Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) recently released data indicating a modest uptick in the number of cellular subscribers across the country. According to the figures, the total count rose from 189.44 million in December 2023 to 190.18 million by January 2024.
This increase was also reflected in the number of 3G and 4G users, which saw a slight rise from 127.68 million in December to 128.79 million by the end of January.
Additionally, the data revealed a marginal increase in cellular teledensity, a measure of the number of mobile phones per 100 inhabitants, from 78.93 percent in December to 79.11 percent in January. The overall teledensity also experienced a similar uptick, climbing from 80 percent to 80.2 percent during the same period.
Furthermore, the penetration of Next Generation Mobile Service (NGMS) saw a notable increase, rising from 53.2 percent in December to 53.57 percent by the end of January.
However, amidst these overall positive trends, some telecom operators experienced fluctuations in their subscriber counts. For instance, Jazz observed a decline in its total count for 3G users, dropping from 3.492 million to 3.388 million, while simultaneously witnessing an increase in its 4G users, rising from 43.867 million to 44.292 million.
Similarly, Zong noted a decrease in its 3G subscribers, declining from 2.217 million to 2.162 million, while the number of 4G users registered an increase, growing from 34.202 million to 34.660 million.
Meanwhile, Telenor saw a decline in its 3G subscribers, dropping from 2.380 million to 2.280 million, although the number of 4G users showed an upward trajectory, increasing from 23.300 million to 23.560 million.
Ufone, on the other hand, maintained a steady count of 3G users at 2.190 million, compared to 2.188 million in December. However, the number of 4G users for Ufone experienced growth, climbing from 14.484 million to 14.690 million over the same period.
