ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) is pushing to bring eSIM technology within reach of ordinary mobile users, but the numbers suggest the rollout will be gradual.

Under the new framework, PTA has fixed the initial eSIM fee at Rs1,500 and allowed a minimum of 10 free transfers of an eSIM profile from one handset to another. The policy takes effect on 17 August 2026.

The harder question is how many phones in the country can actually use it. Pakistan has more than 190 million active mobile connections, of which roughly 55 to 60 per cent are smartphones — meaning around 100 to 110 million people are on smart devices.

Of those smartphones, only about 8 to 12 per cent currently carry eSIM capability.

The reason is hardware. The eSIM chip is still largely confined to flagship and mid-range devices — Apple’s iPhone from the XS generation onward, Samsung’s S and Note series, Google Pixel, and specific high-end Xiaomi and Motorola models. The bulk of Pakistan’s market, by contrast, runs on budget and entry-level handsets that ship without eSIM hardware.

Observers expect the picture to change over the next few years. As PTA’s pricing policy caps costs and manufacturers begin building eSIM support into cheaper phones, adoption in the local market is expected to spread quickly.