Pakistan’s Nationwide 5G Rollout to Take Another 2 Years

Pakistan's nationwide rollout of 5G services may be delayed by another two years, according to government officials who addressed the National Assembly on Friday. Lawmakers expressed concerns over slow internet speeds, inadequate coverage, and the reliability of existing mobile networks. Parliamentary Secretary for Information Technology Sabeen Ghouri informed the assembly that 5G services are currently available in 24 cities, with ongoing efforts to enhance connectivity before expanding to more regions.

However, opposition lawmaker Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari from the Pakistan Peoples Party raised complaints about sluggish 4G and 5G services in Nawabshah and other parts of the country. She urged for a comprehensive plan to boost internet speeds and address consumer grievances. The session took an unexpected turn when presiding officer Abdul Qadir Patel asked Ghouri the meaning of 5G, to which she seemed unable to provide an answer.

This prompted Aseefa to suggest that her fellow lawmakers step in to clarify the term. Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) MNA Noor Alam questioned why consumers were being charged for a service that was not consistently available, and whether 4G had effectively "died" to justify the introduction of its successor.