PTA has released details of its quality of service (QoS) evaluations carried out over the past three years, revealing persistent issues in telecom performance and consumer dissatisfaction. A total of 438 surveys were conducted between 2022 and mid-2025, including quarterly assessments, complaint-driven evaluations, road checks, and railway-based tests. The data highlights both improvements and shortcomings in mobile network operators’ service delivery, with several instances where operators were issued show cause notices and warning letters for failing to meet required standards.
In 2022, PTA carried out three quarterly surveys. In the third quarter, 17 cities were assessed through 13 road surveys and 14 complaint-based evaluations. These findings led to a show cause notice against Ufone and a warning letter to Telenor, both of which later complied. The fourth quarter expanded the scope to 22 cities, including 13 road surveys and 30 complaint-related assessments. Warning letters were issued to all cellular mobile operators (CMOs) in five cities, with compliance received. The trend of corrective measures set the tone for subsequent years as PTA continued to track network quality.
The year 2023 saw four rounds of quarterly surveys. In the first quarter, 18 cities were covered through complaint-based cases that largely delivered satisfactory results. The second quarter extended coverage to 19 cities with 10 complaint-based evaluations, again yielding acceptable outcomes. However, in the third quarter, 24 cities and 14 complaint-driven cases led to warnings against all CMOs in four locations. Compliance followed, but the findings underlined recurring challenges. The fourth quarter involved 20 cities and five complaint-based cases, which were resolved satisfactorily. These mixed results emphasized that while some service areas improved, recurring deficiencies required regulatory intervention.
In 2024, PTA again conducted four surveys. The first quarter examined 16 cities with 13 complaint-driven evaluations. By the second quarter, the scope expanded to 23 cities and 26 complaint-based cases, producing satisfactory performance. However, the third quarter highlighted shortcomings once again, with 18 cities surveyed and 19 complaint-based cases leading to a show cause notice for Telenor and warning letters for other CMOs across four cities. The fourth quarter covered 17 cities with seven complaint cases, which resulted in warnings to all CMOs in four cities. Each operator complied after notices were issued, showing regulatory pressure was key in driving responses.
In the first half of 2025, PTA has so far completed two quarterly surveys. The first quarter covered 19 cities through nine road checks and eight complaint-based cases, all producing satisfactory results. The second quarter involved 19 cities, one railway track, and five complaint-based cases. Despite some progress, warning letters were again issued to all CMOs across three cities, followed by compliance. Alongside these assessments, PTA handled an extensive volume of user complaints through its Complaint Management System (CMS). Between 2022 and 2025, a total of 65,846 complaints were registered, of which 39,736 concerned data services, 9,279 were related to quality of service, 8,890 involved interruptions due to load shedding, and 7,941 dealt with coverage issues. PTA confirmed that 65,528 complaints were resolved, reflecting a resolution rate of 99.51 percent.
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