The latest PTA QoS survey has highlighted a close performance race between Zong and Jazz across Pakistan’s mobile telecommunications sector. Conducted by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority during the second quarter of 2026, the assessment found Zong leading in seven measured indicators while Jazz secured the top position in six. The survey examined network performance across 11 cities between April and June.
The assessment focused on several important aspects of mobile services, including 4G coverage, mobile broadband speeds, latency, web browsing performance, voice quality and SMS services. These measurements provide an indication of how mobile networks performed under different quality-of-service requirements during the survey period.
Zong and Jazz Show Strong Performance
According to the PTA QoS survey, both operators performed strongly across different categories rather than one network dominating every measurement.
Zong secured the highest position in seven indicators included in the assessment. Jazz, meanwhile, ranked first in six indicators, demonstrating competitive performance across mobile coverage, data services and communication quality.
The results show that network performance can vary depending on the specific service being measured. A network may perform particularly well in download speeds, for example, while another may achieve stronger results in coverage, latency or voice services.
For consumers, this means that overall network experience can depend on location, usage patterns and the type of service being accessed.
Jazz Leads Several Broadband Measures
Jazz recorded particularly strong results in several mobile broadband categories. The PTA QoS survey found that Jazz had the highest auto-mode download throughput in nine of the 11 cities included in the assessment.
Download throughput is an important measure for users who regularly stream videos, download files, browse websites or use data-intensive applications. Higher throughput generally indicates that a network can deliver data at faster speeds under the conditions measured during testing.
Jazz also recorded the highest third-party application download throughput in eight of the surveyed cities. This result reflects its performance when downloading data through applications beyond the network’s own testing environment.
The operator also met the required standard for third-party application latency in all 11 cities. Latency measures the time taken for data to travel across a network and can affect activities such as online gaming, video calls and other services requiring quick responses.
Voice Quality Results
Voice services were another important part of the PTA QoS survey. Jazz achieved compliance across all 55 Voice QoS checks included in the assessment.
Voice quality remains an important consideration for mobile users, even as data services continue to become more prominent. Reliable voice connections are particularly important for regular calls, business communication and users who depend on mobile networks as their primary communication service.
The results indicate that Jazz met the required quality standards across all of the voice-related checks conducted by the regulator during the survey.
SMS Services See Joint Top Position
The survey also assessed SMS performance. In this category, Jazz and Zong jointly ranked first after meeting all 22 KPI requirements.
The joint result shows that both operators satisfied the relevant performance requirements for SMS services across the assessment. While messaging applications have become increasingly popular, traditional SMS continues to serve important purposes, including basic communication and certain verification services.
The PTA QoS survey therefore considered SMS alongside newer mobile broadband services to provide a broader assessment of telecommunications quality.
11 Cities Included in Assessment
The assessment covered 11 locations across Pakistan. These included Peshawar, Abbottabad, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Multan, Faisalabad, Quetta, Hub, Sukkur and Karachi West.
Testing across different cities allows the regulator to examine network performance in a range of geographic and urban environments. Network quality can vary between locations because of factors such as infrastructure, network traffic and local coverage conditions.
The inclusion of both major urban centres and other cities provides a broader picture of operator performance during the second quarter of 2026.
What the Results Mean for Users
The findings of the PTA QoS survey provide consumers with useful information about the performance of major mobile operators. However, the results should not necessarily be interpreted as meaning that one network will offer the same experience to every individual user.
Actual performance can depend on the user’s location, device, network traffic and the specific service being used. Someone primarily interested in fast downloads may pay attention to throughput results, while another user may place greater importance on coverage, voice calls or latency.
The survey nevertheless provides an independent regulatory assessment of network performance and allows operators to be compared against defined quality standards.
Continued Focus on Network Quality
The latest PTA QoS survey demonstrates the importance of monitoring mobile network performance as demand for connectivity continues to grow. Consumers increasingly rely on mobile networks for work, education, entertainment, communication and digital services.
With Zong leading seven indicators and Jazz leading six, the second-quarter results show a competitive telecommunications market in which different operators perform strongly across different service categories.
The findings also underline why network quality cannot be judged by a single measurement. Coverage, download speeds, latency, voice quality and messaging services all contribute to the overall mobile experience.
As Pakistan’s telecommunications sector continues to develop, regular quality assessments can help maintain transparency and give consumers a clearer understanding of how operators perform against established service requirements. The PTA QoS survey remains an important mechanism for measuring these standards across different parts of the country.
