The government, terming 2025 as the”Year of 5G,” has set ambitious targets, including achieving an average broadband speed of 50–100 Mbps and increasing Fiber-to-the-Site (FTTS) coverage to 60 percent.
This was highlighted in the outcome statement presented by Amer Shahzad, Director General (DG) Licensing, at the National Broadband Network Forum 2024, organized by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) in collaboration with Huawei.
Shahzad stated that the 5G spectrum auction is expected to take place in April 2025, which would be a significant milestone in terms of its benefits for the country.
He further elaborated on the government’s plan, noting that Fixed Broadband (FBB) penetration is currently less than 2 percent in the country but is projected to increase to 20 percent within five years.
Regarding broadband speed, the DG outlined the goal of achieving an average broadband speed of 50–100 Mbps, compared to the current average of 15 Mbps. He also acknowledged the challenge of low FTTS coverage, which currently stands at 20 percent, but emphasized the government’s plan to increase FTTS coverage to 60 percent.
A key component of the telecom infrastructure, Optical Fiber Cable (OFC), is essential for bridging the digital divide and supporting 5G networks. With the rising demand for OFC to connect base stations, the government has initiated the development of a National Fiberization Plan to expand the OFC footprint and improve FTTS penetration.
Shahzad also proposed deploying 1 Gbps connectivity in Islamabad, with a vision for nationwide expansion. The government aims to expand the fiber footprint to 0.5 million kilometers, up from the current 200,000 kilometers.
The PTA’s annual report highlighted remarkable progress in the nationwide expansion of telecom coverage, improving accessibility and connectivity for millions. Cellular mobile services now reach 91 percent of Pakistan’s population, with 3G/4G signals covering over 81 percent. By June 2024, there were 55,777 operational cell sites, 95.5 percent of which support 4G.
These efforts have driven a surge in broadband subscribers, which reached 142.3 million by September 2024, reflecting a remarkable 91 percent growth over the last five years. Broadband penetration increased to 58.4 percent, up from 32.6 percent in 2019.
Pakistan’s international connectivity is supported by a robust network of undersea fiber optic cables and terrestrial links. The country has seven submarine cable connections and the Pak-China Optical Fiber Cable, complemented by 21 cross-border terrestrial links.
With an installed capacity of 16.4 Tbps, this network ensures redundancy, reliable internet access, and resilience against disruptions. The impact of this infrastructure is evident in the significant improvement in the quality and availability of digital services, with data usage rising by 24.2 percent to 25,141 petabytes (mobile: 13,021 petabytes; fixed: 12,120 petabytes) in 2023–24. To further enhance connectivity, four additional submarine cables are currently under development.
Considering PTA’s ‘brilliant performance’ of 2023 (that focused only on blocking pro-PTI sites, degrading social media services, blocking X, slowing the internet etc), what can we expect from PTA in 2024? Maybe blocking the internet completely.
Muhammed Din Abbasi [email protected] 5 Block 27/D GECHS Baghdad Road, Bahawalpur, Pakistan. DP 35 Regaram moan PTCL 4G to 5G on my phone 923134710928 MuHammad Din Abbasi.
while 4g is not working properly colonel bondu is planning for 5g.
Ah, “G” with 5 refers to Gravity—how profound! It seems this means the speed will graciously drop down yet another step. Truly groundbreaking, isn’t it?
OFC lay down will help to increase FTTS. Then no matter what we have 4G or 5G, it will increase the speed. So, if PTA is planning to introduce 5G that means telecom operators will certainly increase the OFC infrastructure.
Hahah what a joke 🤣
Why even bother when you’re gonna bottleneck it with firewall…
License fee will trickle down to consumers eventually and 5g phones are generally more expensive plus that stupid tax on top of that proce… Eventually it’ll become an expensive project with very few people actually benefitting from it.
Chal gareeb
Ese 5G or 4G ka kia Faida Jo Kaam na aye Zong walo nay to 1600 wala Family Package 4000 tak legaya aur speed 2G ka deta Hay…….
Jab bhensy ko soond laga k elephant bnao gy tou ye tou hoga phir!