Pakistan’s Telecom data usage soars to 27,897 petabytes in 2024-25

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) reports a significant rise in telecom data consumption over the last three years. Data usage jumped by 37.84%, from 20,235 petabytes (PB) in 2022-23 to 27,897 PB in 2024-25.

Compared to the previous year’s 25,141 PB, this marks a 10.96% year-on-year increase, driven by growing demand for streaming, online education, e-commerce, and mobile applications.

Broadband subscriptions rose sharply from 127.6 million in 2022-23 to 150 million in 2024-25, a growth of 17.55% over three years and 8.47% in the last year alone. Broadband penetration climbed from 53.6% to 60.8%, reflecting a 13.43% increase over three years and 6.67% compared to last year, signaling broader internet access across the country.

The total number of telecom subscribers reached 200 million in 2024-25, up by 3.36% since 2022-23 and 2.51% over the previous year. Despite this growth, teledensity remained fairly stable at 81.21%, suggesting a saturated and mature market.

To meet rising connectivity demands, the number of cell sites expanded by 8.03% over three years to 57,888 in 2024-25, supporting urban and rural network coverage.

Decline in Telecom Sector Revenues

Despite the user growth, telecom revenues declined significantly to Rs. 803 billion in 2024-25, a 15.91% drop from Rs. 955 billion in 2023-24, and slightly down by 1.71% compared to 2022-23.

However, the telecom sector’s contribution to the national exchequer rebounded to Rs. 271 billion, recovering from Rs. 195.1 billion in 2023-24, though still below the Rs. 341 billion contributed in 2022-23.

The telecom sector in Pakistan shows robust user expansion and network development, even as revenues fluctuate, reflecting changing market dynamics and evolving consumer behavior.