ISLAMABAD: The number of 3G and 4G users in Pakistan reached 98.12 million by end-March 2021 compared to 96.26 million by end-February 2021, registering an increase of 1.86 million, said the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA).

Number of mobile phone users in Pakistan reached 183.20 million by end-March 2021 compared to 181.27 million by end-February, which registered an increase of 1.93 million during the period under review.

Monthly Next Generation Mobile Service (NGMS) penetration increased from 42.79 percent in February 2021 to 43.51 percent in March 2021.

Jazz’s total count for 3G users stood at 8.62 million by end-March compared to 8.79 million by end-February 2021, registering a decrease of 0.17 million. Jazz 4G user numbers jumped from 27.56 million by end-February to 28.68 million.

Zong 3G subscribers decreased from 5.074 million by end-February to 4.94 million by end-March, while the number of 4G users jumped from 22.042 million by end-February to 22.49 million by end-March 2021.

The number of 3G users of Telenor decreased from 5.87 million by end-February to 5.73 million by end-March. The number of 4G users jumped from 15.52 million by end-February to 16.10 million by end-March.

Ufone 3G users decreased from 4.59 million by end-February to 4.54 million by end-March.

The number of 4G users of Ufone increased from 5.908 million by end-February to 6.052 million by end-March 2021. Teledensity for cellular mobile increased from 84.02 percent by end-February to 84.68 percent.

The total teledensity increased from 85.81 percent by end-February to 85.81 percent by end-March 2021.

The PTA received 26,894 complaints from telecom consumers against various telecom operators including (cellular operators, the PTCL, LDIs, WLL operators and ISPs) as of March 2021.

The PTA said that it was able to get 26,808 complaints resolved i.e. 99 percent.

According to the PTA data, Jazz leads the chart with 18,386 complaints, and Zong at second position as the most complained telecom operator with 3,013.

Cellular mobile subscribers constitute major part of overall telecom subscriber base, therefore, maximum number of complaints belong to this segment.

Total number of complaints against CMOs by March stood at 26,446.

In terms of the segregation of complaints on operator basis, Jazz stood first with 18,386 complaints i.e. 70 percent of total complaints.

A total of 3,013 complaints were received against Zong, which is 11.3 percent of the total CMO-related complaints.

Ufone had 2,360 complaints against its various services which make up 8.9 percent of the total CMO-related complaints.

Telenor, which has the second largest number of consumers, was third with 2,664 i.e. 10 percent complaints were received against it.

The PTA also received 103 complaints against basic telephony where 95 were addressed during March 2021. Further 336 complaints were received against ISPs, where 329 were addressed.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021