The Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication (MoITT) announced that the cheapest 5G handset in Pakistan now costs roughly Rs. 36,000.
It added that between January and August 2026, a total of 607,093 5G-capable phones were assembled locally as the country pushes its next-generation mobile networks forward.
In a reply to the National Assembly, the ministry stated that Pakistan has put 1,782 5G sites into operation across 24 cities. This follows the multiband spectrum auction and licence signing on March 19, 2026, with the first phase currently in progress.
Operator data shows Jazz leads with 1,015 sites, CMPak (Zong) follows with 640, and Ufone has 127.
Karachi tops the city list with 385 sites, Lahore has 373, and Islamabad 276. Faisalabad hosts 144 sites, Peshawar 122, Rawalpindi 108, Sialkot 87, and Quetta 65.
The government noted that mobile and internet service quality is slowly improving thanks to extra spectrum allocation and ongoing network growth.
New rollout obligations added to telecom licences aim to close existing 4G coverage gaps while rolling out 5G. Operators must provide service in federal and provincial capitals during phase one and may expand to other cities based on their plans.
The ministry said increasing local assembly of 5G-compatible handsets should boost device availability and affordability, though the pace of 5G expansion will rely on the phased deployment schedule, coverage reach, and handset access.
No nationwide deadline for affordable 5G access has been set by the government.
According to the ministry, users with current 4G SIM cards do not need to replace them to use 5G, but they must own a 5G-compatible phone and be within a 5G-covered area.
