SCOM Helpline Failure Leaves Users Cut Off from PTA Support

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has flagged a critical SCOM helpline issue that prevented all of its subscribers from reaching the regulator’s main complaint number, 0800‑55055. According to the PTA’s Q1 2025 Customer Service Performance Survey Report, every attempt by SCOM users to dial the number resulted in failed connections, indicating a 0% success rate.

In contrast, subscribers on Jazz, Telenor, Zong, and Ufone networks reported a 100% connection rate to the same helpline. Additionally, PTCL landlines and other regional landline exchanges such as 081‑2826884 and 041‑8530092 also showed full connectivity.

Consumer rights advocates have raised serious concerns, warning that this SCOM helpline issue directly undermines subscribers’ ability to lodge formal complaints. “This lack of access violates telecom consumer protection regulations and denies SCOM users their right to contact the national regulator,” stated one industry analyst.

10-Day Deadline

The PTA has given SCOM a 10-day deadline to resolve the issue by correctly mapping the helpline in its network infrastructure. Failure to comply could result in financial penalties or further regulatory action. Experts believe the problem likely stems from outdated interconnection agreements or misconfigured routing protocols in SCOM’s backend systems.

SCOM, in response, acknowledged the technical lapse and attributed it to legacy routing protocols that failed to accommodate toll-free numbers properly. The operator has since committed to upgrading its signaling infrastructure to ensure full helpline accessibility for its subscribers.

This incident comes amid broader scrutiny of telecom operators’ customer service standards, following similar issues reported by Ufone and Jazz in the same PTA report. As the regulator continues to evaluate service quality across the industry, SCOM’s compliance—or lack thereof—could become a defining benchmark for future enforcement.

Until the matter is resolved, SCOM users remain disconnected from the PTA’s helpline, placing increased pressure on the company to act swiftly and restore full service capabilities.