Pakistan’s 5G Network Reaches 1,782 Sites in 24 Cities; Cheapest 5G Phone Around Rs36,000
Islamabad: Pakistan’s 5G network has grown to 1,782 active sites across 24 cities, IT and Telecom Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja said on Friday, sharing operator-wise figures for the first time.
Jazz leads the rollout with 1,015 sites, followed by Zong with 640 and Ufone with 127. Karachi tops the city chart with 385 sites, ahead of Lahore’s 373, Islamabad’s 276, Faisalabad’s 144, Peshawar’s 122 and Rawalpindi’s 108. The 24-city list also includes Multan, Sialkot, Quetta and Sheikhupura.
The figures follow the $509.6 million multiband spectrum auction, after which licences were signed on 19 March 2026 and commercial rollout began on 20 March under the federal government’s four-phase plan, with federal and provincial capitals covered in the first phase.
Affordability remains the open question: 607,093 5G-capable handsets were locally assembled between January and August 2026, yet the cheapest available still costs about Rs36,000. The consolation for users is that no SIM change is needed — only a 5G phone and coverage.
