Telcos Install 10 New Cellular Sites in Upper Dir

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has reported the deployment of 170 cellular sites in the Upper Dir district by Cellular Mobile Operators (CMOs) to improve mobile services in the area.

In the past year, CMOs have installed 10 new sites, reflecting the commitment of both the PTA and CMOs to increase cellular coverage and quality of service. This expansion is part of ongoing efforts to provide better connectivity to remote areas of the country.

According to the PTA data, Telenor has established the highest number of sites in Upper Dir with 73 installations, followed by Jazz with 47, Zong with 42, and Ufone with 8 sites. This distribution of sites highlights the competitive efforts of CMOs in the district to address connectivity issues and improve service quality.

According to the PTA, a survey conducted in Upper Dir city in the third quarter of 2023 identified issues related to Telenor’s data rate and Jazz’s call completion ratio, which were subsequently rectified through optimization efforts by the CMOs. Analysis of Operational Support System (OSS) Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) from the second quarter of 2024 showed significant improvements in these areas.

Another resurvey is scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2024 to reassess Quality of Service (QoS) parameters, although it will be subject to weather conditions. The survey faced coverage challenges due to the district’s elevated and hilly terrain, as well as prolonged power outages.

The authority is dedicated to enhancing mobile services nationwide and has implemented several initiatives to improve cellular coverage and QoS. These measures include the installation of new sites, upgrading existing infrastructure to 4G, and recommending underserved areas to the Universal Service Fund (USF). Advanced technologies such as sector splitting, Massive MIMO, and the introduction of VoWiFi, WiFi-Offloading, and VoLTE are also being deployed to enhance coverage and capacity.

Furthermore, the PTA has been active in conducting spectrum auctions and planning the phase-out of 3G to optimize spectrum usage.

To further boost telecom penetration, PTA has introduced the National Roaming Facility, allowing consumers to access coverage irrespective of their CMO subscription. The recently approved Telecom Infrastructure Sharing Framework by the Ministry of Information Technology & Telecommunication (MoIT&T) promotes fair and competitive sharing of telecom infrastructure, which is expected to reduce capital and operational expenditures for CMOs and encourage network expansion across the country.