Key Takeaways
- PTA fines Telenor, Ufone and Zong a combined Rs. 145.833 million.
- Operators failed to meet Quality of Service standards in 53 cities.
- Penalties must be paid within 30 days to avoid further legal action.
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has imposed significant fines on three major telecom operators, Telenor Pakistan, Pakistan Telecom Mobile Limited (Ufone), and CMPak Limited (Zong), for failing to meet Quality of Service (QoS) standards in several cities.
According to the PTA, the operators were fined a combined Rs. 145.833 million, with Telenor Pakistan receiving the highest fine of Rs. 68.055 million, followed by Ufone and Zong, each fined Rs. 38.889 million.
The PTA conducted an independent QoS survey covering 53 cities during different quarters of 2025, assessing voice, SMS, and mobile broadband services. The survey revealed issues with call setup and completion rates, SMS success rates, webpage loading times, latency, and mobile signal strength.
The operators cited various factors for their non-compliance, including terrain, power outages, operational issues, external interference, and technical discrepancies. However, the PTA rejected these explanations, stating that remedial measures taken later could be considered mitigating factors but could not overturn the violations already established through the surveys.
The PTA has directed the operators to maintain compliance and submit technically supported compliance reports within 30 days. Failure to comply could lead to further legal proceedings.
The operators have been given 30 days to pay the penalties. The PTA emphasized the importance of maintaining high standards of service quality to ensure customer satisfaction and fair competition in the telecom sector.
The action taken by the PTA is part of its ongoing efforts to ensure that telecom services in Pakistan meet the required standards and protect the interests of consumers.
The three operators have been directed to address the issues identified and submit compliance reports to the PTA within the stipulated time to avoid further penalties.
