How to Complain to PTA About Slow or Dead Internet
Slow or dead internet? Complain to your provider, then file with PTA under Data Speed. What the portal asks for, proof to attach and PTA's speed limits.
To complain about slow or dead internet in Pakistan, complain to your provider first and get a complaint number. If it is not fixed, file with PTA at complaint.pta.gov.pk/CMS/ under "Against Service Provider", choose "Data Speed", and attach your speed tests. PTA's helpline is 0800-55055, and its form says it replies within 48 business hours.
Slow internet is the complaint most people never file. They restart the router, grumble, and pay the full bill anyway. PTA's own quality survey for April to June 2026, published on 18 September, found "disparities" in mobile broadband while calls and SMS mostly passed. So your slow connection may not be bad luck. It may be a measurable failure.
We read PTA's complaint portal code on 29 September 2026 to see exactly what the form asks for, and PTA's latest survey report to see what speeds operators are held to.
Complain to your internet provider first
PTA takes up a complaint only after your provider has had a chance to fix it. Call or message the provider, describe the fault with dates, and ask for a complaint or reference number. Without that number, a PTA complaint is much weaker.
| Provider | Complaint route on its own site |
|---|---|
| PTCL and Flash Fiber | 1218, email care@ptcl.net.pk, WhatsApp 0331 2181218 |
| Nayatel | 1441 then 1 (technical, 24 hours), WhatsApp +92 51 111 11 44 44, My Nayatel app |
| Jazz | SIMOSA app, 111 from a Jazz prepaid number, or 0 111 300 300 from any network |
| Zong | 310 from a Zong number, service centres and franchises |
| Ufone | Network Complaint and Register Your Complaint pages on ufone.com |
Jazz says on its site that SIMOSA queries are answered within 12 hours. Give the provider a fair window. A fibre cut can take a day or two, as the outage in Islamabad and Rawalpindi in September showed. A week of slow speed after two complaints is different. That is when PTA comes in.
Gather proof that your internet is slow
A complaint that says "internet is slow" gets a reply that says "we checked, it is fine". Speed tests with dates, times and your location turn a feeling into a record that PTA can put to the operator.
- Speed test screenshots. Take at least three on different days and at different times, with the date and time visible. Test on a cable if you can, not only on Wi-Fi.
- Your package. The speed you pay for, from your bill or the provider's app.
- Your number or account ID. The mobile number, or the landline or customer ID for broadband.
- Your address or area. Mobile data depends on location, so say where you were.
- The provider's complaint number and the dates you complained.
Rule out your own setup first. Old routers slow down fast plans, and checking your internet speed on a phone near the router tells you whether the line or the Wi-Fi is the problem. Pakistani providers are rarely generous with the benefit of the doubt, so do not give them an easy excuse.
How to file a slow internet complaint on PTA's portal
Create a profile on complaint.pta.gov.pk/CMS/ with a mobile number registered on your CNIC, verify it by OTP, then choose "Against Service Provider". Pick your provider, the service type and "Data Speed", then describe the fault and attach proof.
- Open complaint.pta.gov.pk/CMS/ and create a user profile. The portal says you must use a mobile number registered against your name and CNIC.
- Enter the OTP sent to that number and sign in.
- Choose the complaint type "Against Service Provider", which the portal describes as complaints against telecom operators for poor or no service.
- Fill in City, Service Provider and Service Type. Choose "Data / Internet" for mobile data or "Broadband" for a home connection.
- Under Complaint Nature, choose "Data Speed". For no signal at all, choose "Network Coverage".
- In "Number / Device Against", give the affected number or account.
- Write the Complaint Summary and attach your speed tests. The portal takes PDF, PNG or JPG, up to 5 MB.
- Submit and note the complaint number, which starts with "PTA".
The same steps work in the PTA CMS phone app, which PTA upgraded in September 2026 with OTP sign-in and document upload. If you cannot register because your only number is the faulty one, call 0800-55055 instead.
Which providers PTA's complaint form covers
PTA's form lists 15 named providers plus "Other": the four mobile networks and 11 broadband and fixed-line companies. Fibre and broadband complaints go to PTA the same way as mobile ones.
| Field in PTA's form | Options built into the portal |
|---|---|
| Service Provider | Jazz, Telenor, Zong, Ufone, PTCL, Nayatel, StormFiber, Transworld Homenet, Wateen, SCO, Link.Net, Cybernet, Worldcall, Brain Telecommunication, Nexlinx, Other |
| Service Type | Voice, Data / Internet, SMS, Broadband, Cable TV, Other |
| Complaint Nature | Network Coverage, Call Drop, Billing Issue, Fraud, Device Blocked, Spam SMS, Data Speed, Other |
| Attachment | Optional, PDF, PNG or JPG, up to 5 MB |
These lists sit in the portal's own code. The live form can also load options from PTA's server, so a label may differ slightly on screen. Pick the closest match. A small local cable internet company may not be in the list at all, which is one more reason to choose a licensed provider. PTA has been acting against unlicensed internet providers this year.
What speed PTA holds mobile operators to
PTA's quality survey for April to June 2026 tested mobile data against set limits: download above 4 Mbps, upload above 1 Mbps, delay (latency) below 75 milliseconds, and a web page loading in under 5 seconds.
| Measure | PTA's pass mark |
|---|---|
| Download speed | More than 4 Mbps |
| Upload speed | More than 1 Mbps |
| Latency (delay) | Less than 75 ms |
| Web page loading time | Less than 5 seconds |
In that survey the average latency across the cities tested was 47 ms for Zong, 49 ms for Jazz, 68 ms for Ufone and 98 ms for Telenor. Latency is the delay before data starts to arrive, and it is what makes video calls stutter. PTA said it took legal action against operators that did not comply.
The survey covered 11 cities, about 27,300 calls and SMS, and 0.19 million data samples. It measures mobile networks only, not home broadband. So a 4 Mbps result on a phone is a pass by PTA's mark, even if it feels slow. For a home fibre line, the speed you pay for is the useful yardstick.
After you file with PTA
PTA's portal says you will get SMS or email updates and a response within 48 business hours. PTA passes the complaint to your provider for an answer. You can track it by its complaint number on the portal.
If the reply is a form letter, file again with the same PTA number and new speed tests. One complaint per problem works best. A slow line and a wrong bill belong in two complaints, because they go to different teams. The wider rules for complaining to PTA about your network apply here too.
Common questions
Can I complain to PTA about slow internet?
Yes. Use "Against Service Provider" on complaint.pta.gov.pk/CMS/ and choose "Data Speed" as the complaint nature. Complain to your provider first and keep its reference number.
What is the PTA complaint number?
PTA's helpline is 0800-55055. It is printed in the complaint portal's header and on PTA's website.
How long does PTA take to reply?
The portal says PTA's team responds within 48 business hours of a complaint being registered, with updates by SMS or email.
Can I complain about PTCL, Nayatel or StormFiber to PTA?
Yes. All three are listed as providers in PTA's complaint form, along with other broadband companies such as Wateen and Cybernet.
What proof should I attach?
Speed test screenshots with the date and time, your package speed, and your provider's complaint number. Files can be PDF, PNG or JPG, up to 5 MB.
What is the minimum mobile internet speed in Pakistan?
In its 2026 surveys PTA checks that mobile download speed is above 4 Mbps and upload above 1 Mbps, with latency under 75 ms.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
Last checked on 29 September 2026. The profile rule, complaint types, form fields, provider list, attachment limits and 48 business hours come from the code of PTA's complaint portal, which does not render as plain text. The pass marks, latency averages and sample counts come from PTA's Independent Quality of Service Survey of Cities for the second quarter of 2026 and PTA's press release of 18 September 2026, both on PTA's QoS survey page. Provider contacts were read on each provider's own website. We did not file a complaint.
About the author
Tax, Bills and Technology Writer
Ali Akhtar is a young and curious voice here at Pakistan Era. He is currently pursuing his A-Levels and has a growing interest in Pakistan’s changing industrial landscape and educational trends. Ali likes to write in a way that helps him explain and explore the world around him. His writing reflects the perspective of the new generation navigating the evolving trends of Pakistan where technology, youth innovation, and shifting opportunities are reshaping the country’s future.
