{{Short description|Pakistani cellular service provider}} {{Infobox company | name = Ufone | logo = Ufone logo (2023).png | image = Ufone Tower, Islamabad (cropped).jpg | image_caption = Ufone Tower in Islamabad | type = Subsidiary | industry = Telecommunication | foundation = {{start date and age|1998|07|18|df=yes}} | location = Ufone Tower, Blue Area | location_city = Islamabad | area_served = | key_people = Hatem Bamatraf<br>(Group CEO & President) | products = ONIC, UPaisa | revenue = {{Increase}} {{PKRConvert|75.423|b}} | revenue_year = 2023 | operating_income = {{Decrease}} {{PKRConvert|-34.668|b}} | income_year = 2023 | net_income = {{Decrease}} {{PKRConvert|-24.614|b}} | net_income_year = 2023 | assets = {{Increase}} {{PKRConvert|234.087|b}} | assets_year = 2023 | equity = {{Increase}} {{PKRConvert|7.223|b}} | equity_year = 2023 | parent = Pakistan Telecommunication Company Ltd | website = {{URL|ufone.com}} | footnotes = Financials {{as of|2023|12|31|lc=y}} <ref name="RR2023">{{cite web|title=Ufone PTML VIS Rating Report 2023|url=https://docs.vis.com.pk/RatingReports/OP_00530002003_0005300.pdf|access-date=9 October 2025}}</ref> }}
'''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.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Telecom Indicators {{!}} PTA |url=https://www.pta.gov.pk/category/telecom-indicators/164#ngms-subscribers |access-date=2024-07-26 |website=www.pta.gov.pk}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-11-30 |title=PTA/Licensing/Wireless/156/2024 |url=https://www.pta.gov.pk/assets/media/Decion%20of%20the%20Authority%20dt%2030-11-2025%20on%20Acquisition%20of%20Telenor%20by%20PTCL.pdf |access-date=2026-03-14 |website=PTA}}</ref>
==History== Ufone was founded in July 1998 and began operations in January 2001.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hamdani |first=Amin |date=2025-01-27 |title=Ufone Rating Report |url=https://docs.vis.com.pk/RatingReports/OP_00530002003_0005300.pdf |access-date=2025-10-09 |website=VIS Credit Rating Company Limited}}</ref>
Rashid Khan was appointed acting CEO of Ufone in August 2017.<ref name="REF12-pakistan">{{Citation|date=August 13, 2017 |title=Ufone appoints Rashid Khan as acting CEO |work=Pakistan Today |url=https://profit.pakistantoday.com.pk/2017/08/13/ufone-appoints-rashid-khan-as-acting-ceo/ |access-date=September 15, 2024}}</ref> Rashid Khan, president and CEO of both Ufone and PTCL, died in December 2020.<ref name="REF7-brecorder">{{Citation |last=Ahmed |first=Ali |title=President, CEO PTCL & Ufone Rashid Khan passes away |date=December 17, 2020 |work=Business Recorder |url=https://www.brecorder.com/news/40042163 |access-date=September 14, 2024}}</ref>
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.<ref name="REF5-fridaytimes">{{Citation |last=Ahmad |first=Ahtasam |title=PTCL Suffering Losses Due To Ufone's Abysmal Performance |date=May 17, 2023 |work=The Friday Times |url=https://thefridaytimes.com/17-May-2023/ptcl-suffering-losses-due-to-ufone-s-abysmal-performance |access-date=September 14, 2024}}</ref> In 2019, PTCL and Ufone were merging a number of their departments.<ref name="REF11-pakistan">{{Citation |date=November 22, 2019 |title=Govt may merge Ufone completely with PTCL |work=Pakistan Today |url=https://profit.pakistantoday.com.pk/2019/11/22/govt-may-merge-ufone-completely-with-ptcl/ |access-date=September 15, 2024}}</ref>
In 2021, it purchased its own 4G spectrum license for US$279 million.<ref name="REF5-fridaytimes" />
== Radio frequency summary == {| class="wikitable" !Frequency !Protocol !Band !Class !Channel Width |- |900 MHz |GSM/GPRS/EDGE |8 |2G |2.6 MHz / 7.6 MHz |- |900 MHz |LTE/LTE-A |8 | rowspan="3" |4G/4G+ |5 MHz |- |1800 MHz | rowspan="2" |LTE/LTE-A/5G NR |3 |15 MHz |- |2100 MHz |1 |5 MHz |- |2500 MHz | rowspan="2" |5G NR |n41 | rowspan="2" |5G |60 MHz |- |3500 MHz |n78 |120 MHz |} 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.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://propakistani.pk/2017/01/25/ufone-upgrades-doubles-3g-network-spectrum-refarming/|title=Ufone Upgrades and Doubles its 3G Network Through Spectrum Refarming|date=2017-01-25|access-date=2017-10-19|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://propakistani.pk/2017/03/30/ufone-upgrades-3g-network-karachi/|title=Ufone Upgrades its 3G Network in Karachi|date=2017-03-30|access-date=2017-10-19|language=en-US}}</ref>
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.<ref>{{Cite web |date=10 September 2021 |title=Press Release |url=https://www.pta.gov.pk/en/media-center/single-media/press-release-100921 |access-date=30 September 2021 |website=Pakistan Telecommunication Authority}}</ref>
=== 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.<ref name=":0" /> {| class="wikitable" |+MergeCo Spectrum Holding !Frequency !Channel Width |- |850 MHz |10 MHz |- |900 MHz |12.4 MHz |- |1800 MHz |23.8 MHz |- |2100 MHz |10 MHz |- |2500 MHz |60 MHz |- |3500 MHz |120 MHz |- |'''Total''' |236.2 MHz |}
=== 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.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Attaa |first=Aamir |title=Ufone is Going 4G in Pakistan |url=https://propakistani.pk/2019/02/09/ufone-is-going-4g-lte-in-pakistan/ |access-date=2019-02-09 |language=en-US}}</ref>
=== 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.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ufone 3G services Sunset |url=https://www.ufone.com/ufone-3g-services-sunset/ |url-status=live}}</ref>
=== 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.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Amin |first=Tahir |date=2026-03-10 |title=Pakistan raises $507mn in long-awaited 5G spectrum auction |url=https://www.brecorder.com/news/40410926 |access-date=2026-03-10 |website=Brecorder |language=en}}</ref>
==== 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.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-10-19 |title=Ufone 4G Introduces VoLTE for HD Voice & Video Calling Experience Over 4G Network |url=https://propakistani.pk/2023/10/19/ufone-4g-introduces-volte-for-hd-voice-video-calling-experience-over-4g-network/ |access-date=2024-03-07 |website=ProPakistani}}</ref>
== Merger with Telenor Pakistan == In December 2025, PTCL completed its acquisition of Telenor Pakistan, along with its spectrum allocation licenses and cellular network.<ref>{{Cite web |title=PTCL Spreads Its Wings: A New Chapter for Pakistan’s Digital Future |url=https://www.ufone.com/ptcl-spreads-its-wings-a-new-chapter-for-pakistans-digital-future/ |url-status=}}</ref>
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.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Ali |first=Kalbe |date=2026-03-24 |title=PTA gives go-ahead for Telenor, Ufone merger |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1984758 |access-date=2026-03-24 |website=Dawn |language=en}}</ref>
== See also == * List of telecommunication companies in Pakistan
== References == {{reflist}}
{{Etisalat}} {{Mobile network operators of Pakistan}}
Category:Mobile phone companies of Pakistan Category:Companies based in Islamabad Category:Telecommunications companies established in 2001 Category:2001 establishments in Pakistan Category:Pakistani brands Category:PTCL Category:Internet service providers of Pakistan