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Pakistan’s connectivity story is still a mixed bag, with new data showing sharp differences between internet service providers and regions. Ookla, the company behind Speedtest, has released its latest half-year report covering January to June 2025, ranking both mobile and fixed broadband performance in the country.
The findings are based on millions of consumer-initiated tests combined with Quality of Experience (QoE) metrics, including browsing and video streaming. Together, these scores provide a reliable picture of how internet services performed across Pakistan in H1 2025.
Below are the best mobile network providers in Pakistan
On the mobile front, Jazz took the crown with a Speedtest Connectivity Score of 56.52, leading the market by a clear margin. Ufone secured second place with 49.97, while Zong followed with 41.21. Telenor continued to struggle, finishing last with 36.45.
City-Wise Performance
Faisalabad posted the fastest median mobile download speed among Pakistan’s biggest cities, reaching 24.45 Mbps. Lahore and Multan ranked second and third, while Quetta lagged at 19.37 Mbps, the lowest among the ten surveyed cities. Jazz outpaced its rivals across all urban centers.
Regional Performance
At the regional level, Punjab led with a median download speed of 22.1 Mbps, followed by Sindh and Islamabad Capital Territory. Azad Jammu and Kashmir was at the bottom with 11.22 Mbps, while FATA and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa only managed slightly better. Jazz dominated across all five regions.
Fixed broadband performance painted a different picture. According to Ookla, StormFiber delivered the strongest results nationwide with a Speedtest Score of 32.15. Nayatel came in second at 28.32, while Optix posted 24.17. PTCL, despite being the largest provider, lagged behind with 15.09.
Among cities, Islamabad recorded the fastest median broadband speed at 27.84 Mbps. Karachi ranked second, and Lahore third. On the slower end, Peshawar averaged just 14.26 Mbps, while Quetta and Hyderabad hovered slightly higher.
Globally, the average mobile internet speed now stands near 60 Mbps, while fixed broadband is close to 100 Mbps. In contrast, Pakistan’s median speeds remain significantly lower, underscoring the need for stronger investment and infrastructure upgrades.
Experts say the gap is more than a matter of convenience. Reliable, high-speed internet is vital for education, business growth, and the wider IT sector. While Jazz and StormFiber continue to set the pace, the disparity across providers and regions highlights just how far Pakistan has to go in closing its digital divide.
