According to the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), the country’s telecom sector has experienced a robust increase in data consumption over the last three years. Data usage soared by 37.84%, rising from 20,235 petabytes (PB) in the fiscal year 2022-23 to 27,897 PB in 2024-25. This growth includes a 10.96% year-on-year rise compared to 25,141 PB consumed in 2023-24, driven by a surge in streaming services, online education platforms, e-commerce activities, and widespread use of mobile applications.
Broadband Users and Penetration on the Rise
Broadband subscriber numbers have also increased markedly, growing 17.55% from 127.6 million in 2022-23 to 150 million in 2024-25. Compared to the previous year’s 138.3 million users, this reflects an 8.47% increase. Broadband penetration in Pakistan improved from 53.6% to 60.8% over the three-year span, showing a 13.43% rise, and a 6.67% increase since 2023-24. This trend underscores a growing demand for high-speed internet services across the nation.
Telecom Subscriber Growth and Network Expansion
Telecom subscriber numbers crossed the 200 million mark in 2024-25, up 3.36% from 193.5 million in 2022-23 and 2.51% over the previous year’s 195.1 million. Despite this growth, teledensity—a measure of telecom penetration—remained relatively stable at 81.21%, slightly above last year’s 80.5% and just below the 81.4% recorded in 2022-23. This suggests Pakistan’s telecom market has matured, leaving limited scope for rapid subscriber base expansion.
Supporting this user growth, the country’s telecom infrastructure also expanded with the number of cell sites increasing by 8.03% from 53,581 in 2022-23 to 57,888 in 2024-25. This includes a 3.78% rise over the last year, enabling better mobile and internet connectivity in both urban and rural areas.
Decline in Telecom Sector Revenues Despite User Growth
Despite the positive trends in users and data consumption, telecom sector revenues declined sharply in 2024-25, dropping 15.91% to Rs. 803 billion from Rs. 955 billion in 2023-24. This also marks a slight 1.71% decrease compared to the 2022-23 revenue of Rs. 817 billion. The reasons behind this revenue dip may relate to market competition, pricing pressures, or regulatory factors.
Conversely, the telecom sector’s contribution to the national exchequer increased to Rs. 271 billion in 2024-25, recovering from Rs. 195.1 billion in 2023-24, though it remains below the Rs. 341 billion contributed in 2022-23. The sector’s sustained growth in users and infrastructure continues to make it a vital component of Pakistan’s economy despite revenue fluctuations.
