LAHORE/ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Software Houses Association (P@SHA) has highlighted the transformative potential of 5G technology, describing it as a crucial catalyst that could significantly boost the country’s IT exports and digital economy.
The association said it had consistently advocated at the highest policymaking levels for streamlining and expanding the country’s connectivity spectrum. P@SHA also acknowledged the efforts of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication (MoITT), the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) and the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) in ensuring a fair, transparent and successful 5G spectrum auction, which it said generated $507 million in foreign exchange for the country.
The association urged the MoITT, SIFC, PTA and telecom operators to ensure a rapid, equitable and industry-friendly rollout to meet the sector’s growing infrastructure needs.The apex body representing the Information Technology (IT) and IT-enabled Services (ITeS) sectors said the transition to multi-gigabit 5G infrastructure was not merely an upgrade in internet speed but a key enabler of next-generation technological advancement and global competitiveness.
According to P@SHA, the rollout will deliver ultra-low latency and greater network capacity, enabling smoother global integration through reliable, high-speed connectivity and allowing software houses and tech enterprises to integrate more effectively with international supply chains.
The association said near zero-latency communication would enable Pakistani firms to deliver complex, data-intensive projects to international clients with greater efficiency, potentially accelerating IT exports. It added that the sector could emerge as the country’s second-largest export industry in the coming years.
P@SHA Chairperson Sajjad Mustafa Syed said 5G would be indispensable for advancing emerging technologies, providing the backbone for data-intensive innovations.He said the technology would accelerate the development and deployment of artificial intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT) and augmented reality applications across sectors such as healthcare, education, agriculture and smart city infrastructure.
P@SHA added that the transition to 5G would also support the growth of the cloud ecosystem through enhanced network capabilities, enabling local businesses to better utilise cloud and edge computing solutions, reduce operational costs, improve cybersecurity and scale more rapidly.
“The integration of 5G is a watershed moment for Pakistan’s IT industry,” Syed said. “To achieve our ambitious IT export targets, we need world-class infrastructure. 5G is the digital highway that will allow our developers, startups and established tech enterprises to compete globally.”
