Pakistan’s plan to auction 5G spectrum is being sold as a symbol of digital progress, future readiness, and global relevance. But before celebrating another technological milestone, a harder and more practical question must be asked. Who will actually be able to use 5G in Pakistan. Without addressing affordability and usability, the promise of 5G risks becoming more symbolism than substance.
Technology alone does not drive transformation. Its adoption does. Today, barely a fraction of Pakistan’s mobile users own 5G-enabled smartphones. Most devices available in the market are priced far beyond the reach of ordinary citizens, often costing several months of average income. In a country dominated by prepaid users and low purchasing power, this reality alone sharply limits 5G’s immediate relevance.
Local manufacturing trends reinforce this constraint. Pakistan’s device assembly ecosystem is built around low-cost phones, with production heavily skewed toward 2G and entry-level 4G handsets. This is not a failure of vision but a reflection of economic realities. Adding 5G capability significantly raises production costs, making mass adoption unrealistic in the near term. Even with policy clarity, shifting local assembly toward affordable 5G devices will take time and deliberate incentives.
Pakistan’s market structure further complicates matters. Unlike developed economies, mobile phones are rarely sold on installments, and operator-backed financing is minimal. Consumers must pay upfront, making expensive smartphones inaccessible for most. As a result, rollout targets focused only on networks risk creating underused infrastructure with little real demand.
Beyond devices, usability remains a deeper challenge. Even with 4G widely available, millions of Pakistanis remain offline due to affordability issues, limited digital skills, and lack of relevant local content. Faster speeds alone will not bridge this divide. If these gaps persist, 5G could widen inequality by serving a small urban elite while leaving the majority behind.
This is not an argument against 5G. It is an argument for sequencing and realism. Pakistan’s digital success will not be measured by auction revenues or coverage maps, but by how many citizens can afford, access, and meaningfully use digital services. Without tackling demand-side barriers, 5G risks becoming an expensive distraction rather than a genuine upgrade.
