Pakistan’s telecom giants have been promising lightning‑fast internet and crystal‑clear calls for years. But the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority’s (PTA) latest independent Quality of Service (QoS) survey for Q2 2025 tells a very different story — one of patchy coverage, dropped calls, and broadband speeds that would embarrass a 2010 dial‑up provider.
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The biggest shocker? Telenor — one of the country’s major operators — has once again cemented its position at the bottom of the pile. In 19‑city testing, it ranked last in mobile broadband speeds in most locations, both for downloads and uploads. Even when tested with a 3rd‑party app, it clung stubbornly to the last spot.
Coverage? Forget it. PTA’s own charts show Telenor failed 4G coverage benchmarks in multiple cities, from Fateh Jang to Matiari and Buner. In Risalpur and Shakargarh, signal confidence didn’t even meet the 90% threshold set by the regulator itself. High latency — the internet’s silent killer — was also a recurring problem, ensuring browsing and streaming feel like wading through wet cement.
Voice quality wasn’t spared either. Telenor logged the highest number of failures in call setup success, completion, and quality scores. In SMS services, it was dead last again — a staggering 10 non‑compliant cases out of the tested cities.
Yes, Jazz and Zong mostly topped the charts, and Ufone held strong in calls and texts, but let’s not pretend they’re saints. The same report shows no operator hits every target. Even the leaders stumble on page loading speeds and rural coverage.
What’s worse? This isn’t new. Year after year, QoS reports flag the same problems, yet the PTA’s “warnings” vanish into thin air. The public keeps paying premium rates for sub‑par service while operators churn out glossy ads bragging about their “fastest 4G” and “best coverage.”
This isn’t just about bad service — it’s about a regulator that measures failures but doesn’t fix them. Until there’s real enforcement, heavy penalties, or license suspensions, Pakistan’s telecom sector will keep getting away with murder — and consumers will keep footing the bill.
