Pak Telecommunication Mobile Limited, doing business as Ufone, is a Pakistani mobile network operator headquartered in Islamabad. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited. Following PTCL's privatization, Ufone became a part of Etisalat by e& in 2006.
Ufone has a subscriber base of 29 million as of January 2026, among which 20 million are 4G/LTE subscribers. It has a market share of 13% and just over 10,000 cell sites, the least among all four mobile operators.[2][3]
History
Ufone was founded in July 1998 and began operations in January 2001.[4]
Rashid Khan was appointed acting CEO of Ufone in August 2017.[5] Rashid Khan, president and CEO of both Ufone and PTCL, died in December 2020.[6]
By 2017, Ufone was the only company in the Pakistani telecommunications market that did not have 4G data services. It launched 4G in August 2019.[7] In 2019, PTCL and Ufone were merging a number of their departments.[8]
In 2021, it purchased its own 4G spectrum license for US$279 million.[7]
Radio frequency summary
Ufone had bid on a 5 MHz block of 2100 MHz spectrum in the NGMS auction held in early 2014, however due to rising demand, in December 2016, Ufone decided to re-farm a portion of its 900 MHz 2G network to 3G (HSPA+) to increase network capacity.
Ufone has re-farmed their 900 MHz spectrum in Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi/Islamabad, Abbottabad, Sheikhupura and Sialkot.[9][10]
PTML Ufone won 2x9 MHz of 1800 MHz in the 2021 NGMS auction held by PTA, bringing its total spectrum in the band up to 15 MHz which will be used for improvement of its existing 4G services.[11]
Post-merger spectrum allocation
PTA granted technical approval for merging and integration of networks on 19 March 2026, allowing Ufone to begin utilizing spectrum that is currently in-use by Telenor Pakistan.
4G launch
On 9 February 2019, Ufone launched its 4G network in the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi, utilizing its existing NGMS licenses. By 2019, Ufone had expanded its 4G coverage to 16 cities, and had outlined plans to launch 4G in additional locations as well.[12]
3G sunset
Ufone began sunsetting its 3G services in June 2025, refarming the allocated spectrum to 4G. As of February 2026, it had sunset its 3G services in most urban centers of Pakistan.[13]
5G launch
Ufone participated in the 2026 NGMS Auction, acquiring 180 MHz of total spectrum, consisting of 120 MHz in the 3.5 GHz band and 60 MHz in the 2.6 GHz band.[14]
Voice over LTE (VoLTE)
In October 2023, Ufone announced that it enabled VoLTE across its network, making it the last network in the country to support the service.[15]
Voice over LTE (VoLTE)
In October 2023, Ufone announced that it enabled VoLTE across its network, making it the last network in the country to support the service.[15]
Merger with Telenor Pakistan
In December 2025, PTCL completed its acquisition of Telenor Pakistan, along with its spectrum allocation licenses and cellular network.[16]
On 19 March 2026, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority gave their technical approval for the merger between Ufone and Telenor Pakistan allowing both companies to begin integration of systems and spectrum.[17]
See also
References
- Ufone PTML VIS Rating Report 2023 retrieved 9 October 2025^
- Telecom Indicators www.pta.gov.pk, retrieved 2024-07-26^
- PTA/Licensing/Wireless/156/2024 PTA, 2025-11-30, retrieved 2026-03-14^
- Amin Hamdani. Ufone Rating Report VIS Credit Rating Company Limited, 2025-01-27, retrieved 2025-10-09^
- Ufone appoints Rashid Khan as acting CEO Pakistan Today, August 13, 2017, retrieved September 15, 2024^
- Ali Ahmed. President, CEO PTCL & Ufone Rashid Khan passes away Business Recorder, December 17, 2020, retrieved September 14, 2024^
- Ahtasam Ahmad. PTCL Suffering Losses Due To Ufone's Abysmal Performance The Friday Times, May 17, 2023, retrieved September 14, 2024^
- Govt may merge Ufone completely with PTCL Pakistan Today, November 22, 2019, retrieved September 15, 2024^
- Ufone Upgrades and Doubles its 3G Network Through Spectrum Refarming 2017-01-25, retrieved 2017-10-19^
- Ufone Upgrades its 3G Network in Karachi 2017-03-30, retrieved 2017-10-19^
- Press Release Pakistan Telecommunication Authority, 10 September 2021, retrieved 30 September 2021^
- Aamir Attaa. Ufone is Going 4G in Pakistan retrieved 2019-02-09^
- Ufone 3G services Sunset^
- Tahir Amin. Pakistan raises $507mn in long-awaited 5G spectrum auction Brecorder, 2026-03-10, retrieved 2026-03-10^
- Ufone 4G Introduces VoLTE for HD Voice & Video Calling Experience Over 4G Network ProPakistani, 2023-10-19, retrieved 2024-03-07^
- PTCL Spreads Its Wings: A New Chapter for Pakistan’s Digital Future^
- Kalbe Ali. PTA gives go-ahead for Telenor, Ufone merger Dawn, 2026-03-24, retrieved 2026-03-24^