Islamabad – Pakistan’s telecom sector has poured Rs. 267.61 billion in capital expenditure (Capex) over the past three years, but persistent service quality issues continue to challenge consumers and regulators.
According to a Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) briefing document, PMCL Jazz led the spending with Rs. 95.45 billion, followed by CMPak Zong at Rs. 87.27 billion, Ufone at Rs. 62.27 billion, and Telenor at Rs. 22.62 billion.
Despite these heavy investments, PTA’s 438 quality-of-service (QoS) surveys conducted across cities, roads, and railways showed mixed results. In several instances, warning letters were issued to all Cellular Mobile Operators (CMOs), and Telenor faced show-cause notices over substandard performance in some regions.
Consumer frustration is evident. In the past three years, 65,846 complaints were filed through PTA’s Complaint Management System (CMS), with the majority concerning data services (39,736 cases). Other key issues included service interruptions (8,890), coverage gaps (7,941), and general QoS concerns (9,279). PTA noted that 99.51% of cases were addressed, with 65,528 resolved.
The regulator emphasized that strict enforcement, continuous monitoring, and regular surveys are essential to ensure that operator investments translate into improved nationwide connectivity.
