PTA gives mobile operators until October to fix coverage in the twin cities
The regulator told operators to close gaps in Islamabad and Rawalpindi and warned of penalties. A month later it reported a nationwide monitoring drive.
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority has told mobile operators to improve coverage in Islamabad and Rawalpindi by October 2026. ProPakistani reported the directive on 19 September.
The instruction covers all sectors and surrounding areas of Islamabad and all parts of Rawalpindi, including Kashmir Highway and Islamabad Expressway. Operators must close coverage gaps, raise service quality and install new sites where needed. The article did not name any operator or give an exact day for the deadline.
ProPakistani said the new sites should go up alongside the rollout of the new 5G spectrum bands. PTA teams were due to visit parts of both cities the following week to check performance and find problems. The authority also warned that operators who fail to improve could face penalties, though the report gave no amounts.
A wider monitoring drive
On 16 October ProPakistani reported that PTA had stepped up monitoring across the country. According to the report, teams visited areas between 8 and 14 October, including Thatta, Dera Ghazi Khan, Mandi Bahauddin, Quetta, Faisalabad and Gilgit Baltistan. Operators were told to fix problems with coverage, voice calls and internet quality within set deadlines.
PTA also confirmed that a dispute over the closure of a telecom site in Faisalabad had been resolved. No details on the site, the operator or the cause were published, and the report did not say what the monitoring found.
The pressure matters to startups that depend on mobile data. Delivery, ride hailing, fintech and e learning apps all assume a signal that holds on the road and at home. With 5G now switched on in major cities, the regulator is signalling that new spectrum should translate into better everyday service.
Reported from coverage in ProPakistani.
