PTA Unveils New Telecom Reforms Amid Growing Criticism Over Slow Connectivity, Poor Service Quality

Facing mounting criticism over deteriorating network performance, frequent outages, and rising digital fraud, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has introduced a new set of regulatory initiatives aimed at stabilizing the country’s struggling telecom sector. However, industry analysts and consumer groups argue the reforms are “late, reactive, and unlikely to deliver meaningful improvement” without deeper structural changes.

According to PTA’s latest briefing, the new measures include national roaming, enhanced SIM security checks, Voice over Wi-Fi (VoWiFi) services, the phase-out of 3G networks, and expanded spectrum availability. The authority maintains that the initiatives will enhance connectivity and strengthen user protection, though stakeholders remain skeptical.

National Roaming, which allows customers to automatically switch to another operator’s network where coverage is weak, is being promoted as an industry-wide cost-optimization tool. Yet telecom companies privately describe it as an “emergency patch” to compensate for expanding coverage gaps caused by power shortages, operational constraints, and declining network investments.

The regulator’s emphasis on SIM security reforms comes amid a surge in identity theft and illegal SIM-related fraud. PTA says the strengthened framework will curb unauthorized activations, but consumer-rights advocates note that the threat landscape has evolved faster than regulatory updates.

The long-awaited rollout of VoWiFi, which enables calls over home and office internet networks, is being framed as a solution to chronic indoor coverage issues. Experts, however, say the service could have been introduced years earlier when complaints began rising sharply.

Similarly, the announcement to sunset the country’s outdated 3G networks underscores how far Pakistan still trails its regional peers in adopting advanced broadband technologies.

PTA’s decision to open the 5925–6425 MHz (Wi-Fi 6E) spectrum has been welcomed by technical experts as a positive step towards modernizing wireless capacity. But industry executives argue that broader spectrum reforms, including pricing, availability, and long-term planning, remain “painfully sluggish.”

In Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK), the authority has approved Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) solutions for areas where fibre deployment is challenging. Yet residents and local organisations have repeatedly protested the region’s poor connectivity and lack of digital infrastructure.

PTA also disclosed that it continues to struggle with resource limitations that restrict the effectiveness of its nationwide Quality of Service (QoS) monitoring efforts.

The regulator revealed that 49,500 URLs were blocked in 2025 for allegedly unlawful or harmful content. While PTA maintains the process is necessary to safeguard users, digital rights groups argue the system lacks transparency and opens the door to arbitrary censorship.

Despite the fresh announcements, telecom operators say they face an increasingly unsustainable environment marked by surging energy costs, rising dollar-linked equipment expenses, and stagnant revenues.

Consumers, meanwhile, continue to voice frustration over slow data speeds, dropped calls, frequent outages, and growing concerns over digital security.

Analysts warn that while PTA’s initiatives acknowledge several long-standing issues, they stop short of delivering the structural reforms required to revive Pakistan’s telecom sector. Without transparent oversight, competitive investment policies, and long-term infrastructure planning, experts fear the announced measures may amount to little more than incremental adjustments rather than the systemic overhaul the industry urgently needs.

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