ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is gearing up for the introduction of 5G mobile phone connectivity in the country with the intended targets expected to be achieved by August 2024.
The 5G or fifth-generation wireless is a cellular technology expected to improve current mobile broadband speeds by 100 times in ideal conditions. This marks a pivotal moment in technological advancement as Pakistan moves closer to joining the ranks of countries with 5G capabilities.
With a youthful population, rapid urbanization and increasing digital penetration, 5G holds the potential to drive unprecedented technological advancement and digital innovation in the country.
The 5G is expected to revolutionize various sectors of Pakistan’s economy, including education, where fast connectivity will enable remote learning for people in distant areas through online lectures and video animations. In the healthcare sector, 5G will facilitate online diagnosis by allowing doctors from major cities to connect with patients efficiently.
Pakistan’s significant freelance workforce, the second-largest globally, will benefit from 5G, enabling faster and more efficient service provision in the global market. The e-commerce industry in Pakistan can leverage 5G connectivity to export products globally, contributing to the country’s economic growth.
The 5G is designed to connect multiple devices seamlessly as more and more people have started to sport more electronic devices than ever before. Telecom operators in Pakistan, including Jazz, PTCL, Telenor Pakistan, and Zong, have successfully conducted 5G trials, and the govt is working on policies for the commercial launch.
Pakistan has a substantial potential for 5G, with around 90 million smartphone users and a growing internet adoption rate. To ensure the successful deployment of 5G services, the Ministry of Information and Technology has decided to hire an international consultant. In collaboration with the consultant advisory committee, the govt of Pakistan also plans to develop an auction policy and business promotion plan.
Background
In February 2023, at the yearly Mobile World Congress – the world’s largest and most significant meeting for the cellular phone technology industry – an expert from Huawei tech company in remarks revealed that milestones achieved by the 5G mobile networking technology in the initial three years since its start were almost ‘similar’ to that of 4G in its first five years.’
Globally, over 240 5G networks are working into commercial use. During the first phase of deployment of this technology, the Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) of the world’s top 20 5G operators increased by 10%. Number of 5G users worldwide surpassed one billion-benchmark by December 2022.
The 5G is harnessing a digital revolution by providing ‘1,000 times better mobile data volume per area, 100 times the number of connected devices, 100 times more user data rate, 10 times larger battery time for low-power massive-machine communications. It also carries five times lesser end-to-end latency.’ Since this ultraquick technology vies to proffer better internet speed, and more intelligent internet systems, nations across the globe are quickly adopting this fifth-generation technology for a large number of communication, commercial, as well as defense use.
A case study of PwC (Price Water-House Copper) analyzed the use cases of 5G in healthcare systems, smart utilities works, media outlets, industrial plus manufacturing, and moreover, financial services. Although, the economic significance of 5G might differ from industry and country based on adoptive capacity, the study found that employing of 5G technology would add $ 1.3 trillion to global GDP (in next 5-7 years) or by the end of 2030. Moreover, a report by GSMA, analyzed ‘the socio-economic benefits of mid-band 5G services’ and predicted that in South Asia, the GDP contribution generated by the latter would be more than $ 32 billion by 2030, with India claiming the major chunk at 84%, Bangladesh 9%, and Pakistan only 5%.
