Ufone 5G Has Not Launched in Pakistan Yet: Status, Cities and Options
Ufone 5G has not launched: PTA still lists it as available soon and Ufone has no city list. How it compares with Jazz and Zong, and how to get 5G today.
Ufone 5G has not launched yet. On 26 September 2026, PTA's official 5G coverage page still lists Ufone as "Will be Available Soon", and Ufone's own website says "Get Ready for 5G". There is no Ufone 5G city list, no phone list and nothing to switch on. If you need 5G today, only Jazz and Zong offer it.
That will surprise some Ufone users. Posts saying Ufone 5G is live, and that your normal bundle already gives 5G speeds, are going round online. We could not find any official page that backs them up.
We checked ufone.com, its press centre and its page list, PTA's 5G pages, and the Jazz and Zong 5G pages on 26 September 2026. Here is what each one says, what is only reported, and what a Ufone customer can do now.
Ufone 5G status on 26 September 2026
Ufone has the licence and the spectrum, but no official source shows a commercial launch. PTA's 5G coverage page gives Jazz and Zong their maps and phone lists, and gives Ufone a line reading "Will be Available Soon". Ufone has published no launch notice.
PTA authorised Jazz, Ufone and Zong to start 5G on 19 March 2026, in its press release of that date. It also said each operator would put a list of 5G areas and compatible phones on its own website. Jazz and Zong have done that. Ufone has not.
Ufone's homepage runs a banner that says "Get Ready for 5G", with the Ufone and Telenor logos together. The press centre has two 5G releases, both about spectrum, dated 10 March and 19 March 2026. The newest item there is from 7 July 2026, about the new management team. None of them announces a launch.
Reports in April said PTA had given Ufone a commencement letter, the final approval before a commercial launch. Later reports said the launch would come in May. Neither PTA nor Ufone has published that letter, so treat both as reported, not confirmed.
Ufone 5G cities have not been announced
Ufone has not named any 5G city. Its only 5G plan on record is from 10 March 2026: a phased rollout "starting with major urban centers" and then other regions. Any list of Ufone 5G cities you see online did not come from Ufone or PTA.
Ufone's coverage page still shows its 4G and 3G network. We found no 5G layer on it. The site's page list has no 5G coverage page and no 5G phone page either.
So if a shop or a post says Ufone 5G works in your area, ask where it got that. The answer should be a Ufone or PTA page. For now, neither has one.
Jazz, Zong and Ufone 5G compared
Jazz and Zong both run live 5G, and each publishes a coverage map and a phone list. Ufone holds more 3.5 GHz spectrum than either, but has no service yet. The table uses only what each operator and PTA publish; anything else is marked as reported.
| Network | 5G launch | Where, per its own site | New SIM needed? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jazz | 19 March 2026, in Jazz's own press release | About 180 sites at launch in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar, Quetta, Multan and Faisalabad | Not stated on Jazz's site |
| Zong | Authorised by PTA on 19 March 2026; its own launch date is reported, not on Zong's site | 556 active sites on Zong's 5G map, most in Karachi, Islamabad, Peshawar and Quetta | No. Zong's 5G FAQ says 4G SIMs work with 5G |
| Ufone | Not launched. PTA lists it as "Will be Available Soon" | No list published | Not stated |
Zong's map, which we counted on 26 September 2026, has 139 sites in Karachi, 95 in Islamabad, 71 in Peshawar, 57 in Quetta, 39 in Sialkot and 37 each in Rawalpindi and Lahore. Smaller numbers are in Multan, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Hyderabad, Abbottabad and other towns. Our wider map of 5G coverage in Pakistan tracks how both networks have grown.
Jazz says 5G works on all compatible iPhones once you update to the latest iOS. Its handset list covers Apple, Samsung, Vivo, Oppo, Realme, Xiaomi, Tecno, Infinix and others.
Ufone 5G spectrum and the Telenor merger
Ufone won 180 MHz in PTA's March 2026 auction: 120 MHz in the 3.5 GHz band and 60 MHz in the 2.6 GHz band. Ufone says that is the largest share of 3.5 GHz, twice any rival. Telenor Pakistan will use it too once the merger is approved.
The 3.5 GHz band is the main band for 5G around the world. A wide block of it means faster peak speeds and room for more users in busy areas. So once Ufone switches on, its 5G could be strong. It just has not switched on.
The merger matters for timing. Ufone's 10 March release says the spectrum "will also be utilized by Telenor Pakistan" once the merger is done, "subject to the necessary regulatory approvals". The combined company would hold 292.4 MHz, Ufone says. The planned rebrand of Ufone and Telenor to e& also hit a government objection in July. We cannot say whether either one is holding up the 5G launch, because neither company has said so.
How to get 5G now if you use Ufone
You cannot get 5G on the Ufone network today. You have three honest options: wait for Ufone's launch, add a Jazz or Zong SIM in a dual-SIM phone, or move your number to one of them. Check that your phone supports 5G first.
- Check your phone. PTA says only phones on the operators' published lists will get 5G. Checking if your phone supports 5G takes about two minutes.
- Update your phone's software. PTA advises the latest operating system version for 5G.
- Pick a network that is live where you are. Look up your street on the Jazz or Zong 5G map before you spend anything.
- Keep your Ufone number in the first SIM slot if you want to, and put a Jazz or Zong SIM in the second slot for data.
- Turn 5G on in your settings. The steps for enabling 5G on your phone differ for iPhone and Android.
Moving your number to another network is a bigger step. It is worth it only if 5G is actually live where you live and work. A 5G sign outside one shopping centre is not coverage.
If you stay with Ufone, you do not need to do anything now. Your phone will not show 5G on Ufone, however you set it, until Ufone launches.
What to watch for when Ufone 5G launches
The launch will be clear when three things change: PTA's 5G coverage page gets a Ufone map, Ufone publishes a list of 5G cities and phones, and a launch notice appears in Ufone's press centre. Until then, the launch has not happened.
Do not pay anyone for a "5G activation" or a "5G SIM" for Ufone. There is no Ufone 5G product to buy yet. Zong says its 4G SIMs and its current 4G packages both work on 5G, as tracked in 5G packages in Pakistan. Ufone has published no 5G price at all.
The Ufone helpline is 333 from a Ufone number, or 033-11-333-100 from any phone, both listed on ufone.com.
Common questions
Is Ufone 5G available in Pakistan?
No, not as of 26 September 2026. PTA's 5G coverage page lists Ufone as "Will be Available Soon", and Ufone has not announced a commercial launch.
Which cities have Ufone 5G?
None, officially. Ufone has published no 5G city list. Its only plan says the rollout will start with major urban centres.
Do I need a new SIM for Ufone 5G?
Ufone has not said. It has not launched 5G yet, so any shop selling a "Ufone 5G SIM" now is selling something Ufone has not announced.
How much 5G spectrum does Ufone have?
180 MHz from the March 2026 auction: 120 MHz in the 3.5 GHz band and 60 MHz in the 2.6 GHz band, according to Ufone's press release of 19 March 2026.
Which networks have 5G in Pakistan right now?
Jazz and Zong. Both launched after PTA authorised all three operators on 19 March 2026, and both publish 5G maps and phone lists.
Will my Ufone bundle give 5G speeds?
Not yet. Posts claiming Ufone bundles already give 5G speeds are not backed by any Ufone or PTA page we could find.
Last checked and sources
Last checked on 26 September 2026. Ufone's "Will be Available Soon" listing, and the Jazz and Zong links, are read on PTA's 5G Coverage Areas page. The 19 March 2026 authorisation of Jazz, Ufone and Zong, the phased rollout and the published-list rule are read in PTA's press release of that date. Ufone's 180 MHz, the 3.5 GHz and 2.6 GHz split, the 292.4 MHz merged holding, the Telenor spectrum sharing and the phased urban rollout plan are read in Ufone's press releases of 10 and 19 March 2026 in the Ufone press centre, which lists no launch notice up to its latest item of 7 July 2026. The "Get Ready for 5G" banner and the helplines are read on ufone.com. Jazz's 19 March launch, about 180 sites and eight launch cities are read in Jazz's press release; its iPhone note and phone list on its 5G handsets page. Zong's 556 sites and city counts are read on Zong's 5G coverage map, and the SIM answer in Zong's 5G FAQ. The commencement letter and a May launch date are reported only. We did not test a Ufone SIM on a 5G phone.
About the author
Author
Ali Akhtar is a young and curious voice here at Pakistan Era. He is currently pursuing his A-Levels and has a growing interest in Pakistan’s changing industrial landscape and educational trends. Ali likes to write in a way that helps him explain and explore the world around him. His writing reflects the perspective of the new generation navigating the evolving trends of Pakistan where technology, youth innovation, and shifting opportunities are reshaping the country’s future.
