Zong Announces Major 5G Investment for Pakistan Network Expansion
Zong has announced a major investment programme to upgrade more than 1,000 sites to 5G technology across Pakistan during 2026, following the acquisition of a 5G licence and accelerating the country’s transition towards next-generation mobile connectivity.
The China Mobile subsidiary has launched commercial 5G services in Pakistan, with initial coverage including Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar and Quetta. The company said technical trials recorded speeds exceeding 1.4 gigabits per second, along with ultra-low latency.
Speaking at a media gathering in Karachi, Saira Mirza, Deputy Director Corporate Brand Communications and Sustainability at Zong, said the company’s investment represented a contribution to Pakistan’s digital infrastructure. She linked the expansion with the government’s Digital Pakistan vision, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) agenda and Vision 2030.
Syed Ramis Ali, Manager Corporate Brand and Communications, and Hafiz Muhammad Imran, Regional CTO South, were also present at the gathering.
Mirza said Pakistan’s telecom sector contributes around 5.4 percent to GDP and highlighted the potential of 5G, cloud computing and artificial intelligence (AI) to support the country’s digital economy. She said investment in these technologies could promote entrepreneurship, develop technical skills and enable young Pakistanis to create globally competitive digital products.
Zong is also using AI technologies to optimise network performance and energy efficiency. Backed by China Mobile’s global research and development capabilities, the operator is increasingly deploying intelligent technologies across its network to monitor performance and identify potential issues.
“Zong plans to deploy and upgrade more than 1,000 5G sites across Pakistan during 2026,” Saira said, adding that the network is already live in more than 20 cities. The expansion is expected to support growing demand for faster connectivity among consumers and businesses.
The rollout is also expected to benefit customers who continue to use 4G services. Additional spectrum capacity could reduce congestion in high-traffic locations, improve network consistency and enhance overall performance while creating a foundation for wider 5G adoption.
Zong currently operates more than 17,000 sites supported by over 26,000 kilometres of fibre. The company is increasingly applying AI to network optimisation, fault detection and energy management. In Islamabad, it reported a 39 percent improvement in peak-hour throughput after deploying AI-enabled network capabilities.
For consumers, Zong is developing 5G fixed wireless access for home broadband, alongside gaming and streaming packages, cloud storage, AI-assisted services and smart-home solutions. For businesses, the company is targeting private networks, enterprise Internet of Things applications and digitalisation solutions for industries including healthcare, manufacturing, agriculture and logistics.
The operator is also supporting its digital services through Z SAIS, its locally hosted Tier III Intelligent Cloud Computing Center, with zones in Islamabad and Lahore and billing available in Pakistani rupees.
As 5G adoption expands, the key challenge will be translating faster connectivity into affordable and reliable services and measurable productivity gains across Pakistan’s wider economy. Zong said it would continue meeting Pakistan Telecommunication Authority requirements and coverage obligations while accelerating deployment to strengthen connectivity and improve customer experience nationwide.