Is Pakistan Telecom Growth Stalling? Subscriber Base Falls Again

The Pakistan telecom sector is facing a persistent downward trend. According to official data revealed by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), the country’s total cellular subscriber base witnessed a decline for the third consecutive month.

The number of subscribers dropped from 196.194 million in September 2025 to 196.153 million by the end of October 2025. This downward trajectory has continued since June, when the total subscriber count stood at 197.804 million.

While the subscriber count fell, other metrics showed mixed results. The cellular teledensity, which measures connections per 100 people, remained stable at 79 per cent. However, overall teledensity saw a slight decrease, moving from 80.04 per cent to 79.89 per cent.

Furthermore, the penetration rate for Next Generation Mobile Service (NGMS) also reflected a steady decline. It dropped slightly from 59.6 per cent to 59.5 per cent.

Despite these drops, the total number of 3G and 4G users saw a marginal increase. The user base grew from 148.059 million in September to 148.066 million in October. This marks a net addition of over 0.007 million users within a month.

Pakistan Telecom Operators: Who Gained and Who Lost?

The performance among major telecom operators varied significantly in October. Zong and Ufone managed to grow their 4G subscriber bases, while Jazz and Telenor faced declines.

Jazz continued to see a reduction in its 4G users for the second consecutive month. Its user base fell from 55.077 million in September to 55.042 million in October. Notably, Jazz’s 3G user base remained at zero.

In contrast, Zong registered positive growth in 4G subscriptions, rising from 41.152 million to 41.353 million. However, its 3G users declined from 1.744 million to 1.719 million.

Telenor Pakistan struggled on both fronts. Its 3G subscribers dropped from 1.011 million to 0.977 million. Similarly, its 4G base decreased from 27.064 million to 26.96 million.

Ufone reported a drop in 3G users, falling from 1.448 million to 1.251 million. However, the operator successfully increased its 4G customer count from 18.742 million to 18.910 million.

Quick Breakdown: Operator Performance (Sept vs. Oct 2025)