Pakistan Telecoms Market Report

Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband - Statistics and Analyses

Publication Date: April 2024

Report Pages: 146

Analyst: Sebastien De Rosbo

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Summary
Table Of Contents

Pakistan’s mobile segment provides a glimmer of hope for its telecom sector

Pakistan continues to lag most other Asian countries in terms of the maturity of its telecom sector. This is partly due to the poor state of its fixed-line network following years of under-investment and neglect by the state-owned incumbent telco Pakistan Telecommunication Company (PTC), with teledensity now down to almost 1%.

This lack of focus has left the door open to mobile to become the dominant platform for both voice and data. While penetration rates are low by Asian (and rest-of-world) standards, the mobile voice and mobile broadband markets have been growing at double-digit rates of late – at least in subscriber numbers. In contrast to the fixed network market, Pakistan’s mobile segment is highly competitive. The result has been continued downwards pressure to pricing and ARPU, such that mobile revenues have been unable to keep pace with the rate of market expansion as 4G LTE networks, in particular, stretch ever deeper into the more remote parts of the country.

Future growth (in market size as well as revenue) is likely to come from the wider availability of value-added services on top of the expansion of 4G LTE and (from 2023) 5G mobile networks. The Universal Service Fund (USF) continues to direct investment towards the development of mobile broadband (and, to a lesser extent, fibre-based networks) in under-served and even un-served areas of the country, with multiple projects being approved to start in 2021 and 2022.

This report update includes operator and regulator market data to September 2021, Telecom Maturity Index charts and analyses, an assessment of the global impact of Covid-19 on the telecoms sector, and other recent market developments.

Key Developments

The Universal Service Fund (USF) Board approves a range of projects in the 2020/2021 budget to expand LTE into under-served areas.
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) unveils a roadmap for launching 5G in 2023.
Zong and Ufone each win unused spectrum in the 1800MHz band to expand 4G LTE services in the Azad Jammu & Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan regions.
VEON acquires the remaining 15% stake in Jazz from the Abu Dhabi Group for $273 million.

Key companies mentioned in this report:

Pakistan Telecommunication Company (PTC), Ufone, Telenor Pakistan, Jazz, Zong, Special Communications Organisation (SCO).

Key statistics
Regional Asia market comparison

Market characteristics
Market Leaders
Market Challengers
Market Emergents
TMI vs GDP
Mobile and mobile broadband penetration
Fixed versus mobile broadband penetration

Country overview
Covid-19 and its impact on the telecom sector

Economic considerations and responses
Subscribers
Infrastructure

Telecommunications market

Foreign Direct Investment (FDI)

Regulatory environment

Regulatory authorities

Ministry of Information Technology (MoIT)
Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA)
National Telecommunications Corporation (NTC)

Fixed-line developments

Access
Universal Service Fund (USF)

Mobile network developments

Spectrum auctions
SIM card registration
Mobile phone tax

Mobile market

Mobile statistics
Mobile infrastructure

5G
4G (LTE)
3G
Other infrastructure developments
Mobile broadband

Major mobile operators

Jazz
Ufone
Telenor Pakistan
Zong
Special Communications Organisation (SCO)
MVNOs

Mobile content and applications

m-commerce / m-banking

Fixed-line broadband market

Fixed broadband service providers

Pakistan Telecommunication Company (PTC)
StormFiber

Fixed broadband technologies

Hybrid Fibre Coax (HFC) Networks
Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) networks
Fibre-to-the-Premises (FttP) networks
Fixed wireless services

Fixed network market

Major network operators

Pakistan Telecommunication Company (PTC)

WorldCall group
TeleCard
Wateen Telecom

Telecommunications infrastructure

National telecom network
Fibre networks
International infrastructure

Satellite networks
Submarine cable networks
International gateways
International fibre optic links

Data centres
Smart infrastructure

Internet of Things (IoT)
Smart cities
Smart grids

Digital economy

e-Commerce
e-Government
e-Education
e-Health

Appendix – Historic data
Glossary of abbreviations
Related reports

List of Tables

Table 1 – Top Level Country Statistics and Telco Authorities – Pakistan – 2021 (e)
Table 2 – Development of telecom investment by type ($ million) – 2011 – 2020
Table 3 – Development of telecom revenue by category (PKR million) – 2011 – 2020
Table 4 – Development of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in telecoms – 2011 – 2020
Table 5 – Growth in the number of mobile subscribers and penetration – 2011 – 2026
Table 6 – Growth in the number of LTE subscribers by operator (million) – 2015 – 2021
Table 7 – Change in the number of 3G subscribers by operator (million) – 2014 – 2021
Table 8 – Growth in the number of mobile broadband subscribers and penetration – 2011 – 2026
Table 9 – Change in the number of mobile subscribers by operator (million) – 2013 – 2021
Table 10 – Change in the market share of mobile subscribers by operator – 2013 – 2021
Table 11 – Increase in the number of Jazz’s mobile subscribers – 2011 – 2021
Table 12 – Development of Jazz’s financial data (PKR billion) – 2012 – 2021
Table 13 – Development of Jazz’s mobile ARPU – 2012 – 2021
Table 14 – Development of Jazz’s mobile traffic – 2012 – 2021
Table 15 – Development of Jazz’s mobile Churn rate – 2012 – 2021
Table 16 – Change in the number of Ufone’s mobile subscribers (regulator data) – 2011 – 2021
Table 17 – Growth in the number of Telenor Pakistan’s mobile subscribers – 2011 – 2021
Table 18 – Development of Telenor Pakistan’s financial data (NOK million) – 2010 – 2021
Table 19 – Development of Telenor Pakistan’s mobile ARPU (NOK / subscriber / month) – 2010 – 2021
Table 20 – Growth in the number of Zong’s mobile subscribers – 2011 – 2021
Table 21 – Growth in the number of SCO mobile subscribers – 2020 – 2021
Table 22 – Change in the number of fixed broadband subscribers and penetration – 2011 – 2026
Table 23 – Change in the market share of fixed broadband subscribers by access type – 2009 – 2021
Table 24 – Change in the number of HFC broadband subscribers – 2011 – 2021
Table 25 – Change in the number of DSL broadband subscribers – 2011 – 2021
Table 26 – Growth in the number of fibre broadband subscribers – 2011 – 2021
Table 27 – Decline in the number of WiMAX subscribers – 2011 – 2021
Table 28 – Decline in the number of fixed-lines in service and teledensity – 2011 – 2026
Table 29 – Change in the number of PTC’s fixed line subscribers – 2009 – 2020
Table 30 – Development of PTCL’s financial data (PKR million) – 2013 – 2021
Table 31 – Development of WorldCall’s financial data (PKR million) – 2017 – 2020
Table 32 – Increase in international internet bandwidth – 2011 – 2020
Table 33 – Development of e-banking payment systems – 2017 – 2019
Table 34 – Historic - Telecom revenue (PKR million) by category – 2004 – 2010
Table 35 – Historic - Telecom investment - total and mobile (PKR million) – 2004 – 2010
Table 36 – Historic - Mobile subscribers – 1995 – 2010
Table 37 – Historic - Telenor Pakistan mobile subscribers – 2006 – 2010
Table 38 – Historic - fixed-line subscribers and penetration – 1991 – 2006
Table 39 – Historic - Instaphone (Pakcom) subscribers – 2000 – 2009
Table 40 – Historic - Internet Users and Penetration – 2007 – 2016
Table 41 – Historic - PTCL broadband subscribers – 2007 – 2016
Table 42 – Historic - Jazz mobile subscribers – 2008 – 2010
Table 43 – Historic - Warid Telecom subscribers – 2005 – 2016
Table 44 – Historic - Ufone mobile subscribers – 2008 – 2010
Table 45 – Historic - Zong mobile subscribers – 2008 – 2010
Table 46 – Historic - International internet bandwidth – 2004 – 2010
Table 47 – Historic - Cable modem subscribers – 2008 – 2010
Table 48 – Historic - DSL broadband subscribers – 2005 – 2010
Table 49 – Historic - Fibre broadband subscribers – 2007 – 2010
Table 50 – Historic - WiMAX subscribers – 2008 – 2010
Table 51 – Historic - Development of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in telecoms – 2008 – 2010

List of Charts

Chart 1 – Asia Telecoms Maturity Index – Market Leaders
Chart 2 – Asia Telecoms Maturity Index – Market Challengers
Chart 3 – Asia Telecoms Maturity Index – Market Emergents
Chart 4 – Asia – Telecoms Maturity Index vs GDP per capita
Chart 5 – Asia – Mobile subscriber penetration vs mobile broadband penetration
Chart 6 – Central Asia – Mobile subscriber penetration vs mobile broadband penetration
Chart 7 – Central Asia – Fixed and mobile broadband penetration
Chart 8 – Development of telecom investment by type – 2011 – 2020
Chart 9 – Development of telecom revenue by category – 2011 – 2020
Chart 10 – Development of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in telecoms – 2011 – 2020
Chart 11 – Growth in the number of mobile subscribers and penetration – 2011 – 2026
Chart 12 – Growth in the number of LTE subscribers by operator – 2015 – 2021
Chart 13 – Change in the number of 3G subscribers by operator – 2014 – 2021
Chart 14 – Growth in the number of mobile broadband subscribers and penetration – 2011 – 2026
Chart 15 – Change in the number of mobile subscribers by operator – 2013 – 2021
Chart 16 – Change in the market share of mobile subscribers by operator – 2013 – 2021
Chart 17 – Increase in the number of Jazz’s mobile subscribers – 2011 – 2021
Chart 18 – Development of Jazz’s financial data – 2012 – 2021
Chart 19 – Change in the number of Ufone’s mobile subscribers (regulator data) – 2011 – 2021
Chart 20 – Growth in the number of Telenor Pakistan’s mobile subscribers – 2011 – 2021
Chart 21 – Development of Telenor Pakistan’s financial data – 2010 – 2021
Chart 22 – Development of Telenor Pakistan’s mobile ARPU – 2010 – 2021
Chart 23 – Growth in the number of Zong’s mobile subscribers – 2011 – 2021
Chart 24 – Change in the number of fixed broadband subscribers and penetration – 2011 – 2026
Chart 25 – Change in the market share of fixed broadband subscribers by access type – 2009 – 2021
Chart 26 – Change in the number of HFC broadband subscribers – 2011 – 2021
Chart 27 – Change in the number of DSL broadband subscribers – 2011 – 2021
Chart 28 – Change in the number of fibre broadband subscribers – 2011 – 2021
Chart 29 – Decline in the number of WiMAX subscribers – 2011 – 2021
Chart 30 – Decline in the number of fixed-lines in service and teledensity – 2011 – 2026
Chart 31 – Change in the number of PTC’s fixed line subscribers – 2009 – 2020
Chart 32 – Development of PTCL’s financial data – 2013 – 2021

List of Exhibits

Exhibit 1 – Map of Telecom Maturity Index global ranking among countries in Asia
Exhibit 2 – Generalised Market Characteristics by Market Segment
Exhibit 3 – Asia – Market Leaders and market developments
Exhibit 4 – Asia – Market Challengers and market developments
Exhibit 5 – Asia – Market Emergents and market developments

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Pakistan Telecoms Market Report

Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband - Statistics and Analyses

Purchase this Report

Pakistan’s mobile segment provides a glimmer of hope for its telecom sector

Key Developments

Key companies mentioned in this report:

Key statistics

Regional Asia market comparison

Country overview

Covid-19 and its impact on the telecom sector

Telecommunications market

Regulatory environment

Mobile market

Fixed-line broadband market

Fixed network market

Telecommunications infrastructure

Digital economy

Appendix – Historic data

Glossary of abbreviations

Related reports

Purchase this Report

Share this Report

TMT Intelligence

A platform to scale your intelligence tasks

Research Methodology

Hot Topics

News & Views