Pakistan is set to roll out 5G services around Eid al-Fitr after Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) completed preparations to issue licenses, clearing the way for operators to begin deploying next-generation mobile networks.
Companies that secured the 5G spectrum will be formally granted licenses tomorrow, clearing the way for the rollout of next-generation mobile services.
A special ceremony will be held at the Prime Minister’s House, where licenses will be issued to telecom companies. Invitations have been sent to the leadership of companies that obtained the 5G spectrum.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will attend the ceremony as the chief guest, while Federal Minister for IT Shaza Fatima Khawaja, the PTA chairman, and other senior officials will also be present.
Federal Minister for Finance Muhammad Aurangzeb, Federal Minister for Information Attaullah Tarar, and other cabinet members are also expected to attend the ceremony.
All three telecom companies have submitted bank guarantees of $15 million each to fulfil the requirements for obtaining the licenses, while technical preparations for the launch of 5G services have already been completed.
Immediately after the issuance of licenses, telecom companies will begin rolling out 5G services in Islamabad and other major cities. In the first phase, the service will be launched in selected areas of large cities, after which the network will be gradually expanded to other parts of the country.
Under the license conditions, each company will be required to install 1,000 new telecom sites, including at least 200 sites in remote and low-coverage areas.
The PTA recently completed the auction of the 5G spectrum, selling 480 MHz out of a total of 597 MHz available, which is expected to generate about $510 million in revenue for the government.