Pakistan Telecommunication Authority has directed internet service providers across the country to improve their services after detecting widespread slow internet speeds in its latest Quality of Service assessment of fixed-line broadband networks for the first quarter of 2026. The survey covered 31 major cities including regions in Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, evaluating Broadband Service Providers against key performance indicators designed to measure service reliability, network stability, and overall quality for consumers. While most operators were found to be meeting core benchmarks such as network availability, jitter performance, and latency levels, the report identified significant performance gaps in parts of the network that are directly affecting the internet experience of end users.
The most widespread issue flagged in the survey is heavy bandwidth utilization during peak hours, which has been causing network congestion and leading to noticeably slower internet speeds across multiple service areas. Pakistan Telecommunication Authority noted that this over-utilization is not merely a technical inconvenience but a symptom of deeper structural inefficiencies in how Broadband Service Providers plan and scale their network capacity. When upstream bandwidth is stretched to its limits during the hours of highest demand, the degradation in user experience is immediate and significant, affecting everything from video streaming and online work to e-learning and digital financial transactions.
Beyond peak-hour congestion, the survey also observed higher latency levels in both domestic and international connectivity segments, pointing to inefficiencies in routing and backbone infrastructure among certain operators. Elevated latency is particularly damaging for real-time applications including voice and video calls, online gaming, and cloud-based business tools, where delays of even a fraction of a second translate into a measurably worse user experience. In response to the survey findings, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority has instructed all non-compliant service providers to take immediate corrective steps to improve network performance and bring their operations into line with Quality of Service standards. The regulator reiterated its commitment to improving broadband quality across the country and enhancing user experience as Pakistan’s digital economy continues to deepen its reliance on stable and fast internet connectivity. The detailed Quality of Service report for Q1 2026 has been published on Pakistan Telecommunication Authority’s official website for public access and review.
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