ISLAMABAD – Ufone, a wholly owned subsidiary of Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited, witnessed massive losses and the spectrum shortage is being blamed for crisis of the telecom.
A fiery Senate session turned the spotlight on Ufone as lawmakers slammed struggling operator for piling losses and poor service, with accusations of political meddling flying across the room.
Senator Humayun Mohmand said Ufone is sinking under government influence but Senator Afnanullah hit back, insisting the company is run privately and the state has no hand in its management.
Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) threw more fuel on fire, revealing that Pakistan runs on just 274 MHz of spectrum, far below regional levels, crippling all operators and stalling the 5G dream. Court battles over the crucial 2.6 GHz band have only worsened the gridlock.
With just 13pc market share and 26 million users, Ufone, owned by PTCL, is already losing ground to heavyweights Jazz and Telenor. The looming uncertainty of a Telenor–PTCL merger is adding to the chaos.
Senate committee warned that unless the government fast-tracks spectrum auctions and enforces consistent policies, Ufone’s decline could spiral, leaving millions of consumers at risk of poorer service.
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