By Abdul Ghani

The number of operational 5G sites across Pakistan has increased to 1,136 as of August 5, 2026, from 449 in July, underscoring the rapid pace of network deployment by mobile operators ahead of the first phase of commercial rollout.

According to an official document available with Wealth Pakistan, Jazz has deployed the highest number of 5G sites with 689, followed by Zong with 338, while Ufone has installed 109 sites.

The rollout is concentrated in major urban centres. Lahore leads with 241 operational sites (Jazz 159, Zong 55 and Ufone 27) against a Phase-I target of 736 sites. Karachi follows with 257 operational sites (Jazz 119, Zong 111 and Ufone 27), while its first-phase target stands at 1,000 sites.

Islamabad has emerged as one of the fastest-moving cities, recording 192 operational sites (Jazz 98, Zong 56 and Ufone 38) compared with 114 sites reported in mid-July. The federal capital has a Phase-I target of 262 sites.

Other cities also witnessed rapid deployment, with Faisalabad reaching 131 sites, Peshawar 54 , Quetta 31, Rawalpindi 77, and Sialkot 13.

The document further indicates that 5G deployment has expanded to several smaller cities, including Abbottabad, Attock, Gujranwala, Hyderabad, Jhelum, Kasur, Kohat, Mardan, Multan, Rahim Yar Khan, Sheikhupura, Sukkur, Swabi and Chitral, though deployment levels vary considerably.

Overall, the figures suggest that Pakistan's telecom operators have more than doubled the number of operational 5G sites within less than three weeks, signalling an accelerated push toward the country's first phase of nationwide 5G services.

The document sets an overall Phase-I target of 2,632 sites, indicating that substantial deployment work remains before the initial rollout is completed.

Credit: INP-WealthPk