PTA Survey Reveals Broadband Quality Problems at Several Internet Providers in Pakistan

Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has identified internet service quality issues at several broadband providers across Pakistan following its latest Quality of Service (QoS) survey for the third quarter of 2026. The assessment highlighted network availability problems, excessive jitter and bandwidth utilisation concerns that could affect the internet experience of customers in different cities.

The survey covered 23 internet service providers across 21 major cities between July and September 2026. Although many operators met the regulator's performance requirements, some providers were found to be falling short of important network quality standards.

Pace Telecom and Falcon Broadband Face Performance Issues

According to the PTA assessment, Pace Telecom and Broadcasting (Pvt) Ltd failed to meet the required network availability standards in Abbottabad.

The company's core network availability was recorded at 99.73%, below the regulatory requirement of 99.9%. Its access network availability also fell short, reaching 97.13% against the required 99%.

Falcon Broadband was also flagged for a separate performance issue in Vehari. Its network recorded jitter of 40.61 milliseconds, significantly exceeding the PTA's prescribed limit of less than 15 milliseconds.

High jitter can create problems for applications that depend on a consistent internet connection, including online gaming, video calls and real-time communication services.

PTA Evaluated Seven Key Broadband Performance Indicators

The regulator assessed broadband providers using seven major performance indicators to examine network reliability and service quality.

These included:

• Bandwidth utilisation
• Core network availability
• Access network availability
• Local network latency
• International network latency
• Network jitter
• Download and upload throughput

Under PTA regulations, broadband operators must maintain specific performance levels. Bandwidth utilisation should remain below 80%, while core and access network availability must exceed 99.9% and 99%, respectively.

The regulator also requires local network latency to remain below 40 milliseconds and international terrestrial latency below 110 milliseconds.

Interestingly, all surveyed operators met the prescribed local and international latency requirements. They also fulfilled the minimum throughput benchmarks of 4 Mbps for downloads and 2 Mbps for uploads.

However, excessive bandwidth utilisation remained a concern in some networks, potentially contributing to slower internet speeds during busy hours.

Several Internet Providers Need Network Improvements

The survey found that 16 out of 28 city-operator entries achieved full compliance across all seven performance indicators.

Other entries recorded compliance scores of 85.71% or 57.14%, showing that certain providers still have areas requiring improvement.

Pace Telecom's Abbottabad operation recorded the lowest compliance score of 57.14%, meeting only four of the seven assessed requirements. Its Swat operation performed better, achieving 85.71% compliance.

The PTA also identified individual performance gaps involving several other providers, including:

• Net-Cloud Telecom in Dadu
• New Millennium Network in Haripur
• TES Media and GH Wireless in Islamabad
• Gerry's Information Technology in Karachi
• Khyber Internet Services Provider in Mardan
• Wateen WiMax in Quetta
• Multinet Pakistan in Rawalpindi
• D3 Advertising and Communications in Shaheed Benazirabad
• Wavecomm in Usta Muhammad
• Falcon Broadband in Vehari

These findings indicate that broadband performance can vary considerably depending on the provider and the city where its network operates.

How Could These Issues Affect Internet Users?

Internet quality is increasingly important for Pakistani households, students, freelancers and businesses. A reliable connection is essential for online education, remote employment, cloud services, video conferencing and entertainment.

When a provider experiences network congestion or availability problems, customers may notice slower browsing, interruptions and unstable connections.

High jitter can particularly affect online gaming and video meetings, where consistent data delivery is important. Similarly, excessive bandwidth utilisation may become more noticeable during evening hours when more customers are using the internet simultaneously.

However, the survey results should not be interpreted as proof that every customer of a flagged provider is experiencing poor service. Actual performance can vary by location, connection type and network conditions.

PTA Calls for Corrective Measures From Internet Providers

The PTA conducted the assessment through its Enforcement Division, inspecting network operation centres (NOCs) operated by broadband service providers.

The survey included fixed broadband technologies such as DSL, copper-based connections and fibre-optic networks.

Following the findings, the regulator emphasised the need for non-compliant operators to take corrective steps. These include increasing network capacity, improving service availability and reducing jitter to meet the requirements of the Fixed Broadband Quality of Service Regulations, 2022.

The findings highlight the importance of regular monitoring and investment in broadband infrastructure as Pakistan's demand for dependable internet connectivity continues to grow.

For consumers, the key question now is whether the affected providers will make the necessary improvements and deliver more consistent internet services in the coming months.

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