Pakistan’s Cellular Subscribers Continue to Decline for Fourth Month

Pakistan’s cellular subscriber base continued to decline for the fourth month in a row. The total number of mobile users fell from 196.194 million in September 2025 to 196.153 million by the end of October 2025.

The teledensity rate, which shows the number of mobile connections per 100 people, stayed almost unchanged at 79 percent in October. However, the overall teledensity dropped slightly from 80.04 percent in September to 79.89 percent in October.

According to official data from the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), the country had 197.804 million cellular users in June 2025. Since then, the subscriber base has been declining every month.

Pakistan’s Cellular Subscribers Continue to Decline for Fourth Month

Despite the drop in total users, the number of 3G and 4G subscribers increased slightly. The total 3G/4G user base rose from 148.059 million in September to 148.066 million in October. This marks a small net addition of around 7,000 new users. However, the penetration rate of Next Generation Mobile Services (NGMS) fell from 59.6 percent to 59.5 percent, showing a slow downward trend.

The performance of individual telecom operators also showed mixed results.

Jazz had no 3G users left, and its 4G subscriber base also declined. The company’s 4G users dropped from 55.077 million in September to 55.042 million in October. This marks the second straight month of decline for Jazz.

Zong, however, saw growth in its 4G services. Its 4G users increased from 41.152 million to 41.353 million during the same period. Meanwhile, its 3G users fell from 1.744 million to 1.719 million.

Telenor Pakistan also experienced a decrease. Its 3G users dropped from 1.011 million to 0.977 million. The company’s 4G subscriber base declined from 27.064 million in September to 26.96 million in October.

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Ufone showed mixed performance. Its 3G users fell from 1.448 million to 1.251 million. On the other hand, its 4G customer base increased from 18.742 million in September to 18.910 million in October.

The data shows a clear trend: while the overall number of mobile users is decreasing, 4G adoption remains steady, and 3G services continue to lose subscribers. Pakistan’s telecom sector is gradually shifting toward newer technologies, but the decline in total subscribers highlights challenges in market growth and user retention.