ISLAMABAD

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) informed the National Assembly Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunication that the upcoming 5G spectrum auction is expected to significantly improve internet speeds and enhance the quality of digital services across the country.

During a committee meeting, PTA officials said average 4G speeds are projected to increase to around 40 Mbps following the spectrum auction, while 5G services will initially be launched with speeds of approximately 50 Mbps.

Officials told lawmakers that the first comprehensive assessment of the 5G rollout would be conducted one year after its commercial launch to evaluate performance and network expansion.

The regulator also highlighted persistent electricity shortages as a major challenge for the telecom sector, noting that prolonged power outages continue to disrupt mobile and internet services in several parts of the country.

PTA officials said some areas are experiencing between 12 and 15 hours of load-shedding daily, adding that discussions are underway with the Ministry of IT, NEPRA and the Power Division to address the issue.

“Telecom operators cannot sustain network operations under 10 hours of daily load-shedding,” officials told the committee, warning that unreliable power supply remains one of the biggest obstacles to service quality.

The committee was further informed that 5G services have already been activated in 22 cities as part of pilot deployments and testing phases.

In Islamabad, officials said 5G services have been launched in four sectors, with speed tests in Sector F-8 recording download speeds of up to 100 Mbps.

However, PTA officials noted that 5G services have not yet been introduced in Islamabad’s Red Zone.

The regulator also revealed that 5G services have been enabled on iPhones in Pakistan following coordination between PTA and the Ministry of IT. According to officials, 5G is currently available on iPhone 17 and newer models, while activation on older devices may take additional time.

PTA officials explained that Apple generally enables new telecom services around one year after licensing approvals in a country, but coordinated efforts by Pakistani authorities helped facilitate the launch of 5G services on supported iPhone models.

Lawmakers were told that the spectrum auction and wider rollout of next-generation networks are expected to play a key role in improving Pakistan’s digital infrastructure and supporting growing demand for high-speed connectivity.