxes on mobile services and phones. However, these taxes come under the Federal Board of Revenue.
PTA Chief on Auction and Future Plans
PTA Chairman Hafeez Ur Rehman said the position assignment stage brought in an extra $3 million after several rounds.
Additionally, the position assignment covered the 2600 MHz and 3500 MHz bands. Operators chose lower, middle or upper blocks to improve network quality and reduce interference. No assignment was needed for the 700 MHz band because Jazz got it alone in the auction.
The chairman said mobile package prices rose only 10–15% in the last three years even though costs went up. He promised 5G rollout will not make packages more expensive.
Moreover, he added that new spectrum will boost connectivity a lot. Average internet speeds should go up from around 4 Mbps to nearly 20 Mbps.
