Zong

Company Overview

Zong (زونگ‬) is a mobile network operator providing cellular mobile and data services in Pakistan. The company has a history dating back to 1991 then as Paktel, owned by British Cable & Wireless (now CWC) which operated an AMPS wireless service until 2004. In 2003 the firm was acquired by Millicom who would then go on to sell the company to China Mobile in January 2007. Paktel was subsequently rebranded to China Mobile Pakistan, and later to Zong in April 2008.

The company provides 2G GSM services over 900 and 1800 MHz, and in June 2014 launched 3G UMTS (DC-HSPA+) over B1 (2100 MHz). Zong was the first mobile network in Pakistan to offer 4G LTE when in September 2014 its B3 (1800 MHz) service went live over a 10 MHz block of spectrum awarded from the April 2014 PTA auction. The company has since refarmed 5 MHz of the original 6 MHz allotted to 1800 MHz GSM to increase B3 channel width to 15 MHz (as its 10 + 6 MHz spectrum is contiguous).

Zong 5G

In August 2019 Zong announced the successful testing of 5G, establishing the trial at its headquarters in Islamabad, and generating download speeds in excess of 1 Gbps. The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) authorised temporary 5G licences for MNOs to test their networks on the 2.6 and 3.5 GHz bands.