Pakistan Wants to Sell 5G Phones on Instalments, So Why Is the Plan Still Not Moving?

Pakistan 5G phone instalment plan was supposed to be one of the first consumer wins from the country’s historic 5G spectrum auction held on March 10. The idea is straightforward: allow Pakistanis to buy 5G-enabled smartphones in affordable monthly instalments rather than paying the full price upfront, making the new technology accessible to lower-income groups, students, and anyone who wants a 5G phone but cannot afford to pay for it all at once.

All three major telecom operators, Jazz, Zong, and Ufone, have publicly said they support the plan. And yet, according to media reports, both the Ministry of IT and Telecommunication and the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) are still waiting for formal responses from certain industry stakeholders. The plan that everyone publicly supports is, in practice, going nowhere fast.

What the Policy Actually Proposes

The instalment scheme is designed to address one of the most immediate barriers to 5G adoption in Pakistan: the price of 5G-compatible handsets.

Pakistan’s 5G rollout has begun; Jazz and Zong have active sites, Ufone has confirmed a commercial launch, and the Telenor-Ufone merger creates a combined entity with the country’s largest 5G spectrum portfolio. But 5G is only useful if people can afford the phones that connect to it. Entry-level 5G smartphones in Pakistan currently start well above what most middle and lower-income consumers can pay upfront.

The instalment policy would allow telecom operators, potentially in partnership with banks or financing companies, to offer 5G handsets on structured monthly payment plans. This mirrors models that have worked in other markets, where handset financing significantly accelerated smartphone adoption and network usage.

Jazz has been the most vocal advocate for the policy. Jazz President Kazim Mujtaba made clear last week that the scheme is not only for low-income groups. “Several people want to get a 5G-compatible phone set but cannot afford to buy it on cash payment,” he said, broadening the target audience to include middle-income consumers who are simply unwilling to make a large one-time payment for a new device.

Who Is On Board, And Who Has Not Formally Responded

The public picture and the private reality appear to be different.

Jazz has been pushing for the policy the longest and remains the most committed advocate. Ufone signed up early. Zong became the third major telco to publicly join the initiative last month, with Sajid Munir, head of marketing at Zong, stating at a recent media workshop that with the rollout of 5G services, handset financing will help cater to rising demand for high-end devices.

However, media reports citing sources at the IT Ministry and PTA indicate that Zong’s official formal response to the government has still not been submitted, despite the public commitments.

When contacted for comment, a Zong spokesperson said the company “fully supports the industry-wide initiative to enhance access to 5G-enabled smartphones through handset financing solutions” and is “working closely with the regulator and industry stakeholders to finalise a framework that is beneficial for customers and the broader industry alike”.

Why the Delay Matters

The timing of this stall is particularly frustrating because the need for the policy has never been more clear.

Pakistan has just completed its 5G spectrum auction. Operators are deploying sites. Consumers are becoming aware that 5G exists. The window for driving early 5G adoption, when curiosity and interest are highest, is open right now. An instalment scheme that makes 5G handsets accessible to a broader population would accelerate subscriber migration to 5G networks, which in turn improves the business case for operators to invest further in 5G infrastructure.

Stakeholders also point out that once 5G rolls out nationally, it will push better 4G coverage into remote and underserved areas, increasing demand for smartphones in regions that currently have limited access. That demand surge needs to be met with an affordability solution, not just a network rollout.

Every month the instalment policy remains unfinished is a month in which 5G adoption is limited to consumers who can already afford to pay full price for a premium handset, the exact opposite of the digital inclusion outcome the government says it wants.

The Jazz Suggestion: USF for Motorway Connectivity

Separately, Jazz President Kazim Mujtaba raised another connectivity gap that the instalment scheme alone cannot address. Speaking to media last week, he suggested that once 5G is rolled out, the government should launch projects under the Universal Service Fund (USF) to ensure connectivity along Pakistan’s motorways.

“There is no business case for individual companies to invest along the motorways, but the connectivity can be ensured through the USF financing,” he said.

It is a practical observation. Motorway connectivity does not generate enough subscriber revenue to justify the infrastructure cost for any single operator, but it is essential for road safety, emergency services, and the millions of travellers and freight operators who use Pakistan’s motorway network daily. USF financing, which is designed precisely for connectivity in commercially unviable areas, is the logical funding mechanism.

What Needs to Happen Next

For a policy that everyone publicly supports, the gap between stated intention and formal commitment is frustratingly wide. Closing that gap quickly, before the initial momentum of Pakistan’s 5G launch dissipates, should be the immediate priority for both the Ministry of IT and the operators who claim to want this policy in place.

Pakistan’s 5G network is live. The phones that use it remain out of reach for millions. The plan to fix that is ready and waiting; it just needs the paperwork to match the promises.