Senate IT Committee Grills PTA on Jazz Overcharging and Service Complaints

The Senate IT and Telecom Committee has taken up the issue of Jazz overcharging allegations, summoning the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to explain how billions in excess charges slipped past regulatory checks.

The committee also criticized the operator’s poor service quality, especially in rural and highway areas, questioning whether higher tariffs have been matched with better services.

Senators Voice Frustration Over Call Quality

The committee chairman, while addressing officials, remarked,

Tariffs are increased, but does Jazz provide the quality of service users deserve?

Senator Nadeem Bhutto shared his personal frustration, saying he has been a Jazz customer since 2010 but still faces basic connectivity issues. “Often, my father scolds me because calls don’t even connect. On highways, Jazz’s service is almost nonexistent, and in most areas, you only get 2G signals,” he said.

Jazz Overcharging Allegations: PTA Defends Its Role

Responding to senators’ questions, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Chairman admitted that service quality has remained a persistent issue. He explained that PTA regulates tariffs and consumer protection, while spectrum availability plays a key role in improving services.

“Whenever Jazz raises tariffs, it has to seek PTA’s prior approval,” he clarified, adding that an audit report had been misunderstood and that PTA had already responded to the objections.

He also confirmed that Jazz raised its tariffs by 19% in 2024 and that regulatory oversight was essential to maintain balance in the telecom market.

During the meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on IT and Telecom, the PTA chairman remarked that while cartels exist in many sectors of Pakistan, they have prevented such cartelization in the telecom industry. He further stated that Jazz is already being kept within certain limits, and the company had wanted to increase tariffs beyond what was allowed.

PTA Chairman assured the committee that if customers are overcharged, we will see that they get reimbursed.

At this point, the Committee Chair questioned whether PTA agreed with the recent tariff hikes by Jazz. In response, the PTA Chairman firmly stated, “I will not defend Jazz under any circumstances.”

Market Pressures and Spectrum Challenges

Highlighting the bigger picture, the PTA Chairman revealed that Ufone is currently the only telecom company operating at a loss, while the long-delayed merger of Ufone and Telenor has further slowed progress in the industry.

He stressed that network quality problems will persist until new spectrum is auctioned.

PTA is ready for spectrum auction. In fact, we requested the Prime Minister last week to expedite the process.

The Senate committee’s intervention will mount pressure on the operator to improve service quality while ensuring fair pricing. With spectrum auctions expected in the near future and the telecom market undergoing consolidation, consumers may see improvements if regulators can ensure accountability and competition.