Pakistan’s Telecom Giants Exposed: PTA QoS Report Reveals Widespread Failure, Billions Lost, and Public Outrage

Pakistan’s telecom sector — a multi-billion-rupee industry that dominates mobile and internet services — is facing a full-blown crisis of trust. The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has released its Independent Quality of Service (QoS) Survey for Q3 2025, covering 17 cities and 2 major roads, and the results are damning. Conducted over 74 days, covering 2,664 km, and involving 46,000 voice calls, SMS, and 330,000 broadband samples, the report shows that major operators — Jazz, Telenor, Ufone, and Zong — are consistently failing to meet legal standards under the Cellular Mobile Network QoS Regulations 2021.

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Non-compliant Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are marked in red, and they appear across voice quality, data speeds, 4G coverage, call success rates, and call drops — especially in smaller cities and rural areas. Social media is exploding with #BoycottTelecomPK and #PTA_WakeUp, with thousands of users sharing screenshots of dropped calls, crawling internet, and inflated bills for substandard service.

Shocking Failures: Data That Doesn’t Lie:

The PTA tested performance in cities like Charsadda, Ghotki, Kandiaro, Maydan, Sahiwal, Sialkot, Thatta, and Ziarat, and the results expose systemic neglect:

• Data Throughput (Mbps): Average speeds in many cities fell below 10 Mbps — Ufone in Maydan: 5.0 Mbps, Telenor in Thatta: 8.6 Mbps. Users report buffering during video calls and online classes.
• Call Success Rate (CSR %): Must be ≥98%. Ufone in Charsadda and Kandiaro: only 50% — meaning 1 in 2 calls fail to connect.
• Call Drop Rate (CDR %): Should be ≤2%. Multiple operators recorded 3–5% drops, especially on highways and in rural zones.
• 4G Coverage: Below 90% in several areas — Telenor in Charsadda: 68.70%, Thatta: 75%. Users are stuck on 3G or 2G despite paying for 4G.

Overall broadband performance? Only 85–90% compliance across 330,000 samples. PTA has warned that non-compliance triggers fines up to PKR 10 million per city and potential license suspension.

The Real Cost: A Nation Held Back:

This isn’t just about slow internet — it’s about economic sabotage. A student in Kandiaro missing an online exam. A small business in Maydan losing a client due to a dropped call. A freelancer in Ziarat unable to upload work because of 2 Mbps “4G”.

Experts estimate annual losses in the billions due to:

• Reduced productivity in remote work
• Stalled e-commerce growth
• Digital divide widening in rural Pakistan

Complaints to PTA helplines have surged 50% this quarter. Users are furious:

“I pay Jazz PKR 800/month and get 3G in 2025?” — Lahore user
“Ufone drops every call in Charsadda. Refund my money!” — Local shopkeeper

Telecom Giants Silent, PTA Under Pressure:

• Jazz (VEON): “We are investing in network upgrades.”
• Telenor: “Rural coverage expansion underway.”
• Ufone & Zong: No official response — a sign of arrogance?

But promises mean nothing without action. PTA must now:

1. Impose heavy fines and refund users
2. Suspend services in failing zones until fixed
3. Publish monthly live dashboards for transparency

This QoS report is a wake-up call. If telecom giants don’t deliver, Pakistan’s digital future — and its people — will pay the price.