During the recent Standing Committee meeting on IT and Telecom, PTA officials outlined exactly what users should expect regarding network speeds. However, severe power infrastructure issues could slow down the 5G speed dream.
The PTA is setting higher standards for local mobile networks. First, the authority confirmed that there will be significant improvements in overall internet speeds in the near future. Second, officials set the baseline initial speed for 5G at 50 Mbps. Meanwhile, current 4G users will also see a massive upgrade, as 4G speeds are set to jump to 40 Mbps.
Despite these high-speed targets, severe electricity shortfalls threaten the entire rollout. PTA officials stated that extreme load shedding is actively ruining telecom services. In fact, many areas across the country are facing 12 to 15 hours of daily power cuts. Telecom companies cannot run their towers under 10-hour blackouts without severe service degradation.
Telecom operators rely heavily on batteries and backup power, but extended outages drain these systems completely. To fix this bottleneck, the Ministry of IT and the PTA are currently holding critical talks with NEPRA and the Power Division. They must secure reliable power for tower sites. Otherwise, maintaining stable 5G speeds will remain a massive hurdle.
