Zong has Pakistan's fastest 4G, but 5G reaches users 3.95 percent of the time
The PTA's second quarter benchmark, built on Opensignal data from 20 cities, shows Zong ahead on speed and Telenor far behind. Even where 5G exists, users are rarely on it.
Zong ran the fastest 4G network in Pakistan in the second quarter of 2026, while 5G was available to users for just 3.95 percent of their connected time. Both findings come from the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority's latest Mobile Network Experience Benchmarking Report, which emerged on 29 September.
The data is Opensignal's, gathered over 90 days from real smartphone users, indoors and outdoors, in busy and off peak hours. It covers Jazz, Telenor, Ufone and Zong nationally and in 20 cities. The PTA noted that the method differs from its own controlled quality of service surveys and drive tests, so results may not match.
A wide gap on 4G
Zong averaged 18.55 Mbps for 4G downloads, followed by Jazz at 17.61 Mbps, Ufone at 12.82 Mbps and Telenor at 7.5 Mbps. Zong's figure is nearly two and a half times Telenor's. Zong also led on uploads at 7.81 Mbps, ahead of Jazz at 6.26 Mbps, Ufone at 4.42 Mbps and Telenor at 2.82 Mbps.
The national 4G average was 18.9 Mbps download and 5.32 Mbps upload, and users on high end devices saw 31.3 Mbps. On time on network, the share of time a user stays connected, Zong scored 96.59 percent, Jazz 93.33 percent, Telenor 92.58 percent and Ufone 92.16 percent.
Experience scores were closer. Zong narrowly led video at 41.66 out of 100 against Jazz at 41.51, while Ufone led games with 50.08, ahead of Zong at 47.28. The national 4G scores were 37.53 for video and 43.85 for games.
5G is still a sliver
When 5G did connect, it was far quicker. National 5G download speed averaged 127.74 Mbps and upload 12.7 Mbps, and the 5G video score reached 67.33 against 37.53 on 4G. But availability, at 3.95 percent of connected time, shows how thin the footprint remains. The PTA said deployment is at an early stage with limited coverage and a small user base, and that the 5G figures are indicative rather than a conclusive picture of national performance.
The spectrum auction on 10 March gave Jazz 190 MHz, Ufone 180 MHz and Zong 110 MHz. The IT minister said 5G services were expected in the five major cities within five to six months.
City by city
Zong led all five categories in Lahore and Multan, and in Gujranwala and Sialkot. In Islamabad and Rawalpindi, Jazz led download speed and video. Karachi split three ways: Zong won on download, upload and time on network, Jazz on video and Ufone on games. In Hyderabad, Jazz edged Zong on download, 18.54 Mbps to 18.46 Mbps.
Remote locations fared worse. Opensignal's city ranges, which do not name operators, put downloads in Gwadar between 3.87 and 12.75 Mbps and in Skardu between 4.55 and 14.76 Mbps. In Skardu, time on network fell as low as 48.67 percent for one operator. Zong was fastest in Mirpur, at 19.06 Mbps.
