OpenSignal Report Names Zong Pakistan's Fastest Mobile Network for Q1 2026

The latest Mobile Network Experience Benchmarking Report from OpenSignal names Zong as Pakistan's top-performing mobile operator for the first quarter of 2026. The study collected more than 1.23 billion real-user measurements across 159 districts nationwide.

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority published the report in collaboration with OpenSignal, a crowdsourcing platform that measures Quality of Experience based on data collected throughout the day from indoor and outdoor locations during both peak and off-peak hours.

National Average Mobile Speed Reaches 18.60 Mbps

The report shows Pakistan's average mobile download speed stands at 18.60 Mbps across all devices. High-end smartphones achieve significantly better speeds at 30.20 Mbps. The average upload speed across the country sits at 5.81 Mbps.

Video experience scores 44.97 out of 100, while gaming experience scores 40.93 out of 100. Network availability, measured as time users stay connected to a data network, reaches 94.21 per cent nationally.

National Rankings: Download Speed

Rank	Operator	Download Speed (Mbps)
1	Zong	18.62
2	Jazz	17.62
3	Ufone	12.36
4	Telenor	6.66

Zong Leads Nationally in Four Categories

Zong secured first place nationally in download speed, upload speed, video streaming quality, and Time on Network.

Operator	Download Speed (Mbps)	Upload Speed (Mbps)	Video Score	Time on Network (%)
Zong	18.62	7.65	47.06	96.82
Jazz	17.62	6.40	47.00	—
Ufone	12.36	3.98	42.33	—
Telenor	6.66	2.44	34.84	—

Ufone Tops Gaming Experience Nationally

While Zong leads most categories, Ufone dominates mobile gaming. The operator scored 48.22 for Games Experience, significantly ahead of Zong at 44.37, Jazz at 39.34, and Telenor at 37.35.

Ufone's gaming advantage aligns with its marketing focus. The operator offers a dedicated PUBG and Free Fire bundle at Rs100 per month, providing 9 GB of gaming data plus 1 GB of general data — a package no other Pakistani network matches.

Jazz Leads Speeds in Several Major Cities

Islamabad: Jazz leads download speed (20.11 Mbps) and video experience (53.63)
Rawalpindi: Jazz leads download (19.48 Mbps) and video (54.35)
Quetta: Jazz achieves fastest download in any major city (21.77 Mbps)
Peshawar: Jazz leads download, upload, and video experience

Zong Sweeps Categories in Lahore and Multan

Lahore and Multan show strong Zong dominance.

City	Metric	Zong's Performance
Lahore	Download Speed	20.69 Mbps
Lahore	Upload Speed	8.69 Mbps
Lahore	Video Experience	51.30
Lahore	Games Experience	48.91
Lahore	Time on Network	97.89%

City	Operator Lead	Key Metric	Value
Karachi	Zong	Download Speed	18.61 Mbps
Faisalabad	Zong	All Categories	Sweeps all metrics
Multan	Zong	Download Speed	21.64 Mbps (highest)
Gwadar	Telenor	Network Availability	99.69%

Market Share Dynamics

Despite ranking lowest in network performance, Telenor gained market share in January 2026 while other operators lost ground.

Operator	Market Share (Jan 2026)	Change
Jazz	36.62%	Declined
Zong	26.57%	Gained
Telenor	21.39%	Gained
Ufone	14.38%	Gained

5G Coming in Late 2026

Pakistan completed its 5G spectrum auction recently, awarding 700 MHz, 2.6 GHz, and 3.5 GHz bands to major operators. The 2.6 GHz band will add capacity to existing 4G networks, improving speeds for everyday users. The 3.5 GHz band forms the backbone of 5G but will initially only benefit users with 5G-capable devices.

Operators aim to launch 5G services in six to seven months. OpenSignal analysts consider this timeline realistic for a technical launch. Meaningful 5G data for operator comparisons will likely become available by early 2027.

National Averages at a Glance

Average Download Speed: 18.60 Mbps (all devices)
High-End Device Speed: 30.20 Mbps
Average Upload Speed: 5.81 Mbps
Video Experience Score: 44.97 / 100
Gaming Experience Score: 40.93 / 100
Network Availability: 94.21%

Frequently Asked Questions

Which mobile network is fastest in Pakistan according to OpenSignal?

Zong ranks as Pakistan's fastest mobile network for Q1 2026, leading in download speed at 18.62 Mbps, upload speed at 7.65 Mbps, video experience, and Time on Network.

What is Pakistan's average mobile download speed?

The national average mobile download speed is 18.60 Mbps. High-end smartphones achieve 30.20 Mbps on average.

Which network is best for mobile gaming in Pakistan?

Ufone leads gaming experience nationally with a score of 48.22. The operator offers a dedicated PUBG and Free Fire bundle that no other network matches.

How did Jazz perform in the OpenSignal report?

Jazz ranks second nationally and leads speed and video categories in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Quetta, and Peshawar. In Quetta, Jazz records the fastest download speed of 21.77 Mbps.

Which city has the fastest mobile speeds?

Multan shows the strongest performance, with Zong achieving 21.64 Mbps download speed, the highest recorded in any major city.

How many measurements did the report analyze?

OpenSignal collected more than 1.23 billion real-user measurements over 90 days across 159 districts.

When will 5G launch in Pakistan?

Operators aim to launch 5G in six to seven months following the recent spectrum auction. Meaningful 5G data for comparisons should become available by early 2027.

The Bottom Line

OpenSignal's Q1 2026 report declares Zong Pakistan's fastest mobile network. The operator leads nationally in download speed, upload speed, video experience, and Time on Network. Ufone dominates mobile gaming experience. Jazz leads speeds in several major cities including Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Quetta, and Peshawar. Telenor ranks fourth nationally but shows exceptional network availability in Gwadar.

No single operator wins every category nationwide. Urban centers significantly outperform northern and frontier regions. The national average download speed sits at 18.60 Mbps, with high-end devices reaching 30.20 Mbps. Pakistan's 5G launch approaches, but strengthening 4G infrastructure remains the immediate priority for improving user experience across all networks.