NA Committee Slams PTA Over Weak Mobile Signals and Slow Internet Nationwide

A meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecom was held under the chairmanship of Syed Aminul Haque, where members raised serious concerns over weak mobile signals and slow internet services across the country. Committee member Sadiq Ali Memon expressed reservations over a report submitted by PTA regarding mobile signals and termed the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority’s (PTA) Quality of Service (QoS) survey report as “ridiculous.” He said that whenever mobile signal issues are discussed in the committee, the federal minister becomes upset. He added that service problems exist on the ground, but reports presented claim everything is satisfactory. “When you are not ready to accept the problem, then everything becomes useless,” he remarked. Committee member Sharmila Farooqi questioned where and how PTA conducts its Quality of Service surveys. She demanded that these surveys be conducted through a third party and said it was difficult to understand how PTAs’ report shows 99% satisfaction. Committee member Pauline questioned where the public should go if the PTA cannot ensure the provision of mobile signals. During the meeting, the PTA chairman stated that over the past year, the PTA ranked number one among government departments in complaint resolution. He said PTA has 12 zonal offices across the country and admitted that some mistakes have occurred. He added that the Universal Service Fund (USF) works to improve network coverage in underdeveloped areas. The PTA chairman revealed that at one point, USF had funds amounting to Rs. 50 billion, which were later taken back by the government due to non-utilization. Federal Minister for IT and Telecom Shaza Fatima said these funds were taken from USF in 2013 and started returning in 2022 under decisions made by the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC). She added that all funds taken from USF would be returned by 2026.