Islamabad, (16th December, 2024) The Chairman of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), Major General (R) Hafeez Ur Rehman HI (M), presented PTA’s Annual Report 2024 to the Chairman of the Senate of Pakistan, Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani. The report offers an insightful overview of key technological, infrastructural, regulatory, and consumer-centric interventions and reforms implemented by PTA during the year.

Chairman PTA emphasized the Authority’s commitment to foster technological advancements, implement online safety measures, safeguard consumer rights, and promote fair competition. He highlighted PTA’s focus on delivering affordable, high-quality telecom services and implementing progressive regulatory frameworks that optimize digital infrastructure, stimulate investment, enhance cyber security, and improve service delivery.

Expressing his views, the Chairman of the Senate commended PTA’s efforts and acknowledged its pivotal role in driving growth and development within Pakistan’s telecom industry. He underlined the significance of the sector’s contribution to the socio-economic development of the country.

According to the report, the telecom sector generated a record revenue of Rs. 955 billion in FY 2023-24, reflecting a remarkable growth of 17% over FY 2022-23, despite economic challenges. Moreover, cellular mobile services are now available to 91% and 4G services to 81% of the population, with total telecom subscribers reaching an impressive 196 million by September 2024.

The number of broadband subscribers touched 142.3 million from 127.6 million in June 2023, while average mobile internet speed saw an increase of 28%, rising from 15.65 Mbps to 20.02 Mbps. Data usage also increased by 24.2%, reaching 25,141 in FY 2023-24, whereas, Broadband penetration reached 58.4% compared to 53.6% in 2023. During FY 2023-24, 29.6 million mobile devices were locally manufactured, which met 94% of the demand in the country. These advancements were underpinned by a series of strategic regulatory initiatives aimed at sustaining sectoral growth and innovation.

The Annual Report 2024 serves as a testament to PTA’s commitment to steering the telecom industry towards digital transformation in line with global standards. The complete report is accessible on the PTA website.

Malahat Obaid

Director (Communication)