The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) tested mobile calls and internet services across Islamabad and Rawalpindi on 5 November 2026, and called the first results excellent. But the regulator has not published any speed figures or call-drop numbers yet, so the word “excellent” is PTA’s own summary of what its teams saw — not measured data readers can check.
PTA Chairman Major General (Retd) Hafeez Ur Rehman personally led the exercise, days after the deadline for operators to fix coverage gaps in the twin cities ended on 31 October. Three teams drove set routes at the same time, making live calls and using mobile data at several points along the way.
Highlights
- PTA Chairman personally led live call and internet tests in Islamabad and Rawalpindi on 5 November 2026
- Three teams covered the airport, Srinagar Highway, Expressway, Murree Road, Rawal Road and Blue Area
- Initial results called “excellent” in most areas, but PTA found weak spots in call quality and internet at some locations
- PTA ordered Jazz, Zong and Ufone to fix the problems; operators blamed 3G-to-4G and 4G-to-5G upgrades
- No speed figures, call-drop counts or operator ranking published by PTA yet
- Surveys now expand to Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar and other major cities
What PTA Tested
PTA ran a Quality of Experience (QoE) and Quality of Service (QoS) field survey on 5 November 2026. QoS means measured network performance, such as call setup and data speed, while QoE means what a user actually experiences — whether calls connect, stay connected and sound clear, and whether mobile data works when it is needed.
Three special teams worked at the same time. The first team covered the New Islamabad International Airport, Srinagar Highway and adjoining areas. The second team drove along Islamabad Expressway from the city to Rawat T-Chowk. The third team covered Murree Road, Rawal Road and the area around the old airport in Rawalpindi. The chairman and senior officials also visited Blue Area and sectors G-7, G-8, G-9 and G-11.
The inspection focused on voice quality, call connection success rates, call continuity and mobile data speeds. Officials tested live voice calls and used mobile data services at several points, with operator staff and reporters on board.
What the Survey Found
According to the initial assessment, mobile voice and data services were generally satisfactory in most of the areas inspected. PTA’s press release described the first results as “excellent performance”.
But the same assessment found shortcomings. Dawn reported that PTA “identified shortcomings in call quality of mobile phones and internet services in certain areas in Rawalpindi and Islamabad”, and PTA ordered Jazz, Zong and Ufone to fix the weak spots.
The operators told PTA and the media that the problems came from network upgrades. Telecom networks are being moved from 3G to 4G in several places and from 4G to 5G in others, with new equipment being installed and new spectrum being brought into use. That transitional period, the operators said, leads to a deterioration in service quality for some time.
The Missing Numbers
Readers should know what PTA has not shared. The regulator has published no download speeds, no call success rates, no call-drop counts and no list of weak spots. It has also published no comparison between Jazz, Zong, Telenor and Ufone for this exercise.
That matters, because the exercise was run with operator staff and reporters on board, along routes PTA chose in advance. Those were main roads and the airport, not the residential lanes, basements and upper floors where many people lose signal. A good result on the route does not guarantee a good result at your door.
A drive test is also not PTA’s formal yardstick. The regulator commissions independent quality-of-service surveys each quarter, whose city reports list operator-by-operator results against set benchmarks. Those are the numbers to compare when PTA publishes the next round.
Did Jazz Come Out on Top?
TechX reported that Jazz topped the twin-cities survey on network speed, voice call consistency and overall mobile data quality. That ranking is TechX’s account of the exercise. PTA’s own press release names no best or worst network, and ProPakistani’s and Dawn’s reports of the same day do not rank the operators either.
For context, Jazz did come first in PTA’s formal independent QoS survey for the first quarter of 2026, securing the highest overall ranking in 14 of the 18 surveyed cities. That is a separate, published survey with measured results — unlike the 5 November field exercise, for which no figures have been released.
What Happens Next
On 6 November, PTA announced that the network quality surveys will expand to Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar and other major cities. A detailed report on the twin-cities survey is being prepared.
The survey follows months of enforcement. PTA told operators in September to close coverage gaps in Islamabad and Rawalpindi by the end of October, including along Kashmir Highway and Islamabad Expressway, by building new sites where needed. Between 22 and 28 October, PTA inspected 184 mobile sites, taking its cumulative field-monitoring total past 900 sites. Its enforcement director ran a shorter round of drive tests on 31 October, the day the deadline ended.
Zong says it now has more than 1,000 5G sites across Pakistan, including over 275 in the twin cities, and is the only operator with a 5G active indoor solution at Islamabad airport.
What This Means for Users
If your phone drops calls or crawls on data in Islamabad or Rawalpindi, PTA says it has now checked the problem in person — and it found weak spots of its own. The regulator has told the operators to fix them, and the next surveys in Lahore and Karachi will show whether the same exercise reaches other cities.
Users who face poor service can complain to PTA through its online complaint system, giving the location, network and time of the problem. Complaints from real users are what trigger these field exercises in the first place — the 5 November survey followed numerous consumer complaints about mobile service in the twin cities.
Frequently Asked Questions
What did PTA test in Islamabad and Rawalpindi?
PTA ran a Quality of Experience and Quality of Service field survey on 5 November 2026. Three teams made live voice calls and used mobile data along set routes, including the airport, Srinagar Highway, Expressway, Murree Road, Rawal Road and Blue Area.
What did PTA find?
Initial results were generally satisfactory in most areas, and PTA called the early results excellent. But it also found shortcomings in call quality and internet services at certain locations, and ordered Jazz, Zong and Ufone to fix them.
Did PTA publish speed or call-drop figures?
No. PTA has not published any speed figures, call-drop counts or operator-by-operator results for this survey. The word “excellent” is the regulator’s own summary, not measured data.
Which network performed best in the survey?
TechX reported that Jazz topped the survey on speed, voice and data. PTA’s own release names no best or worst network. Jazz did rank first in 14 of 18 cities in PTA’s formal Q1 2026 QoS survey, which is a separate published survey.
Which cities are next?
PTA announced on 6 November that the surveys will expand to Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar and other major cities. A detailed report on the twin-cities survey is being prepared.
Why is mobile service still poor in some areas?
Operators say the problems come from network upgrades — moving from 3G to 4G and from 4G to 5G, installing new equipment and bringing new spectrum into use. PTA gave operators until 31 October 2026 to close coverage gaps in the twin cities.
Conclusion
The 5 November survey is a step in the right direction: the regulator’s chairman went out in person, tested the networks on real roads, and found problems as well as good service. But until PTA publishes actual speeds, call success rates and operator-by-operator results, users cannot judge how good the twin-city networks really are.
The real test comes next. The surveys are now expanding to Lahore, Karachi and Peshawar, and the detailed twin-cities report is still to come. If PTA publishes the numbers — not just a summary word — readers will finally be able to compare networks on facts instead of claims. Until then, keep reporting weak spots to PTA: those complaints are what put the survey teams on the road.
Sources: propakistani.pk — “PTA Tests Call and Internet Services in Twin Cities” (5 Nov 2026) and “Lahore, Karachi Next as PTA Expands Network Quality Surveys” (6 Nov 2026); dawn.com — “Mobile phone service quality in certain areas of Rawalpindi, Islamabad not up to mark: PTA” (6 Nov 2026); techprolonged.com — “PTA calls twin-city mobile service ‘excellent’ after drive tests” (5 Nov 2026); pakera.pk — “PTA Network Survey in Islamabad, Rawalpindi on 5 November” (read from PTA press release, 5 Nov 2026); techx.pk — “Jazz Tops PTA Network Quality Survey in Twin Cities”; bloom Pakistan — “PTA Orders Jazz, Zong and Ufone to Fix Network Issues in Twin Cities” (6 Nov 2026); nationpulse.uk — “PTA Chairman Tests Mobile Services in Islamabad as Deadline Ends” (5 Nov 2026).
