Pakistan needs about two more years before 5G service can be rolled out fully across the country, officials told the National Assembly. The reply came during a session of parliament devoted to questions about the pace of next-generation mobile technology. Officials explained that work continues on making cheaper mobile phones more widely available, which would help spread 4G services to more users. Two meetings have already taken place between the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority and the Federal Board of Revenue to push that effort along. The talks center on bringing down the cost of handsets, a step seen as necessary before faster networks can reach a broad audience. Full national 5G coverage depends on both spectrum availability and an affordable device market, which is why the timeline runs long. Lawmakers received the two-year estimate as part of a wider briefing on the state of telecom services. For many Pakistanis, the delay means 4G will remain the main mobile standard for the near future.