5G Users in Pakistan Near 20 Lac

Pakistan's population of 5G users stands at approximately 1.8 million, with the technology now being rolled out across 24 cities, according to Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecom, Shaza Fatima Khawaja. During a recent meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecom, the minister disclosed that the government had conducted a spectrum auction to introduce 5G services in the country. Notably, such an auction had not been held since the tenure of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

The minister also mentioned that Pakistan's 4G services were introduced under the previous government, while the current administration has taken a significant step forward by initiating the 5G spectrum auction. However, lawmakers have expressed concerns about the quality of existing mobile networks, questioning how Pakistan could advance towards 5G connectivity when many users in various regions are still grappling with basic 3G and 4G services.

Committee members have pointed out that mobile internet services have deteriorated since the introduction of 5G. One member specifically stated that network quality had declined, while another complained about the unavailability of basic network services in certain parts of Sindh. Shaza Fatima Khawaja acknowledged that Pakistan's telecom services face numerous challenges, including infrastructure theft and issues related to electricity supply.

She noted that instances of entire telecom towers, generators, and diesel being stolen are not uncommon, causing disruptions to network operations.

Furthermore, Khawaja highlighted that the increasing data consumption due to social media usage and the rise of artificial intelligence is putting additional pressure on the country's telecom infrastructure.