Pakistan’s telecom providers have invested $178.6 million in expanding the country’s 5G network following a spectrum auction earlier this year.
After the spectrum auction in March 2026, the government opened the door for commercial 5G services. Since then, telecom companies have been working to update their networks and roll out quicker mobile access across the country.
According to data given by the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication (MoITT), telecom operators have upgraded 1136 sites to 5G by June 2026.
The investment suggests that mobile carriers are moving fast to construct the infrastructure needed for next-generation mobile services.
Zong Leads Investment in 5G
According to the data released by the Ministry, Zong has made the highest investment in 5G infrastructure so far. Jazz and Ufone are the second and third-biggest spenders.
Telecom providers also announced their projected spending for the next financial year, FY2027. However, Ufone has not revealed its expected investment level so far.
Ufone would announce its investment intentions for FY2027 after completion of the ongoing merger process, the government said.
| Telecom Operator | Investment (Up to June 2026) | Projected Investment (FY2027) |
| Zong | $98.9 million | $39.9 million |
| Jazz | $59.67 million | $30.33 million |
| Ufone | ~$20 million | Pending (Awaiting merger completion) |
No Fixed FDI Target in 5G
The massive investment in Pakistan’s telecom sector has been made without the government defining a clear objective for foreign direct investment (FDI) for the 5G deployment.
The government’s policy guideline for the 2026 spectrum auction announced on January 6 did not specify any target for foreign investment by telecom companies in the development of 5G.
But operators have poured substantial dollars into network expansion and infrastructure upgrades.
The government continues to check up on the success of the implementation. MoITT is also watching the 5G infrastructure in different provinces.
Data to come should reveal which sites have been upgraded to 5G, and which locations have fibre access via Fibre to the Site (FTTS).
The ongoing investment could assist to boost mobile internet speeds, network capacity and digital connection across Pakistan as 5G services are rolled out.
