Provider Showdown: Unpacking the Performance of Jazz, Zong, Telenor, and Ufone in the December 2023 Telecom Landscape.
In December 2023, Pakistan witnessed a notable increase in cellular subscribers, as reported by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA). The total number of cellular subscribers rose from 189.26 million at the end of November to 189.44 million by the close of December. Specifically, the count of 3G and 4G users experienced an uptick from 126.24 million to 127.68 million during the same period.
However, despite the overall growth, the cellular teledensity saw a marginal decline from 78.98 percent in November to 78.93 percent by the end of December. The total teledensity also experienced a slight decrease from 80.06 percent to 80 percent during this timeframe. Interestingly, Next Generation Mobile Service (NGMS) penetration increased from 52.68 percent to 53.2 percent from November to December.
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Service Provider Breakdown:
Jazz:
Jazz’s 3G user count decreased from 3.569 million in November to 3.492 million in December.
However, Jazz’s 4G users witnessed an increase from 42.754 million to 43.867 million over the same period.
Zong:
Zong’s 3G subscribers decreased from 2.265 million in November to 2.217 million in December.
Meanwhile, Zong’s 4G users experienced growth from 33.869 million to 34.202 million during the month.
Telenor:
Telenor’s 3G subscribers declined from 2.477 million to 2.380 million from November to December.
However, the number of Telenor’s 4G users increased from 23.196 million to 23.300 million in the same period.
Ufone:
Ufone’s 3G users stood at 2.188 million at the end of December, down from 2.230 million in November.
On the other hand, Ufone’s 4G users increased from 14.349 million to 14.484 million from the end of November to the end of December.
Comparison with December 2022:
In comparison to December 2022, the cellular landscape has witnessed positive growth. The surge in 3G and 4G users reflects the ongoing digital connectivity trends in Pakistan. The consistent efforts by telecom providers to enhance their 4G networks have contributed to the overall expansion of mobile data services, despite slight variations in subscriber counts among different providers. The increased NGMS penetration also underscores the country’s ongoing transition towards more advanced mobile services.
