Govt Rejects Claims of Poor Mobile & Internet Services in Balochistan
The government has dismissed claims that mobile network and internet coverage in Balochistan has remained poor and insufficient over the last three years.
In a written reply to the National Assembly, the Minister In-charge of the Cabinet Division highlighted that the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has been conducting regular Quality of Service (QoS) surveys. Whenever deficiencies were identified, the findings were promptly shared with mobile operators for corrective action.
According to official data, 23 QoS surveys have been conducted across Balochistan in the past three years. These included nine surveys in 2022–23, eight in 2024, and two so far in 2025, with two more scheduled by year-end. The surveys revealed weak service areas, and the PTA directed mobile operators to resolve issues, while cases of underserved areas were referred to the Universal Service Fund (USF) for infrastructure development.
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The Minister explained that poor service quality is the result of several factors such as limited spectrum, fiber backhaul shortages, Right of Way (RoW) issues, rising demand, outages, low fiber-to-tower ratios, and recurring theft and vandalism. To address these, 39 show-cause notices were issued in the last five years, leading to fines worth Rs. 68.9 million.
Steps taken to improve services include the rollout of over 700 new sites, mandatory three percent annual coverage expansion, advanced technologies like Massive MIMO, sector splitting, and the introduction of VoWiFi and VoLTE for better call and data quality. Spectrum auctions, mandatory fiberization along the Karachi–Gwadar Coastal Highway, and adoption of Opensignal for independent QoS monitoring have also been implemented. Additionally, the Complaint Management System (CMS) allows users to report issues via website, helpline, app, or fax.
The government assured that efforts will continue to strengthen connectivity and progressively improve mobile and internet services across Balochistan.
