The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) just released its Quality of Service (QoS) Survey for the second quarter of 2026. The authority formally assessed 34 unique fixed-line broadband operators across 24 major cities in Pakistan. The overarching goal involved verifying if service providers meet regulatory benchmarks and consumer expectations for internet speed, stability, and customer support.
During the Q2 2026 survey, the PTA physically tested a total of 43 locations. Fortunately, broadband operators achieved full compliance at 29 of these tested locations. However, several prominent telecom companies failed to deliver adequate consumer services.
The Network Availability Struggle
Network availability strictly measures the total downtime of a provider’s network over a month. Most broadband operators successfully maintained acceptable network availability limits. Conversely, a notable few fell short of the mark.
Specifically, Prime Broadband, Net Cloud, Pace Telecom, and PTCL failed to meet the strict 99.9% availability benchmark for their Core Nodes. Furthermore, Net Cloud failed to achieve the 99% availability benchmark required for its Access Nodes.
Bandwidth, Speed & Latency Issues
High bandwidth utilization directly causes sluggish internet speeds for users during peak traffic hours. Consequently, most operators successfully kept their bandwidth utilization below the maximum 80% limit. Despite this broad compliance, some providers still experience severe congestion that hurts overall service quality.
When testing data throughput, the PTA demands a minimum download speed of 4 Mbps and an upload speed of 2 Mbps. Most operators easily cleared this performance bar. Sadly, PTCL and NTC completely failed to meet these minimum speed thresholds.
Moreover, latency and jitter significantly impact real-time online activities like gaming and video conferencing. The survey exposed severe local latency issues within the networks of PTCL, Kot Jameel Network, and NTC. Meanwhile, NTC and Mansoorah Telecommunication struggled with high international segment latency. This metric points directly to internal routing and connectivity inefficiencies.
Additionally, Air Touch Wireless, PTCL, NTC, and Kot Jameel Network exceeded the acceptable 15msec jitter limits.
The Corrective Mandate Following PTA QoS Survey
The PTA is not ignoring these critical infrastructure failures. The regulatory authority advised all non-compliant broadband service providers to take immediate corrective measures. Consequently, these operators must quickly enhance their capacity, optimize their network routing, and improve network resilience. This strict oversight ensures that operators eventually maintain acceptable service quality for all users across Pakistan.
