PTA survey exposes customer service gaps across telecom operators despite strong billing accuracy

Pakistan Telecommunication Authority’s (PTA) latest Customer Service Performance Survey for the fourth quarter of 2025 has revealed widespread shortcomings in telecom operators’ customer service, with none of the mobile operators meeting the benchmark for complaint response times.

The survey, conducted under the Telecom Consumer Protection (Amendment) Regulations, 2017, assessed key performance indicators (KPIs) including call centre performance, complaint handling, billing accuracy, service activation/deactivation, reconnection time and emergency service accessibility.

According to the report, all operators failed to achieve the prescribed customer complaint turnaround time, while only Ufone met the benchmark for operator assistance response and queue time. Jazz was the only operator that satisfied the overall problem resolution success rate, whereas Telenor, Zong, Ufone and SCOM fell short of the required standards.

On the positive side, all mobile operators met the billing accuracy threshold, while Jazz, Zong and Ufone also complied with billing complaint resolution requirements. Telenor failed to resolve all billing complaints within the stipulated time, and SCOM did not provide the required billing data.

The PTA also found deficiencies in emergency helpline accessibility, with several emergency numbers either unavailable or incorrectly mapped on different networks in various cities, including Quetta, Peshawar, Multan, Faisalabad and Gilgit-Baltistan.

Despite these shortcomings, all operators successfully met the benchmarks for new service activation and service deactivation, while Jazz and Zong achieved a 100 percent reconnection success rate within the prescribed 15-minute threshold.

The PTA concluded that the survey reflected a mixed trend of compliance and non-compliance and said the findings would be shared with telecom operators for corrective measures and service improvements.

SCO has not provided the requisite data for Billing Accuracy and Billing Problems. Calls made from Social Welfare Human Rights and Child Protection, Gilgit Baltistan (1121) were being routed to Muzaffarabad instead of Gilgit, which needs to be rectified by SCO. Edhi Ambulance Service (115), Pakistan Railways (117), Power Company Inquiry (118), NTC NDMA (911) and Chippa Ambulance Service (1020) have not been mapped with SCO in Gilgit.

Pakistan Railways (117) and Chippa Ambulance Service (1020) have not been mapped with Zong in Faisalabad. Fire Brigade Helpline (16) and Child Protection (1121) have not been mapped with Jazz in Multan. Edhi Ambulance Service (115), 11 Corps Peshawar (1125), NTC NDMA (911) and Chippa Ambulance Service (1020) have not been mapped with Ufone in Peshawar. CAA (114), Frontier Corps (FC) Quetta (1101), NTC NDMA (911), Social Welfare Human Rights, Child Protection, Baluchistan (1121) and Chippa Ambulance Service (1020) have not been mapped with Telenor in Quetta.

Also Read: PTA Cracks Down on Illegal SIMs Trade, 329 Activated SIMs Seized in Sahiwal