The deployment of 5G technology is gaining significant momentum in Pakistan’s largest city. According to recent documents from the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), Karachi has witnessed a massive surge in its next-generation infrastructure, adding 189 new 5G sites in just a few months. This rapid expansion has pushed the total number of operational 5G sites in the metropolis to 279, a sharp increase from the 90 sites recorded in July 2026.
Leading the charge in this network upgrade is Jazz, which has established 130 5G sites. Zong follows closely with 122 operational sites, while Ufone has contributed 27 sites to the city’s growing 5G landscape. Currently, cellular mobile operators have initiated 5G services across 23 cities in Pakistan, with Karachi standing out as the city with the highest concentration of these new sites. This is in addition to the roughly 5,000 LTE and 4G sites already functioning within the city.
Looking ahead, the PTA’s initial rollout phase, stretching from 2026 to 2028, mandates that each mobile operator deploy 2,000 5G sites nationwide. Under this framework, Karachi is projected to host at least 1,000 5G sites. The regulator emphasizes that this target is merely a minimum licensing requirement, meaning actual numbers could climb much higher based on consumer demand, population density, and network traffic.
The phased rollout also enforces strict infrastructural and performance upgrades. Operators are required to upgrade a minimum of 20 percent of their existing 4G sites to 5G in key provincial and federal capitals. Furthermore, they must increase the fiber-to-the-tower ratio to at least 20 percent and boost general mobile broadband speeds from an average of 4 Mbps to a median of 20 Mbps. For the 5G network itself, the PTA has established a median baseline speed of 50 Mbps, with an ultimate goal of reaching 100 Mbps to fulfill licensing obligations.