Pakistan’s 5G Rollout Faces Fibre Shortfall as Tower Connectivity Stays Below 18%

The figures show that most operators remain below the level of fiber connectivity required to support high-capacity, nationwide 5G services. Fiber connections provide the backhaul needed to carry data from mobile towers to the core network, making them essential for consistent speeds, lower latency, and reliable performance.

Jazz currently leads the sector with 22% tower fiberization, making it the only operator to have crossed the initial 20% benchmark. Zong follows at 19%, while Telenor has connected 16% of its towers to fibre.

Ufone remains furthest behind, with only 9% of its tower network fiber-connected.

Under the Next Generation Mobile Services and 5G license conditions, all cellular mobile operators are required to increase their Fibre-to-the-site ratio to at least 20% during Phase I, covering the period from 2026 to 2028.

The mandatory target is scheduled to increase gradually to 35% by Phase IV, which runs from 2032 to 2035.

Based on current figures, Zong requires a relatively limited expansion to meet the initial target, while Telenor needs to raise its fiber coverage by four percentage points. Ufone would need to more than double its current level to comply with the Phase-I requirement.

The industry-wide average remains 2.1 percentage points below the first-phase benchmark, indicating that operators will need to accelerate investment as 5G coverage expands.

Installing 5G radio equipment alone does not guarantee improved service. Without sufficient backhaul capacity, towers may struggle to handle increased traffic, potentially limiting speeds and network reliability during periods of high demand.

The fibre shortfall may also result in an uneven rollout, with operators initially concentrating investment in dense urban and commercially attractive areas where fibre infrastructure is already available.

To support network expansion, the government has assigned E-band spectrum for high-capacity wireless backhaul. E-band connections can carry large volumes of data between telecom towers and network facilities, providing an alternative in areas where laying fiber is expensive, technically difficult, or delayed.

However, wireless backhaul is generally viewed as a complementary solution rather than a complete replacement for fiber, particularly in high-traffic areas requiring long-term capacity.

Authorities are also working to improve right-of-way approvals, which telecom companies require before installing fiber-optic cables across roads, public land, and property controlled by government bodies.

Operators have previously identified delayed approvals, inconsistent local charges, and coordination problems among public agencies as major barriers to fiber deployment.

The current figures suggest that Pakistan’s transition to nationwide 5G will depend not only on spectrum allocation and the installation of new tower equipment but also on how quickly operators strengthen their underlying fiber networks.

Without faster progress, 5G services may remain concentrated in selected locations, while users outside major urban centers continue to face uneven speeds and limited coverage.

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