Pakistan’s 5G user base has climbed to around 1.8 million, Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja told the National Assembly Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecom on Tuesday, with services now live in 24 cities and nearly 1,782 operational 5G sites nationwide.
The figures show a striking pace of adoption. Officials had reported about 1.3 million users across 23 cities in August, which means roughly half a million new subscribers joined in under three months — growth of nearly 38 percent. But the minister’s briefing was quickly overshadowed by tough questions from lawmakers, who wanted to know why the country is racing toward 5G when large areas still cannot get reliable 3G and 4G.
From 1.3 Million to 1.8 Million in Under Three Months
Pakistan held its 5G spectrum auction on March 10, 2026, and commercial services began the same month. The user base has expanded rapidly since then. In August, officials counted about 1.3 million users across 23 cities with more than 1,200 active sites; the latest figures shared with the committee put operational sites at 1,782 — an addition of well over 500 sites in under three months. The numbers chart the continued expansion of Pakistan’s 5G network from a handful of urban pockets to 24 cities in eight months.
Lawmakers’ Tough Question: What About 3G and 4G?
The committee members did not dispute the growth figures — but they questioned the quality of the networks ordinary users already depend on. Lawmakers asked how Pakistan could move toward 5G when users in several areas still struggle with basic 3G and 4G connectivity. One member said mobile internet services had actually deteriorated since the introduction of 5G, while another complained that even basic network services were unavailable in parts of Sindh. The committee chairman pointed to the uneven spread of the new infrastructure, noting that Sukkur — the third largest city in Sindh — has only two 5G sites. The remarks underline a familiar pattern: the benefits of the rollout are concentrated in the largest urban centres, while people in mid-sized cities and rural districts wait for better service.
Theft, Power Cuts and Surging Demand: The Minister’s Answer
The minister acknowledged that telecom services face serious challenges, including infrastructure theft and electricity-related problems — both of which hit tower uptime and signal quality. She also pointed to the sheer scale of demand now pressing on Pakistan’s networks. Social media platforms and artificial intelligence have significantly increased data consumption, putting additional pressure on operators, she said. The scale of that demand was illustrated at the same meeting by PTA Chairman Major General (retired) Hafeez ur Rehman, who told the committee that Pakistan records 560 million YouTube video views every day, that around 96 million people use the platform, that Pakistanis make one billion WhatsApp calls daily, and that about 150 million people watch TikTok videos. Against that backdrop, the operators’ ongoing 5G investments will decide how fast the next million users come online.
What 1.8 Million Means — and What Comes Next
A user base approaching two million within eight months of launch shows real appetite for faster mobile internet in Pakistan — but the speed of further adoption depends on affordable 5G smartphones, wider coverage beyond the big cities, and dependable service. For operators, the challenge is now twofold: bring more sites online outside the main urban centres and keep the existing 3G and 4G networks in good condition at the same time, since most subscribers will continue to rely on those networks for years. The government says it is working to improve services, and the committee’s questions suggest lawmakers will be watching site numbers and coverage outside the large cities closely in the coming months — a standard the regulator’s official updates will have to meet.
Sources: TechJuice.
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