Pakistan’s 5G Rollout Slows Amid Rising Power Costs

Pakistan’s 5G expansion remains limited six months after the spectrum auction, with high electricity costs and weak fibre infrastructure slowing deployment.

Pakistan’s 5G rollout is facing infrastructure and operating-cost constraints, with mobile users reporting limited access to the new technology nearly six months after the country’s spectrum auction.

Telecom companies began activating 5G services in Islamabad and the four provincial capitals shortly after the March spectrum auction, with subsequent deployments extending coverage to additional areas. However, users interviewed in major cities said the expansion has not matched their expectations.

Jazz, operated by Dubai-based Veon, has deployed about 1,000 5G sites across 10 cities and aims to increase that figure to roughly 2,500 by the end of 2026. Zong, owned by China Mobile, is targeting more than 1,000 5G sites during the year.

There is currently no official consolidated figure for active 5G sites nationwide. Pakistan has around 55,000 operational mobile sites supporting 4G services, most of which the government expects to transition toward 5G by 2035.

For consumers, however, availability remains limited. Madiha Ali, an undergraduate student in Islamabad, said the 5G indicator rarely appeared on her phone despite being in central parts of the capital. She said she had anticipated a noticeable improvement in mobile internet following the auction but had been disappointed by the pace of deployment.

Fazal Baloch, a business owner in Quetta, said existing mobile internet services in the city were already unreliable and that the introduction of 5G had yet to bring the improvement he expected.

Digital economy specialist Habibullah Khan identified insufficient fibre-optic connectivity as another major obstacle. He estimated that only 17% to 18% of Pakistan’s cell sites are connected through fibre, while the remainder depend largely on microwave links that may not provide the capacity and low latency required for effective 5G services.

Khan said connecting a site to fibre can cost as much as $22,000, while obtaining permissions to lay cables along roads and public land can further complicate deployments.

Government officials maintain that the rollout is progressing according to the schedule agreed with operators. A government official, speaking anonymously, said the expansion may appear slow to consumers but remains consistent with the implementation plans.

The operators, meanwhile, have pointed to electricity costs as a significant financial burden. Industry representatives said 5G infrastructure can consume roughly twice the electricity required by 4G systems, while telecom companies pay commercial electricity rates that are generally 40% to 50% above industrial tariffs.

Jazz Vice President for Public Policy and Regulatory Affairs Mudassar Hussain said telecom companies had been recognised as an industry since 2004, but had not received the corresponding industrial electricity tariff.

He argued that lower power costs would allow operators to redirect funds toward network investment and accelerate the transition to 5G.

The recently merged Ufone-Telenor also cited unreliable electricity supplies as a challenge, saying repeated power interruptions can reduce network uptime and complicate efforts to maintain consistent service.