Government has planned to launch 5G technology by December 2022 but experts are believing the country will take a much longer time.
Federal Minister for IT and Telecommunication Aminul Haq has said that the government has planned to launch 5G technology by December 2022 but experts in different fields are sceptical, believing the country will take a much longer time and will need to make stringent efforts to fully roll out the next generation technology.
However, they all were of the unanimous view that 5G would offer massive benefits to the economy of Pakistan.
“Initially, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), in collaboration with the Ministry of Information Technology, has to act fast and ramp up 4G to reach the tipping point of over 50% 4G penetration in the country,” suggested ICT expert Parvez Iftikhar while talking to The Express Tribune.
Iftikhar is part of a committee constituted by the IT ministry for implementing 5G in Pakistan. Pakistan Software Houses Association (P@SHA) former secretary general Shehryar Hydri said the government may be able to roll out 5G in limited areas by 2022, however, the spread of new technology across the nation would take three to five years.
Stating the reason, Hydri said telecom companies would need to invest in licences as well as massive network upgrades for 5G. “Consumers will also have to wait for a few years for budget 5G-compatible phones, hence, it may take five to seven years before a proper rollout.”
Arif Habib Limited Head of Research Tahir Abbas was of the view that a lot needed to be developed on the infrastructure front for setting up the 5G network. “With 80% teledensity and 40% of population using 3G/4G network, there is immense potential in this field and 5G will further transform the digital landscape.”
Originally published at Tribune