Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja has said the government aims to raise fiberisation to nearly 60% within the next three years, speaking at the EU-Pakistan Business Forum 2026.

“Only 16% of our towers are fiberised at this point. Our target is that in the next three years, we will increase that to almost 60%,” she said. Pakistan also aims to increase fibreised home passes from around 2-3 million to at least 10 million within two years.

The minister said the government, under the prime minister’s direction, has removed right-of-way charges to facilitate fibre deployment across the country, making fiberisation “business-friendly and investment-ready”.

Pakistan has successfully landed two to three submarine internet cables, with two expected to become operational this year and another next year. The country has also signed agreements with Central Asian nations to position itself as a regional data transit hub.

Over the past two years, Pakistan has witnessed about 25% growth in data usage, driven by a young population of over 150 million digital-first users. To address capacity gaps, the government recently conducted a major spectrum auction involving five frequency bands from 700 MHz to 3500 MHz. A total of 480 MHz was successfully auctioned, one of the largest spectrum allocations globally, raising Pakistan’s total spectrum capacity to over 750 MHz.

“This is not a marginal improvement but a structural correction required for future connectivity needs,” she said. This expansion will improve existing 4G services and enable 5G rollout.

Pakistan’s connectivity structure remains heavily dependent on mobile broadband, with around 98% of users relying on wireless networks and only 2% on fibre-based networks. Fibre expansion is essential to meet future demand and support digital economy growth.

The minister said Pakistan is aligning its regulatory framework with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) to ensure trust and transparency. With over 240 million people, around 200 million mobile subscribers and 150 million mobile internet users, Pakistan offers a large market for digital investment. The RAAST payment system is helping transition the country toward a cashless economy, improving transparency and financial inclusion.