Factors affecting 5G mobile networks rollout in Pakistan

Abstract

Pakistan holds a huge mobile telecommunication market base, consisting of nearly 185 million cellular customers as of August 2021 out of which 103 million are 3G & 4G users. Having a population of 220 million the demand for better and faster services is always there to be digested by the data ravening customers. At the moment broadband data users penetration is only 47.7% and it has a lot of viable potential for the mobile network operators to vie in more users from every part of the country.After acquiring 4G licenses by three mobile operators Mobilink, Telenor and Zong in Pakistan during the period 2014 to 2016, these companies launched their services. It became immensely clear that Government of Pakistan’s regulatory policies towards digitalization of economy will greatly effects the rollout of mobile networks and the same will be true in the case of 5G technology deployment. The main factors that need to be considered are well-timed allocation of spectrum and an encouraging regulatory framework for mobile network operators, right of way, small cell deployment challenges. The pace of 5G network roll out by mobile network operators in Pakistan will be mainly based on these factors. Henceforth, the main purpose here is to search the comprehensive time-based underlying forces affecting the rollout of 5G mobile networks and the causes effecting its implementation in Pakistan.