PTA fines telecom companies millions over poor service quality
Technology
PTA has fined telecom operators Rs68.9 million over five years for poor service. Thousands of mobile sites face network issues, while KP, Balochistan, and Gilgit-Baltistan suffer low-quality coverage.
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has stepped up action against telecom operators providing substandard and poor-quality services, imposing millions in fines over the past five years.
Official documents reveal that PTA levied Rs68.9 million in penalties on various operators for failing to meet service standards. During the same period, 39 show-cause notices and 17 warning letters were issued.
The report highlighted widespread issues affecting mobile phone services and internet connectivity across the country. Around 9,000 mobile sites faced network availability problems caused by long power outages, right-of-way restrictions, limited access to commercial electricity, theft, and sabotage.
Service quality in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, and Gilgit-Baltistan dropped to alarming levels, and despite operators’ claims, network availability still falls short of licensed standards.
In the first half of this year alone, the PTA received over 8,000 service complaints, resolving 99.17% of them. The authority also completed 89 planned surveys and 78 complaint-based surveys to check service quality.
PTA emphasised that actions against non-compliant operators continue, and steps are being taken to resolve ongoing network issues to improve service across Pakistan.
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