Officials from the Ministry of Information Technology (IT) have said that the nationwide rollout of 5G will be completed in four phases over a span of 10 years.
In the first phase, 5G services are expected to be launched by 2028 in major cities including Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar and Quetta. Authorities said that the roadmap for implementing 5G services has already been presented in parliament.
The government has set a target to provide 5G services in 40 cities by 2035. As part of the phased plan, the initial rollout in key urban centers will be followed by gradual expansion across the country.
In the second phase, from 2028 to 2030, 5G services will be extended to 10 additional cities. In the third phase, spanning 2030 to 2032, coverage will be expanded to another 10 cities. During these two phases, at least two cities from each province will be included.
In the fourth phase, from 2032 to 2035, 5G services will be introduced in 15 more cities, with a minimum of two cities from each province included in the expansion.
Officials further stated that mobile operators will be required to establish 1,000 new 4G and 5G sites annually as part of efforts to strengthen network infrastructure and support the rollout of advanced connectivity services across the country.