Best Mobile Network in DHA and Bahria Town Islamabad: PTA's 2026 Test

In PTA's latest test of Islamabad's housing societies, Jazz was fastest in DHA Phases 1, 2, 3 and 5, reaching 98.67 Mbps in DHA Phase 2. Zong was fastest in Bahria Town Phase 7. Bahria Phase 8 had the weakest 4G of any Islamabad area tested, with Zong at 55.69% and Jazz at 68.26% against PTA's 90% target.

PTA published these results on 18 September 2026 in its survey of "focus areas" for April to June 2026. Focus areas are fast-growing parts of big cities that its regular city tests can miss. Seven of the 13 areas were in Islamabad: four DHA phases, two Bahria Town phases and the Islamabad Expressway.

Signal complaints are common in new housing societies, where towers often lag behind the houses. We read the full report and pulled out the Islamabad results, plus the Lahore, Karachi and Peshawar areas that were tested in the same round.

Jazz was fastest in most of DHA Islamabad

Jazz had the fastest download in DHA Phases 1, 2, 3 and 5 and on the Islamabad Expressway. Its 98.67 Mbps in DHA Phase 2 was the highest auto mode result in the whole survey. Zong came second in DHA Phases 1, 2 and 3. Telenor was slowest in DHA Phase 2, at 6.33 Mbps.

Speeds are download speeds in Mbps, megabits per second, from PTA's auto mode test. In that mode the phone picks the network type itself, as your phone does. PTA's minimum is more than 4 Mbps, and every network cleared it in Islamabad, though Telenor only just did in Bahria Phase 7.

Bahria Town Phase 8 had the weakest 4G coverage

PTA requires a strong 4G signal on at least 90% of the test route. In Bahria Phase 8 only Ufone passed, at 95.35%. Telenor reached 87.72%, Jazz 68.26% and Zong 55.69%. Phase 8 was also the only Islamabad area where the four networks' download speeds were close, all between 15 and 18 Mbps.

Ufone's internet delay in Phase 8 was 116.77 milliseconds and Zong's was 89.80, both above PTA's limit of 75. Delay, or latency, is what makes video calls freeze and online games lag, even when speed looks fine.

DHA Phase 3 is the other weak spot. Only Jazz passed there, at 91.23%. Zong, Ufone and Telenor all fell below the target. If you live in Phase 3 and your calls drop indoors, the problem is probably the network, not your phone.

Zong passed the most checks across all 13 areas

PTA checked 12 measures in each of the 13 areas, 156 in all. Zong passed 150, or 96%. Ufone passed 146, Jazz 142 and Telenor 136. Only DHA Phases 2 and 5 saw all four networks pass all 12 checks.

The pass count and the speed ranking tell different stories. Jazz was fastest in more areas, but missed more checks than Zong or Ufone. Zong was rarely fastest but rarely failed. Which matters more depends on whether you stream and download, or mainly need calls to connect.

Lahore, Karachi and Peshawar areas in the same test

PTA also tested Bhatti Darbar and Ring Road in Lahore, south Karachi, and Mashogagar and Badabar in Peshawar. Jazz was fastest at Bhatti Darbar, at 45.35 Mbps, and in south Karachi. Zong was fastest on Lahore's Ring Road and in Mashogagar and Badabar, where Jazz missed the 4G target at 75.9%.

Telenor missed the 4G target in south Karachi, at 81.1%. For the main city results, rather than these focus areas, see PTA's test of 11 Pakistani cities from the same quarter.

How to use these results before you switch networks

Use PTA's figures to make a shortlist, then test at home before you move your number. Signal changes from street to street and floor to floor. A borrowed SIM tells you more about your own house than any survey can.

1. Find your area in the tables above and note the networks that passed the 4G target.
2. Pick the faster of those for your area.
3. Borrow a SIM on that network and test calls and data inside your house.
4. Try the rooms where your signal is worst now.
5. If it is clearly better, port your number to the new network and keep it.

If you would rather stay, the legal fixes for a weak mobile signal at home are worth trying first, including Wi-Fi calling. Signal boosters bought online are not one of them.

Common questions

Which network is best in DHA Islamabad?

Jazz, in PTA's April to June 2026 test. It was fastest in DHA Phases 1, 2, 3 and 5, and the only network to pass the 4G target in Phase 3.

Which network is best in Bahria Town Islamabad?

Zong was fastest in Bahria Phase 7. In Phase 8, only Ufone met PTA's 4G coverage target, and speeds on all four networks were close.

Why is my signal weak in Bahria Phase 8?

PTA's test found weak 4G coverage there on three of four networks: Zong 55.69%, Jazz 68.26% and Telenor 87.72%, against a 90% target.

Which network passed the most PTA checks in these areas?

Zong passed 150 of 156 checks across 13 areas. Ufone passed 146, Jazz 142 and Telenor 136.

Did PTA run its own tests or use app data?

PTA's own field teams ran the tests, with a 3 minute download of a large file on each network in each area.

How we verified this

What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.

Last checked on 9 October 2026. Results are from PTA's report "PTA and CMOs Independent Quality of Service Survey in Pakistan, Focus and Rural Areas, Second Quarter 2026", released with PTA's press release of 18 September 2026 on the PTA QoS survey page. We did not run our own speed tests in these areas.