China Mobile Pakistan (CMPak), which operates under the Zong 4G brand, says it has expanded its network in the first half of 2024, as well as completed an extensive network modernisation project to address capacity challenges.
Zong 4G said in a release on Saturday that it deployed over 400 new 4G sites in the first half of this year.
For the network modernisation project, Zong said it replaced 2T2R technology on its base stations with 8T8R technology. The upgrades were particularly focused on improvng the customer experience for remote projects along the three routes of the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the main plank of China's Belt and Road Initiative.
Zong said it also completed over 1,400 battery upgrades to base stations in the first half of 2024, replacing older battery banks with Li-Ion solutions, which it says have longer battery life and charge more quickly.
"We remain committed to providing exceptional service to our customers and driving the growth of Pakistan's telecommunications infrastructure,” said Zong CTO Lu Jianhui in a statement. “We appreciate the continued support from our partners, Huawei and ZTE, as we advance towards a more connected future."
Zong is Pakistan’s second largest mobile network with 49 million subscribers, behind Veon-owned Jazz, which had 71.4 million subscribers as of May 2024. That ranking is expected to change with the proposed merger of Pakistan Telecommunication Company’s U Fone and Telenor Pakistan, which is currently under antitrust scrutiny. If the deal goes through, the combined entity would take the No 2 slot with just over 70 million subscribers.