The government plans to roll out 5G in 5 major cities

The Ministry of IT and Telecommunication (MoITT) is planning a gradual launch of 5G service in the country, senior officials have told ProPakistani.

In the first step, 5G will be rolled out to the country's five capitals, namely, Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi, Quetta, and Peshawar. According to MoITT officials, all other countries are also working on a gradual launch, and the Government of Pakistan (GoP) will do the same.

The department shared a 5G policy framework with industry and relevant stakeholders. According to sources, the department has received comments from one or two operators, and is awaiting a response from other stakeholders in the industry. The date for submission of comments to the policy guidelines has been extended to 28 February 2022 at the request of stakeholders. Following comments from the industry, the draft will be allocated to the Regional Government. As a result, GoP will issue 5G policy guidelines through service guidelines.

The government plans to launch 5G in the last half of 2022 or the first half of 2023. In this regard, a spectrum advisory committee has been established, and incentives for the release of spectrum will be announced in the next finance bill. The Department of Finance, in consultation with the MoITT, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), the Frequency Allocation Board (FAB), and other eligible stakeholders, will finalize the benefits, which will be reflected in the Finance Bill 2022-23.

According to officials, in line with policy directives from the State Government, the PTA will appoint 5G auction advisors in the country. The recommendations of these coordinators will be forwarded to the State Government, and upon approval, the PTA will make arrangements for the launch of the 5G commercial.

Telephone operators, including Jazz, Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL), Telenor Pakistan, and Zong, have successfully implemented 5G tests in Pakistan. Following feedback from industry on the policy guidelines framework, GoP will issue policy guidelines, followed by experts and other processes.