ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for IT and Telecommunication Syed Aminul Haque said that 4G penetration in Pakistan has crossed 57 percent indicating that the country is ready to launch 5G at least in selected cities.

Responding to Business Recorder queries the minister said, “I will try to launch 5G as soon as possible with upgraded quality of services benchmarks.”

Earlier, the minister said the first priority of the Ministry of IT was to increase the reach of 4G technology in the country.

The federal minister for IT was talking to a delegation of Etisalat International led by CEO Mikhail Gerchuk, here on Wednesday.

The delegation comprised Abdulrahim Al Nooryani, CEO Etisalat Pakistan, Hatem Bamatraf, President and CEO PTCL and Ufone, and Naveed Butt, Chief Regulatory Officer. Additional Secretary (Incharge) Ministry of IT Mohsin Mushtaq was also present. Matters related to connectivity, 5G technology and telecom sector were discussed during the meeting.

The federal minister for IT said the future of technology in Pakistan was linked to introducing 5G technology. He said the Ministry of IT was extending full support to telecom companies.

He urged the telecom companies to play their role for bringing modern technology in Pakistan. He said that every possible steps were being taken to make 5G business friendly.

Syed Aminul Haque said the trial coverage of the 5G would be started initially in major cities.

The Etisalat delegation lauded IT Minister Syed Aminul Haque’s initiatives regarding telecommunication. Mikhail Gerchuk expressed readiness to invest in IT and Telecom sector of Pakistan.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022