Why PTA fines Telenor, Ufone and Zong Rs146m? Reason revealed
Telenor faces the biggest penalty
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) imposed combined fines of Rs145.833 million on Telenor Pakistan, Ufone and Zong for failing to meet required Quality of Service (QoS) standards. Telenor received a fine of Rs68.055 million, while Ufone and Zong were each fined Rs38.889 million.
The companies have been ordered to pay the penalties within 30 days of the enforcement orders. They must also submit technically supported compliance reports within the same period.
Network problems found in several cities
PTA found Telenor non-compliant in Buner, Murree, Risalpur, Pindi Bhattian and Matiari. Ufone failed to meet required standards in Murree and Risalpur, while Zong faced violations in Buner, Murree, Pindi Bhattian and Matiari.
The action followed independent PTA QoS surveys covering 53 cities during different quarters of 2025. The regulator checked voice calls, SMS services and mobile broadband performance before carrying out re-verification surveys.
Calls, SMS and internet performance tested
The surveys identified problems with call setup and completion rates, SMS success rates, webpage loading times, latency and mobile signal strength. PTA later concluded that the operators had failed to meet regulatory benchmarks at the affected locations.
The companies pointed to difficult terrain, power outages, operational issues, external interference and technical discrepancies as possible reasons for the poor results. However, PTA said these explanations did not remove the violations established through its regulatory testing.
PTA tightens pressure as 5G expands
PTA said corrective steps taken after the surveys could be considered as mitigating factors but could not erase violations already established. The regulator has also increased its focus on mobile network quality as Pakistan moves toward wider 5G services.
The 2026 5G auction framework includes phased QoS requirements, with stronger mobile broadband standards planned in later phases. The latest action also comes amid concerns raised by the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on IT and Telecommunication about poor mobile and internet services.
In a separate development, Telenor Pakistan was formally amalgamated into PTML, the company operating Ufone, in July 2026 after approval by the Islamabad High Court. However, the latest PTA action relates to violations identified during the earlier 2025 surveys.
PTA officials have said the regulator continuously monitors network performance and can impose fines of up to Rs350 million on an operator. Failure to follow the latest orders could lead to further legal proceedings under the telecom regulatory framework.
The fines show that PTA is using network quality tests to hold telecom operators accountable for service problems. The action also indicates that operators may face greater regulatory pressure as Pakistan expands high-speed mobile services.
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