The Pakistan IT Industry Association (P@SHA) says the 5G transition is a critical enabler to accelerate the country’s IT exports and expand the digital economy, following sustained industry advocacy to widen and streamline national connectivity.
The recent transparent 5G spectrum auction, backed by the Prime Minister, the Federal Minister for Information & Telecom, the Special Investment Facilitation Council and the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority, attracted strong interest and generated $507 million in foreign exchange for Pakistan.
Industry leaders stress that multi-gigabit 5G infrastructure offers far more than faster mobile internet. By providing ultra-low latency and massive network capacity, the 5G transition will allow local software houses and tech firms to integrate more seamlessly with global supply chains and participate in complex international projects.
With improved connectivity, Pakistani companies can deliver data-intensive work to overseas clients with greater efficiency, a change expected to accelerate IT exports and help the sector emerge as one of the country’s top export industries in the coming years.
P@SHA Chairman Sajjad Mustafa Syed underlined that 5G will serve as the backbone for emerging technologies, enabling local development and deployment of Artificial Intelligence, the Internet of Things and augmented reality across healthcare, education, agriculture and smart city initiatives.
The association also highlighted how the 5G transition will support a stronger cloud ecosystem and expanded edge computing, helping businesses reduce operational costs, strengthen cybersecurity and allow startups to scale rapidly.
P@SHA called on the Ministry of IT and Telecommunication, the Special Investment Facilitation Council, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority and telecom operators to ensure a rapid, equitable and industry-friendly rollout so the country can fully capitalise on the opportunities presented by 5G.
