GILGIT: The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has identified continuing telecom and digital connectivity challenges in Gilgit-Baltistan in its Quality of Service (QoS) survey for April–June 2026.
PTA teams conducted around 4,100 voice and SMS tests and 3,960 broadband tests across six high-altitude sites in AJ&K and GB. The survey identified unserved and underserved areas, while prolonged load shedding, fibre cuts, infrastructure theft and vandalism, right-of-way constraints and security issues were cited as major challenges, said an official release.
PTA said efforts are underway through the Universal Service Fund (USF) to expand coverage in unserved and underserved areas. The authority is also coordinating with federal and provincial governments to facilitate right-of-way approvals and improve access to uninterrupted commercial power.
While voice and SMS services showed strong compliance with licensed standards nationwide, the survey found disparities in mobile broadband performance. PTA said legal action has been initiated against operators found to be non-compliant.
The Q2 2026 QoS reports for cities, rural areas, and AJ&K and GB have been published on PTA’s website for public access.
