Pakistan set for 5G rollout by August, iPhone users to wait until 2027

Pakistan is all set to commercially roll out 5G service by mid-August this year as all telecom operators have placed orders to buy essential equipment, even though only 5% of handsets are compatible and there is no 5G support for iPhones in the country, The Express Tribune reported. 

Industry officials said some operators had already started limited 5G testing at selected locations where equipment had been installed.

However, 5G services are unlikely to be available for iPhone users in Pakistan before 2027, as Apple has yet to enable 5G support for the country.

Officials at the IT and telecom ministry said Apple had informed Pakistani authorities that 5G services on iPhones in Pakistan would likely be enabled in 2027 after the company assessed the local market size.

Industry officials said high taxes on imported mobile phones, particularly iPhones, had reduced Apple’s market size in Pakistan. In contrast, 5G services are currently supported on compatible Samsung and other handsets.

A senior Jazz official said the company had launched 5G services at around 150 sites and planned to expand to 1,000 sites during the initial phase before increasing the network to 2,500 sites by December this year.

Jazz GSM President Kazim Mujtaba said the company was adopting a phased rollout strategy and would scale operations as the ecosystem matured.

Telecom operators also proposed a government-backed instalment scheme for mobile phones to improve the availability of 5G handsets in the country.

Industry officials said only around 5% of handsets currently available in Pakistan supported 5G technology, although local manufacturers had started producing compatible devices.

Officials said telecom companies had proposed that defaulters under any handset instalment scheme should be barred from obtaining SIMs from any operator. The industry previously attempted handset financing schemes but faced default rates of 30% to 40%, resulting in significant losses, they added.

Zong had opposed the instalment proposal, arguing that operators such as Jazz and Ufone had affiliated banks and would gain an advantage in handset financing.

Telecom industry representatives also called for lower taxes on the sector, saying high taxation was affecting internet adoption and investment.

The government sold 480 MHz of spectrum for $507 million in the auction, although the initial target was 597 MHz. The auction included two lots in the 700 MHz band, all five lots in the 2,300 MHz band, all 19 lots in the 2,600 MHz band, and 22 out of 28 lots in the 3,500 MHz band.

Jazz, Zong and Ufone secured frequencies to launch next-generation mobile services, with Jazz emerging as the largest buyer after acquiring 190 MHz of spectrum across multiple bands.