Pakistan’s mobile landscape in the first quarter of 2026 tells a story of incremental improvement and persistent regional disparity. The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), working in partnership with OpenSignal, collected 1,230,878,302 data samples over 90 days spanning 159 districts to produce the most comprehensive mobile quality-of-experience benchmarking exercise published to date.
The PTA report measures actual end-user experience, what a smartphone owner encounters in daily life indoors and outdoors, during peak and off-peak hours, rather than theoretical network-level performance. Five metrics anchor the study: download speed, upload speed, video experience (0–100 scale), games experience (0–100 scale), and time on network (percentage of time a user maintains a data connection).
National Headline Numbers
When data from all four mobile operators is combined across districts, Pakistan shows a mixed mobile performance picture. Overall, 4G coverage is strong, but real-world experience for video and gaming still sits in the lower-mid range of the 100-point scale.
Average download speed is recorded at 18.60 Mbps across all devices. However, high-end smartphones achieve much better speeds at 30.20 Mbps. Upload speed remains lower at 5.81 Mbps, which limits smooth sharing and live content usage.
User experience scores also reflect clear gaps. Video performance stands at 44.97 out of 100, while gaming performance is slightly lower at 40.93 out of 100, pointing to lag and buffering issues in daily use.
Network availability remains stable, with users staying connected 94.21% of the time. A key concern is the 11.6 Mbps speed gap between average and high-end devices, showing that handset quality still heavily affects real internet performance in Pakistan.
Operator-by-Operator: National Standings
Four operators, Jazz, Telenor, Ufone, and Zong 4G, are benchmarked across all five metrics. No single carrier sweeps every category, though Zong commands the strongest overall profile.
| Metric | Jazz | Telenor | Ufone | Zong 4G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Download Speed (Mbps) | 17.62 | 6.66 | 12.36 | 18.62 ★ |
| Upload Speed (Mbps) | 6.40 | 2.44 | 3.98 | 7.65 ★ |
| Video Experience (0–100) | 47.00 | 34.84 | 42.33 | 47.06 ★ |
| Games Experience (0–100) | 39.34 | 37.35 | 48.22 ★ | 44.37 |
| Time on Network (%) | 93.33 | 92.72 | 93.41 | 96.82 ★ |
Zong leads on four of five national metrics: download speed (18.62 Mbps), upload speed (7.65 Mbps), video experience (47.06), and time on network (96.82%), giving it the most rounded national performance. Jazz is close on video experience (47.00, within 0.06 points) and second on download speed. Ufone’s standout result is gaming, where its score of 48.22 outpaces Zong’s 44.37 by a meaningful margin, suggesting lower latency and packet-loss characteristics on its network. Telenor trails across every category, scoring just 6.66 Mbps on downloads and 34.84 Mbps on video. the lowest marks in the cohort.
“No single operator sweeps every category; Ufone’s gaming edge over Zong underscores that network quality is multidimensional.”
City-by-City Results: All 15 Benchmarked Cities
Results from fifteen cities are published in this cycle, each with full operator breakdowns. A ★ in the tables below marks the highest score in each row.
Islamabad
| Metric | Jazz | Telenor | Ufone | Zong 4G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Download Speed (Mbps) | 20.11 ★ | 5.40 | 12.78 | 16.39 |
| Upload Speed (Mbps) | 7.32 ★ | 2.73 | 4.19 | 6.17 |
| Video Experience (0–100) | 53.63 ★ | 36.24 | 45.00 | 46.34 |
| Games Experience (0–100) | 41.88 | 40.63 | 51.27 ★ | 42.63 |
| Time on Network (%) | 93.68 | 94.88 | 90.78 | 97.35 ★ |
Rawalpindi
| Metric | Jazz | Telenor | Ufone | Zong 4G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Download Speed (Mbps) | 19.48 ★ | 5.37 | 12.83 | 16.57 |
| Upload Speed (Mbps) | 6.93 ★ | 2.78 | 4.10 | 6.19 |
| Video Experience (0–100) | 54.35 ★ | 35.67 | 45.55 | 45.33 |
| Games Experience (0–100) | 40.79 | 39.65 | 51.45 ★ | 42.19 |
| Time on Network (%) | 93.61 | 94.92 | 92.86 | 96.87 ★ |
Lahore
| Metric | Jazz | Telenor | Ufone | Zong 4G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Download Speed (Mbps) | 17.21 | 6.94 | 12.81 | 20.69 ★ |
| Upload Speed (Mbps) | 6.57 | 2.79 | 3.92 | 8.69 ★ |
| Video Experience (0–100) | 45.71 | 40.79 | 45.96 | 51.30 ★ |
| Games Experience (0–100) | 40.59 | 42.17 | 46.43 | 48.91 ★ |
| Time on Network (%) | 93.66 | 92.50 | 96.99 | 97.89 ★ |
Karachi
| Metric | Jazz | Telenor | Ufone | Zong 4G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Download Speed (Mbps) | 17.81 | 10.69 | 13.09 | 18.61 ★ |
| Upload Speed (Mbps) | 7.28 | 2.89 | 4.61 | 8.69 ★ |
| Video Experience (0–100) | 50.46 ★ | 43.43 | 43.78 | 46.39 |
| Games Experience (0–100) | 43.05 | 41.09 | 51.82 ★ | 46.45 |
| Time on Network (%) | 93.55 | 95.04 | 97.33 | 97.96 ★ |
Peshawar
| Metric | Jazz | Telenor | Ufone | Zong 4G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Download Speed (Mbps) | 18.30 ★ | 4.55 | 11.96 | 14.42 |
| Upload Speed (Mbps) | 7.51 ★ | 2.42 | 3.87 | 4.58 |
| Video Experience (0–100) | 49.71 ★ | 33.83 | 41.27 | 41.95 |
| Games Experience (0–100) | 39.67 | 38.20 | 48.61 ★ | 41.02 |
| Time on Network (%) | 91.41 | 94.10 | 91.86 | 94.87 ★ |
Quetta
| Metric | Jazz | Telenor | Ufone | Zong 4G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Download Speed (Mbps) | 21.77 ★ | 12.14 | 13.92 | 16.80 |
| Upload Speed (Mbps) | 7.52 ★ | 3.23 | 4.45 | 7.41 |
| Video Experience (0–100) | 50.14 ★ | 45.28 | 41.33 | 44.98 |
| Games Experience (0–100) | 40.53 | 40.44 | 49.13 ★ | 43.91 |
| Time on Network (%) | 93.17 | 95.23 | 89.21 | 97.42 ★ |
Abbottabad
| Metric | Jazz | Telenor | Ufone | Zong 4G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Download Speed (Mbps) | 16.85 ★ | 4.50 | 10.78 | 15.00 |
| Upload Speed (Mbps) | 5.78 ★ | 2.20 | 2.64 | 5.47 |
| Video Experience (0–100) | 47.79 ★ | 26.21 | 36.98 | 41.05 |
| Games Experience (0–100) | 39.59 | 38.28 | 47.82 ★ | 40.29 |
| Time on Network (%) | 90.64 | 88.64 | 88.50 | 95.88 ★ |
Faisalabad
| Metric | Jazz | Telenor | Ufone | Zong 4G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Download Speed (Mbps) | 19.45 | 8.43 | 13.70 | 19.51 ★ |
| Upload Speed (Mbps) | 5.86 | 2.42 | 3.94 | 7.22 ★ |
| Video Experience (0–100) | 46.52 | 39.05 | 43.69 | 48.90 ★ |
| Games Experience (0–100) | 39.80 | 38.07 | 46.80 | 48.21 ★ |
| Time on Network (%) | 93.46 | 92.47 | 92.73 | 97.12 ★ |
Sukkur
| Metric | Jazz | Telenor | Ufone | Zong 4G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Download Speed (Mbps) | 18.43 | 9.37 | 12.66 | 19.68 ★ |
| Upload Speed (Mbps) | 6.93 | 2.37 | 3.79 | 8.44 ★ |
| Video Experience (0–100) | 48.58 ★ | 37.24 | 42.42 | 46.69 |
| Games Experience (0–100) | 38.62 | 35.90 | 46.52 ★ | 43.48 |
| Time on Network (%) | 91.98 | 89.55 | 95.44 | 97.74 ★ |
Multan
| Metric | Jazz | Telenor | Ufone | Zong 4G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Download Speed (Mbps) | 19.38 | 9.15 | 13.13 | 21.64 ★ |
| Upload Speed (Mbps) | 6.00 | 2.69 | 4.48 | 10.09 ★ |
| Video Experience (0–100) | 48.92 | 40.40 | 45.98 | 50.61 ★ |
| Games Experience (0–100) | 39.40 | 37.25 | 48.18 ★ | 47.85 |
| Time on Network (%) | 95.69 | 95.71 | 95.46 | 98.32 ★ |
Gujranwala
| Metric | Jazz | Telenor | Ufone | Zong 4G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Download Speed (Mbps) | 17.11 | 5.27 | 12.03 | 17.28 ★ |
| Upload Speed (Mbps) | 7.22 ★ | 2.62 | 3.80 | 7.19 |
| Video Experience (0–100) | 41.65 | 34.31 | 43.49 | 44.11 ★ |
| Games Experience (0–100) | 40.42 | 40.51 | 47.05 | 48.59 ★ |
| Time on Network (%) | 95.52 | 94.26 | 94.96 | 95.67 ★ |
Hyderabad
| Metric | Jazz | Telenor | Ufone | Zong 4G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Download Speed (Mbps) | 19.09 ★ | 8.89 | 14.04 | 18.79 |
| Upload Speed (Mbps) | 7.55 | 2.39 | 4.42 | 8.96 ★ |
| Video Experience (0–100) | 51.98 ★ | 36.47 | 46.40 | 45.45 |
| Games Experience (0–100) | 43.64 | 37.01 | 51.71 ★ | 46.10 |
| Time on Network (%) | 93.81 | 91.49 | 97.93 | 98.32 ★ |
Gwadar
| Metric | Jazz | Telenor | Ufone | Zong 4G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Download Speed (Mbps) | 11.38 | 8.92 | 8.78 | 12.36 ★ |
| Upload Speed (Mbps) | 3.53 | 1.43 | 3.75 | 6.23 ★ |
| Video Experience (0–100) | 26.04 | 28.86 | 27.55 | 40.38 ★ |
| Games Experience (0–100) | 33.04 | 37.52 | 40.83 ★ | 36.46 |
| Time on Network (%) | 81.93 | 99.69 ★ | 89.89 | 92.24 |
Muzaffarabad (AJK — includes SCO)
| Metric | SCO | Jazz | Telenor | Ufone | Zong 4G |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Download Speed (Mbps) | 5.98 | 7.64 | 10.85 | 10.61 | 16.11 ★ |
| Upload Speed (Mbps) | 3.24 | 3.43 | 1.95 | 3.39 | 5.30 ★ |
| Video Experience (0–100) | 20.51 | 37.49 ★ | 36.22 | 32.26 | 36.17 |
| Games Experience (0–100) | 30.73 | 33.15 | 33.18 | 42.58 ★ | 34.91 |
| Time on Network (%) | 90.53 | 79.91 | 94.12 ★ | 90.57 | 89.41 |
Gilgit (GB — includes SCO)
| Metric | SCO | Jazz | Telenor | Ufone | Zong 4G |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Download Speed (Mbps) | 5.29 | 11.75 | 7.33 | 9.31 | 15.30 ★ |
| Upload Speed (Mbps) | 3.29 | 4.97 ★ | 2.04 | 4.61 | 4.58 |
| Video Experience (0–100) | 27.24 | 43.53 ★ | 28.87 | 38.54 | 30.23 |
| Games Experience (0–100) | 30.05 | 34.05 | 31.95 | 39.48 ★ | 34.93 |
| Time on Network (%) | 89.39 | 95.07 ★ | 92.28 | 94.03 | 87.56 |
Analysis & Key Takeaways
Zong’s Structural Advantage
Zong 4G wins the headline download speed category in eight of fifteen cities and claims the top time-on-network score in twelve cities, including four out of five with readings above 97%. Its strongest city performance comes in Multan, where it records 10.09 Mbps upload, the highest upload score of any operator in any city benchmarked. This consistency across geographically diverse locations, from Lahore to Quetta to Hyderabad, suggests a network investment strategy that prioritises coverage breadth alongside urban throughput.
Jazz Dominates the Capital Region
In Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Peshawar, Quetta, and Hyderabad, Jazz posts the highest download speed. Its Islamabad download of 20.11 Mbps outperforms Zong’s 16.39 Mbps in the same city by nearly four megabits. Jazz also records the best video experience score of any operator in any city: 54.35 out of 100 in Rawalpindi. These results suggest particularly strong Jazz infrastructure in and around the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa corridors.
Ufone’s Gaming Niche
Ufone wins the games experience category in twelve of fifteen cities, including all five major metropolitan centres (Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Karachi, and Peshawar). Its highest gaming score, 51.82, is recorded in Karachi. Low-latency, low-jitter performance is distinct from raw throughput; these results indicate Ufone’s network architecture may be better optimised for real-time packet delivery, even where its overall speed rankings lag behind competitors.
Telenor’s Persistent Gap
Telenor finishes last on download speed in thirteen of fifteen cities and on video experience in eleven cities. Its single notable standout is Gwadar, where its time-on-network score of 99.69% is the highest figure recorded for any operator in any city in the entire report. In Muzaffarabad and Gilgit, it is also the top operator for time on the network, suggesting its northern Pakistan coverage may be relatively stronger than its throughput numbers indicate.
Remote Cities: The Infrastructure Challenge
Gwadar, Gilgit, and Muzaffarabad collectively illustrate the scale of connectivity inequality. Gwadar’s best video experience score, Zong’s 40.38, is lower than Telenor’s worst video score in Karachi (43.43). In Gilgit, no operator exceeds 15.30 Mbps on download, and the best video score is Jazz’s 43.53. Muzaffarabad’s overall scores are the lowest in the entire city dataset. State-owned SCO (Special Communication Organisation), which operates in these territories, records the lowest download speeds and video experience in both Muzaffarabad and Gilgit.
