The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has recovered Rs. 13.6 million out of the Rs. 68.9 million in penalties imposed on telecom operators over service quality violations during the last five years, according to a written reply submitted to parliament by Federal IT Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja. The recovered amount represents around 19.7 percent of the total penalties imposed by the regulator.

The recovered amount represents around 19.7 percent of the total penalties imposed by the regulator.

The minister informed the National Assembly of Pakistan that the PTA issued 39 show-cause notices and 18 warning letters to telecom operators over poor quality of service and non-compliance with regulatory standards.

According to the document, 11 cases are currently sub-judice. Enforcement measures included fines, warning letters, and compliance directives against cellular mobile operators.

Official data showed that the PTA conducted 379 quality of service surveys during the last three years, including planned and complaint-based inspections across cities, roads, and railway tracks. Out of these, 136 surveys were complaint-based, while operators faced regulatory action in several cases where service standards were found unsatisfactory.

The parliamentary reply stated that the government and the PTA are taking several measures to improve telecom services nationwide. These include stricter enforcement of license conditions, network expansion, infrastructure sharing, national roaming, and the deployment of modern technologies.

The regulator also carried out surveys in major urban areas to monitor service quality and customer experience.

The minister further stated that Pakistan’s available telecom spectrum has been expanded by 480 MHz, more than doubling previous capacity.

The government expects the additional spectrum to improve mobile broadband services, with projected 4G speeds increasing from around 14 Mbps to nearly 120 Mbps. Future 5G speeds are expected to reach up to 150 Mbps.

The PTA has also directed telecom operators to establish 1,000 new sites annually, including expansion into underserved areas, to improve nationwide coverage.

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