January 16, 2026: Most fixed broadband providers in Pakistan met regulatory quality benchmarks during the fourth quarter of 2025, according to a new Quality of Service (QoS) survey released by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), pointing to broadly stable internet performance across major cities.
The Fixed Broadband QoS Survey, conducted under the Fixed Broadband QoS Regulations, 2022, evaluated 50 broadband operators across 29 cities between October 1 and December 20, 2025.
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Key Performance Indicators Assessed
The survey assessed service quality using multiple technical indicators, including:
- Network availability
- Latency on domestic and international routes
- Bandwidth utilisation
- Jitter affecting real-time services
- Download and upload data throughput
According to the PTA, operators in major urban centres such as Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Quetta, and Faisalabad largely complied with required benchmarks, particularly for network reliability and data throughput. Several providers achieved 100 percent compliance in their service areas during the review period.
Performance Gaps Identified
Despite overall strong compliance, the regulator identified shortcomings among certain operators. Network availability at core and access nodes fell below required thresholds for providers including Classic Broadband, Net Cloud Telecom, and Khan Telecommunications.
PTA also recorded higher-than-allowed latency on some domestic and international routes, attributing the issue to routing inefficiencies and capacity constraints. In addition, congestion during peak hours was observed for select operators due to high bandwidth utilisation.
Instances of elevated jitter, which can negatively impact video calls, online meetings, and gaming, were noted for a limited number of providers. However, the authority confirmed that all surveyed operators met the minimum download and upload speed requirements.
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PTA Orders Corrective Measures
Following the survey findings, PTA has directed non-compliant operators to implement network optimisation, capacity expansion, and service improvements to meet regulatory standards.
The authority said it will continue regular monitoring and enforcement actions to ensure sustained broadband service quality and protect consumer interests as Pakistan’s fixed internet usage continues to grow.
