Jazz and Telenor Lead PTA Complaint Charts as Telecom Frustrations Surge Nationwide

Pakistan’s telecom watchdog has revealed a fresh set of consumer data showing Jazz leading the complaint charts in September 2025, as the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) registered a total of 4,927 complaints from users across the country.

Despite the surge, the regulator reported a 96.73% resolution rate, addressing 4,766 of the total complaints. The grievances spanned all major categories, from mobile networks and internet service providers to basic telephony and long-distance operators.

The figures highlight both the growing customer dissatisfaction with service quality and the telecom sector’s ongoing efforts to respond promptly through PTA’s Consumer Complaint Management System (CCMS).

Jazz Leads the Pack in User Complaints

According to official PTA data, Jazz, Pakistan’s largest mobile operator, received 1,522 complaints, retaining its position as the most complained-about network. Out of these, 1,516 complaints (99.61%) were successfully resolved.

Coming in second was Telenor Pakistan with 953 complaints, of which 927 (97.27%) were addressed. Zong followed with 761 complaints, while Ufone logged 671 complaints, marking it as the least complained-about operator among the four major mobile networks.

Together, these cellular mobile operators (CMOs) accounted for 3,930 complaints, making up nearly 80% of all telecom grievances for the month. PTA noted that since mobile users dominate Pakistan’s telecom base, the segment naturally attracts the most customer issues.

Internet Service Providers and Landline Issues Persist

Beyond mobile networks, internet and landline users also voiced significant concerns. PTA data shows 805 complaints were filed against Internet Service Providers (ISPs), a notable increase compared to previous months, with 735 (91.3%) of them resolved.

The regulator also received 149 complaints related to basic telephony services, out of which 142 were addressed, showing a resolution rate of 95.3%.

ISPs have increasingly come under public scrutiny for inconsistent speeds, outages, and high latency, particularly in smaller cities. Industry observers say the gap between urban and rural service quality continues to widen, despite growing digital dependency.

PTA Telecom Complaints Handling

PTA continues to play a central role in managing telecom consumer protection through its online complaint portal and toll-free helpline (0800-55055). Consumers can lodge complaints directly against telecom operators, internet providers, or even PTCL for service issues ranging from poor connectivity to billing disputes.

Officials from PTA stated that maintaining a high complaint resolution rate above 95% is a key priority for the regulator. However, analysts argue that a consistently high number of complaints, particularly against leading operators, points to systemic service quality issues that need proactive rather than reactive measures.

Resolving complaints is commendable, but the real metric should be reducing the number of complaints per month. Persistent issues with call drops, slow data, and billing errors show that customer experience remains secondary to market expansion.

A Sector Under Pressure

Pakistan’s telecom industry, already grappling with rising operational costs, heavy taxation, and spectrum challenges, now faces increasing scrutiny over service quality. As telecom usage grows, so do expectations for reliability and fairness in pricing and network performance.

With nearly 200 million mobile connections, even a small percentage of dissatisfied users translates into thousands of monthly complaints. PTA’s monthly complaint reports, therefore, serve as a crucial barometer of public sentiment in the sector.

Experts believe that a more transparent complaint-to-action framework, coupled with stronger consumer awareness, could help reduce recurring issues and build trust between operators and users.

Strong Response, But Weak Service Consistency

While PTA’s high complaint resolution rate demonstrates administrative efficiency, the consistent flow of new grievances, led by major networks like Jazz and Telenor, shows ongoing gaps in service reliability and customer satisfaction.

Until telecom operators invest more aggressively in network upgrades, customer service training, and transparent billing systems, the monthly complaint cycle is likely to continue, with users filing grievances almost as fast as PTA resolves them.

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