KARACHI, Aug 12: Cellular Service Providers have failed to provide quality service to cellphone users in Pakistan as none of them meets “connectivity and drop calls standards” set by Pakistan Telecommunication Authority, PPI learnt.

PTA connectivity standard requires that connectivity ratio must not be less than 97 per cent but no cellular service provider is meeting the standard in the country. On the other hand they are required to maintain drop calls maximum at three per cent but this condition is also being widely violated by them as percentage of drop calls is higher.

A recent survey conducted by PTA in major cities such as Karachi, Lahore, Quetta, Islamabad and Peshawar shows that connectivitiy service of all major cellular service providers including Instaphone, Mobilink, Paktel and Ufone is below the mark of 97 per cent.

The survey reveals that Instaphone’s connectivity in Karachi is 96.91 per cent, in Peshawar 42 per cent , Lahore 91.36 per cent, Quetta 71.11 per cent and Islamabad 87.5 per cent. Mobilink’s connectivity in Karachi is 88.96 per cent, in Lahore 71.43 per cent, Peshawar 85 per cent, Islamabad 95.2 per cent and in Quetta it was recorded at 55 per cent.

While Paktel’s connectivity ratio is 71.26 per cent in Peshawar, 79 per cent in federal Capital, 94.68 per cent in Karachi, in Lahore its is 80.95 per cent while in Quetta connectivity is as low as 57.77 per cent against the set standards of 97 per cent. Ufone does not provide service in Quetta but its connectivity rate in Peshawar, Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi is 89 per cent.

PTA survey on drop call disclosed that Instaphone’s dropped calls ratio is 21.62 per cent in Peshawar, it is 0.95 per cent, 12.16 per cent, zero per cent and 21.88 per cent in Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi and Quetta respectively.

Percentage of dropped calls reported by Paktel’s connection users during survey showed that 16.13 per cent dropped calls were registered in Peshawar, 14.46 per cent in Islamabad, 11.77 per cent in Lahore, zero per cent in Karachi observed by the authority are 9.88 per cent, zero per cent, 5.48 per cent and 3.7 per cent in Peshawar, Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi respectively.— PPI