Telecom Providers Add 43 Sites to Improve Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Connectivity

In a written response to the National Assembly, the Ministry of IT and Telecom reported that telecom companies expanded their service coverage in the past year by adding 43 new sites across the Hangu and Kurram districts.

The goal of this expansion is to improve connection and fix the ongoing issues with the performance and accessibility of the network in these regions.

Thirty new sites were added to Hangu in the last year. Ufone added the most sites (19), followed by Zong with eight, and Jazz with three. Also, to better connect consumers in the area and increase data speeds, Ufone updated 28 sites to 4G. During this period, Telenor did not open any new sites in Hangu.

4G Upgrades Boost Connectivity in Kurram District

With nine sites installed, Ufone once again led the pack in the Kurram district. Jazz followed with three, and Zong had one. A total of thirteen sites were added. The district’s internet and phone capabilities were significantly enhanced when Ufone and Jazz updated four of their sites to 4G.

In the last year, the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) has compelled mobile providers to establish new sites, upgrade from 2G to 4G, and implement advanced technical methods to enhance coverage, among other things.

Jazz has adopted Voice over WiFi (VoWiFi), which has increased voice service quality, while Zong and Telenor have upgraded to VoLTE even further. The decrease in power outages has also enhanced service availability and PTA’s Complaint Management System (CMS) offers tailored support for area-specific difficulties.

Between May 2023 and August 2024, independent Hangu quality-of-service (QoS) assessments revealed improvements. Jazz’s voice services and Ufone’s data met compliance standards after PTA-directed remedial steps. At the same time, security concerns have restricted on-the-ground surveys in Kurram; however, PTA is still keeping tabs on network performance via system metrics.