Islamabad, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) conducted an extensive Quality of Service (QoS) Survey in seventeen cities across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, Sindh, and a joint survey with Cellular Mobile Operators (CMOs) in seven cities of Gilgit Baltistan. The survey, conducted during the third quarter of 2023, evaluated mobile network coverage and various QoS Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for voice, SMS, and mobile broadband services.

According to Pakistan Telecommunication Authority, the survey employed an advanced automated QoS Monitoring and Benchmarking Tool to assess the conformity of CMO services with the Next Generation Mobile Service (NGMS) licenses and Cellular Mobile Network Quality of Service Regulations 2021. The CMOs were ranked from first to fifth position based on their compliance with the KPI thresholds defined in their respective licenses and regulations. This ranking was determined for mobile network coverage, voice services, and mobile broadband speed, which included data download and upload speeds, network latency, and webpage loading time.

The performance of the CMOs was also benchmarked using the Ookla® Speed Test mobile application to measure upload and download throughputs and network latency. The survey’s findings indicated that the CMOs were largely compliant in terms of upload and download speeds, and improvements were observed in network latency and webpage loading times compared to previous surveys. However, certain voice KPIs were found to be below the licensed threshold in some areas. The PTA has issued instructions to the operators for corrective measures to enhance service quality to the required standards.

The survey results are available on the PTA’s website, providing transparency and accountability in the service provision by CMOs. The PTA conducts these service quality monitoring activities with the goal of encouraging operators to provide better mobile services and fostering healthy competition among them.