The Federal Minister for IT and Telecommunications, Shaza Fatima Khawaja, confirmed that 5G services will launch in Lahore by mid-2026, following Pakistan’s largest-ever spectrum auction scheduled for February 2026. The auction — approved by the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) — will allocate nearly 600 MHz of spectrum across multiple bands (700, 1800, 2100, 2300, 2600, and 3500 MHz), with the 3500 MHz band designated as critical for high-speed 5G deployment. Telecom operators are mandated to deliver minimum download speeds of 50 Mbps in Phase 1 and improve 4G quality by four to five times within four months post-auction.

PTCL has received conditional approval from the Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) to acquire Telenor Pakistan and Orion Towers, a move expected to consolidate network assets and accelerate infrastructure modernization in Lahore. The merger aims to enhance service quality, expand broadband offerings, and support upcoming 5G readiness — particularly in high-demand zones such as Telecom Quarters. Regulatory conditions focus on preserving market competition and safeguarding consumer interests during integration.

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) completed its Q4 2025 Quality of Service (QoS) surveys for fixed-line broadband across 29 major cities, including Lahore and its key commercial districts such as Telecom Quarters. While most providers met KPIs for latency and availability, some exhibited performance degradation during peak hours due to high bandwidth utilization, prompting PTA warnings and targeted interventions to ensure reliable connectivity ahead of 5G deployment.