ISLAMABAD: Telecommunication firms introduced on Thursday the launch of 5G companies in some components of the nation after they have been awarded licenses for 5G spectrum at a ceremony in Islamabad, the place Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif additionally spoke.
The federal government accomplished its spectrum public sale in Islamabad final week, by which 480 megahertz (MHz) have been offered for $507 million. The three bidders — Zong, Jazz and Ufone — competed closely for the two,600MHz band, a key frequency vary for 5G companies. Zong acquired 110MHz, Ufone 180MHz and Jazz 190MHz through the public sale.
The license agreements for the companies have been signed by Pakistan Telecommunication Authority Licensing Director Basic Brig (retd) Aamir Shahzad and senior administration of Jazz, Ufone and Zong.
In a press launch, Jazz introduced that within the first section of 5G rollout, the companies have been being supplied throughout 180 websites in Islamabad, all 4 provincial capitals — Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar and Quetta — in addition to in Rawalpindi, Multan and Faisalabad.
“Jazz is delivering ultra-fast speeds, low latency, and enhanced reliability at scale. On the identical time, Jazz continues to develop and improve its nationwide 4G community, making certain that the advantages of connectivity attain each Pakistani, in all places,” the press launch acknowledged.
The press launch additional acknowledged that within the current spectrum public sale, Jazz was the one operator to safe spectrum throughout all key bands — 700MHz, 2,300MHz, 2,600MHz and three,500MHz.
Individually, a press launch issued by Ufone stated the telecommunication firm had acquired the most important share in 3,500 MHz band with 120 MHz allocation.
The press launch acknowledged that Ufone was within the remaining section of buying Telenor, and the brand new cellular operator following the merger, MergeCo, “will maintain the most important and most diversified spectrum portfolio of 292.4 MHz” in Pakistan. It’s 8MHz greater than that of Ufone’s closest competitor, Jazz, and would result in nationwide protection in each rural and concrete areas.
For its half, Zong introduced that it had commercially launched 5G companies in additional than 16 cities, together with Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, and Quetta.
In its press launch, the telecommunication firm additionally introduced plans to deploy and improve greater than 1,000 5G websites nationwide in 2026.
It recalled that Zong was a “pioneer” and had carried out Pakistan’s first 5G trial in 2019.
‘Fantastic starting’
PM Shehbaz additionally addressed the ceremony in Islamabad, hailing a “great starting” for Pakistan after the success of the current 5G spectrum. auction.
The premier called the acquisition of 5G spectrum a “milestone” for Pakistan in terms of industry, agriculture and technology.
He said that the whole program was concluded “very transparently”, adding that legal challenges were the biggest obstacle to the auction process as they had been in the past. In this regard, he thanked Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar for making the “utmost effort to end these legal challenges” and ensure full transparency.
Highlighting the recent sale of Pakistan International Airlines, PM Shehbaz also said that “all these transactions are being done with full transparency”.
He congratulated IT Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja, IT Secretary Zarrar Hasham Khan, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority Chairman Hafeezur Rehman, and all those who had successfully brought the project to completion. He also congratulated the chief executive officers of the three bidders.
The prime minister expressed the hope that the spectrum would reach “all four corners of Pakistan”, in both cities and rural villages.
Addressing Zong CEO Huo Junli, he congratulated him on the spectrum acquisition, saying, “I am sure you will take it to the height of glory through your hard work and … untiring efforts.”
“China and Pakistan, as you know, are great friends,” PM Shehbaz said. “Our friendship is unique in this world, and it is growing by the day — rather, by the hour.”
He added that one of the manifestations of this friendship was modern technology and said, “I think today’s the time that we should now move faster, so that the youth of Pakistan is able to make use of the most modern technology.
“Whether it’s IT, whether it’s artificial intelligence; I think technology is the name of the game,” he concluded.
At the auction event last week, the IT minister had called the event “maybe one of the most important days in the history of Pakistan”.
She added that alongside 5G being introduced for the first time in Pakistan, the nation would also see an increase in the quality of 4G connectivity.
Later, while addressing a ceremony where the spectrum was released to the operators, she said that the auction had increased Pakistan’s spectrum capacity threefold, boosting it to over 7,500MHz. She
also said that the government was working to establish an AI Council to bring experienced professionals on board to guide the country’s AI policy and its development.
