Two of Pakistan's telecom operators have launched 5G services shortly after securing licenses earlier this month.

Jazz, Zong, and Ufone all received 5G licenses last week following the conclusion of the country's 5G spectrum auction.

Veon-owned Jazz and China Mobile-owned Zong have wasted no time and already launched 5G services, doing so late last week.

Jazz launched its 5G service across around 180 sites, including in Islamabad and in all provincial capitals and key metropolitan hubs, such as Rawalpindi, Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar, Quetta, Multan, and Faisalabad.

Jazz secured the most spectrum during the auction earlier this month, picking up 50 MHz in the 3,500 MHz band, 70 MHz in the 2,600 MHz band, 50 MHz in the 2,300 MHz band, and 20 MHz in the 700 MHz band. The carrier is the biggest in Pakistan with more than 74 million customers.

Meanwhile, the country's second-largest telco, Ufone, grabbed 120 MHz in the 3,500 MHz band and 60 MHz in the 2,600 MHz band. Zong also focused on mid-band spectrum, securing 50 MHz in the 3,500 MHz band and 60 MHz in the 2,600 MHz band.

While Ufone hasn't yet launched 5G, Zong (China Mobile Pakistan) has. The carrier has commercially gone live with 5G services in more than 16 cities, including Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, and Quetta.

Pakistan's government had previously set a target to launch 5G services last summer, though this did not come to fruition.

During the auction, a total of 480 MHz of spectrum was sold across multiple bands, with Pakistan's main telcos, Jazz, Ufone, and Zong, snapping up the assets. Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) put a total of 597 MHz of spectrum on the table, with just over 100 MHz of this going unsold.