Telcos Fall Short of Network Availability Standards, Reveals PTA Report
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has released its latest Quality of Service (QoS) survey, revealing that most telecom operators in the country are not meeting the minimum network availability standards required by their licenses. Network availability refers to the percentage of time a mobile network remains accessible to users. The required benchmark set by PTA is ≥99%.
According to the report, three out of four major Cellular Mobile Operators (CMOs) failed to meet this threshold. Zong showed the weakest performance, with network availability measured at only 92.52%. Jazz and Ufone also failed to meet the standard, while Telenor stood out with a score of 99.43%, successfully meeting the license requirement.
Millions of users across the country continue to experience disruptions such as dropped calls and signal losses. Complaints on social media suggest that service interruptions remain a common issue despite recurring regulatory checks. The latest PTA survey reinforces these concerns and points to a lack of progress from certain operators.
The assessment was conducted across several urban and rural areas to gauge real-world service delivery. PTA has issued notices and fines to operators in the past, but the latest findings suggest limited improvement in this key performance area.
Here is the network availability performance for each operator according to PTA’s latest report:
| Operator | AVG Network Availability (%) | PTA Threshold (%) | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jazz | 96..32 | ≥99 | Below Standard |
| Zong | 92.52 | ≥99 | Below Standard |
| Telenor | 99.43 | ≥99 | Met Standard |
| Ufone | 97.29 | ≥99 | Below Standard |
As Pakistan accelerates its digital transformation, stable and high-quality mobile connectivity is more essential than ever. PTA’s report highlights a clear gap between regulatory expectations and actual service delivery. Telecom operators must take corrective actions to bridge this gap, while the regulator should continue to monitor and enforce service standards more strictly.
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