By Zubair Kasuri: ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s 5G rollout is gathering pace following the award of spectrum and licences earlier this year, with new industry data providing the first detailed picture of the emerging network footprint of the country’s three major 5G operators.
According to the latest available rollout data, Jazz is leading with 689 5G sites, followed by Zong with 338 and Ufone with 100, taking the combined footprint of the three operators to 1,127 sites.
The figures offer an early snapshot of how aggressively telecom operators are expanding their fifth-generation networks following the 5G spectrum auction and subsequent licensing process in March 2026.
Jazz Maintains Early Lead
Jazz currently has the largest 5G footprint, accounting for around 61 percent of the 1,127 sites covered by the available data. Zong accounts for approximately 30 percent, while Ufone represents nearly 9 percent.
The rollout remains concentrated in major urban centres, although operators are increasingly extending their networks to other cities.
In Karachi, Jazz has 119 5G sites, compared with 111 for Zong and 27 for Ufone.
Lahore has emerged as another major market for 5G deployment, with Jazz operating 159 sites, followed by Zong with 55 and Ufone with 27.
In the federal capital, Jazz has deployed 98 sites, Zong 56 and Ufone 38. In Rawalpindi, the three operators have 42, 27 and eight sites, respectively.
Faisalabad, Multan See Rapid Expansion
Jazz has also established a significant early presence in Faisalabad, with 117 sites, while Zong has six. Ufone’s rollout in the city is expected shortly.
In Multan, Jazz currently has 78 sites, compared with seven operated by Zong.
The expanding footprint indicates that 5G deployment is gradually moving beyond Pakistan’s largest metropolitan centres.
5G Footprint Expands Beyond Major Cities
Available data shows 5G infrastructure emerging in a growing number of cities, including Peshawar, Quetta, Gujranwala, Sialkot, Sheikhupura, Hyderabad, Abbottabad, Sahiwal, Sukkur, Swabi, Mardan, Kohat, Attock, Jhelum and Kasur, among others.
Industry sources said the current figures should be viewed as an initial snapshot, as operators continue to upgrade, deploy and activate additional sites across the country.
A substantial number of new 5G sites are expected to go live during August, potentially taking the national footprint significantly higher in the coming weeks.
New Commercial Opportunities
The rapid expansion of 5G is also opening a new commercial phase for Pakistan’s telecom industry.
Beyond faster mobile broadband for consumers, operators and technology companies are increasingly looking towards opportunities in enterprise connectivity, cloud services, fintech, the Internet of Things (IoT), gaming and other data-intensive digital services.
The development of 5G infrastructure could also support the wider digital economy by enabling businesses to adopt applications and services that require higher speeds, lower latency and greater network capacity.
The Race for 5G Market Leadership
The latest deployment figures highlight an increasingly competitive 5G landscape among Pakistan’s major telecom operators.
Jazz has established a clear early lead in terms of deployed sites, while Zong has built a sizeable footprint of its own. Ufone, meanwhile, has begun expanding its network and is expected to add further sites as its rollout gathers momentum.
With deployment continuing at a rapid pace, industry officials expect the gap between the initial launch footprint and broader nationwide commercial availability to narrow progressively over the coming months.
For Pakistan’s telecom sector, the race has now moved beyond acquiring 5G spectrum.
The bigger contest is who can build the largest, most reliable and commercially viable 5G network — and how quickly operators can turn that infrastructure into widespread consumer and enterprise adoption.
