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The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has released its Fixed Broadband Quality of Service (QoS) Survey Report for Q3 2025, revealing serious performance issues in some of the country’s largest broadband providers. Despite nationwide improvements, PTCL (Hub operations) and CMPak (Quetta) services were among the lowest-performing networks in the entire survey.
PTA’s Extensive Q3 2025 Evaluation
Between July 1 and September 30, 2025, PTA assessed 66 broadband operators across 34 major cities at 84 different locations. The survey examined each provider under the Fixed Broadband Quality of Service Regulations 2022. Key parameters included:
| Parameter | Benchmark |
| Bandwidth Utilization | ≤ 80% |
| Core Node Availability | ≥ 99.9% |
| Access Node Availability | ≥ 99% |
| Local Latency | ≤ 40 ms |
| International Latency | ≤ 110 ms |
| Jitter | ≤ 15 ms |
The study measured real-time network data directly from each operator’s Network Operation Centre (NOC).
Poor Performance from PTCL and CMPak (Zong 4G)
While many broadband service providers (BSPs) achieved 100% compliance, two major players lagged behind significantly.
| Operator | City | Compliance % | Status |
| PTCL | Hub | 16.67% | Non-Compliant |
| CMPak | Quetta | 33.33% | Non-Compliant |
PTCL’s Hub operations recorded frequent downtime, high latency, and network availability well below thresholds. Similarly, CMPak in Quetta showed weak performance across multiple KPIs, including bandwidth utilisation, access node reliability, and jitter.
Both operators failed to meet PTA’s minimum standards for stable connectivity, marking them among the lowest performers in this nationwide evaluation.
According to the PTA report, several operators struggled with network uptime and round-trip latency:
- PTCL (Hub) and NTC (Hub) failed both local and international latency benchmarks.
- CMPak (Quetta) exceeded the 15 ms jitter limit and fell short on node availability.
- Overall, network congestion and inefficient routing remained recurring challenges, especially during peak hours.
These issues directly affect user experience, leading to slower internet speeds, packet loss, and poor real-time performance in gaming and video conferencing.
PTA Issues Warnings to Non-Compliant Operators
PTA has notified all non-compliant service providers, including PTCL and CMPak, providing detailed KPI performance data. The authority directed them to improve network availability, reduce latency, and optimise bandwidth usage.
The report emphasised that operators must upgrade infrastructure and routing systems to meet service benchmarks and maintain customer trust.
Despite these underperformers, several ISPs delivered strong results, including SCO, Galaxy Technology, and City Dot Net, all achieving full compliance across regions.
The survey underlines a mixed reality: while broadband quality is improving nationwide, major players still fall short in critical regions. PTA’s continued enforcement of QoS standards is expected to push all operators toward greater reliability and consistency in the coming quarters.
