In November 2023, data from the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) indicates a decline in various telecom metrics and an increase in user complaints compared to October 2023.
The total number of cellular subscribers saw a decrease from 189.77 million at the end of October to 189.26 million at the end of November. Additionally, 3G and 4G users in Pakistan decreased from 126.92 million to 126.24 million during the same period.
Cellular teledensity witnessed a decline from 79.32 per cent in October to 78.98 per cent in November, contributing to the overall teledensity drop from 80.4 per cent to 80.06 per cent.
Furthermore, Next Generation Mobile Service (NGMS) penetration decreased from 53.05 per cent to 52.68 per cent.
Provider-specific data reveals a decline in Jazz’s 3G users from 3.731 million to 3.569 million and 4G users from 43.172 million to 42.754 million between October and November.
Zong experienced a decrease in 3G subscribers but an increase in 4G users. Telenor observed a decline in both 3G and 4G users, while Ufone’s 3G users decreased but 4G users increased.
User complaints against telecom operators surged in November, with the PTA receiving 14,471 complaints. Notably, 98.9 per cent of these complaints were successfully resolved.
The complaints spanned various telecom operators, including cellular mobile operators (CMOs), Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL), long-distance international (LDI) operators, wireless local loop (WLL) operators, and internet service providers (ISPs).
Cellular mobile subscribers constituted the majority of complaints, reaching 13,857, of which 99.1 per cent were addressed. Jazz, Telenor, Zong, and Ufone faced specific complaints, with resolution rates ranging from 98.2 to 99.7 per cent.
Complaints against basic telephony and ISPs were also received, with resolution rates of 93.2 per cent and 95.2 per cent, respectively.
