The government has officially acknowledged that cellular service disruptions persist in parts of the country, even though mobile operators are meeting performance benchmarks set by the regulator.
In a written reply submitted to the National Assembly, the Minister In-Charge of the Cabinet Division said that while Cellular Mobile[1] Operators (CMOs) are licensed with uniform quality standards nationwide, several regions continue to experience weak coverage and network instability.
According to the statement, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) conducts regular field surveys to monitor Quality of Service (QoS) and had revised its standards in 2021, setting higher data throughput targets, 1 Mbps for 3G and 4 Mbps for 4G services.
However, the ministry admitted that persistent service issues are caused by several external factors, including prolonged power outages, spectrum shortages, limited fiber connectivity, and security challenges in remote areas.
In urban centers, congested networks and delays in right-of-way permissions have also hindered infrastructure expansion.
The government said that unserved and underserved areas are being mapped for inclusion in Universal Service Fund (USF) projects to expand network coverage.
Over the past three years, the PTA has conducted 438 quality surveys, issuing 39 show-cause notices and imposing Rs68.9 million in fines on operators for poor performance. Despite this, service gaps remain, particularly in rural and high-traffic zones.
To address these issues, the government is preparing to release new spectrum and introduce 5G technology in Pakistan.
An Advisory Committee, chaired by the Finance Minister, was formed in November 2023 to oversee the upcoming spectrum auction, which is expected by late 2025 or early 2026.
The auction will make 606 MHz of new spectrum available, more than double the current capacity, across multiple frequency bands, including 700, 1800, 2100, 2300, 2600, and 3500 MHz.
The PTA has engaged NERA, a U.S.-based consultancy, to help design the auction strategy and 5G rollout plan.
Officials say the new spectrum release will significantly boost data speeds, reduce call drops, and improve network reliability, paving the way for next-generation connectivity across Pakistan.