As of May 2026, Gilgit-Baltistan has moved a major step closer to launching 5G services. The federal government officially approved policy directives to begin test trials in the mountainous region. Consequently, this development paves the way for a 5G spectrum auction in the coming months. Soon after, telecom companies will execute the eventual commercial rollout of next-generation mobile internet services.
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) drafted these initial directives. Subsequently, the Gilgit-Baltistan Council granted the formal approval. Legally, the council passed this framework under Article 60(2)(a) read with Entry No.1 of the Third Schedule of the Gilgit-Baltistan Order 2018.
Ghulam Abbas, the Caretaker Minister for Information Technology and Information for Gilgit-Baltistan, highly praised the development. He officially labeled the approval a “historic milestone”. Furthermore, he stated this marks the dawn of a “new digital era” for the territory. Abbas credited this breakthrough to sustained coordination with federal institutions. Ultimately, the government wants to ensure Gilgit-Baltistan receives the exact same advanced telecommunications standards currently available across the rest of Pakistan.
This 5G rollout will aggressively accelerate digital transformation. Moreover, it will deeply integrate the region into the global digital economy. Specifically, authorities project massive growth and new technological employment opportunities for the youth across several core domains. These target sectors include the IT industry, e-commerce, e-governance, education, and tourism.
To support this integration, authorities are actively expanding the local modern IT infrastructure. Therefore, they aim to provide a highly conducive business environment to attract future investments and drive innovation from telecom companies.
