Pakistan’s mobile network landscape continues to evolve, with Jazz and Zong emerging as clear leaders in OpenSignal’s Mobile Experience Awards for February 2026. This authoritative industry benchmark, analyzing performance from October 1 to December 29, 2025, reveals which telecom operator offers the best mobile internet experience across nine critical performance categories.
OpenSignal, the independent global standard for analyzing consumers’ connectivity experiences, has released comprehensive findings based on real-world measurements from actual Pakistani smartphone users. The February 2026 Mobile Experience Awards examine download speeds, upload speeds, video streaming quality, gaming performance, network reliability, and coverage across all four major Pakistani mobile operators: Jazz, Zong, Telenor, and Ufone.
Market Context: A Transformative Period
This report captures a pivotal moment in Pakistan’s telecom history. The data was collected during October-December 2025, just before PTCL completed its acquisition of Telenor Pakistan on December 31, 2025. During the measurement period, all four operators were still competing independently, making this one of the final reports to assess Telenor as a standalone network before its integration with Ufone begins.
Zong Leads with Four Major Awards
1. Download Speed Experience: Zong Claims the Crown
Winner: Zong – 17.3 Mbps
Zong users experienced the fastest average download speeds in Pakistan at 17.3 Mbps, making it the ideal choice for heavy data users who frequently download large files, stream high-definition content, or use data-intensive applications. Jazz followed closely in second place with speeds just under 1 Mbps slower.
What This Means for Users:
- Faster app downloads and updates
- Smoother high-definition video streaming
- Better performance for cloud-based applications
- Reduced waiting times for file downloads
2. Reliability Experience: A New Benchmark for Pakistani Networks
Winner: Zong – 653 points (out of 1,000)
For the first time, OpenSignal introduced the Reliability Experience metric to Pakistan’s Mobile Network Experience report. Zong scored 653 points on a 1,000-point scale, leading Ufone by 85 points. This metric measures how consistently users can connect to their network and successfully complete basic mobile tasks.
Key Reliability Factors:
- Connection success rates
- Task completion reliability
- Network stability in different locations
- Consistency across various time periods
3. Upload Speed Experience: Leading Upload Performance
Winner: Zong – 7.1 Mbps
Zong won the Upload Speed Experience award with 7.1 Mbps, ahead of Jazz (6.4 Mbps), Ufone (3.9 Mbps), and Telenor (2.3 Mbps). This is particularly important for:
Upload Speed Rankings:
- Zong: 7.1 Mbps
- Jazz: 6.4 Mbps
- Ufone: 3.9 Mbps
- Telenor: 2.3 Mbps
Why Upload Speed Matters:
- Video content creators and vloggers
- Social media influencers
- Users who frequently share photos and videos
- Remote workers attending video conferences
- Cloud backup users
4. Time on Network: Leading Upload Performance
Winner: Zong – 96.5%
Zong has won the Time on Network award with an impressive 96.5%, leading all competitors in this category. Zong outperformed Jazz (92.9%), Ufone (92.6%), and Telenor (91.6%).
Time on Network Rankings:
- Zong: 96.5% (Winner)
- Jazz: 92.9%
- Ufone: 92.6%
- Telenor: 91.6%
What Does Time on Network Mean?
Time on Network measures the percentage of time users remain connected to their operator’s network without losing signal or experiencing service drop.
These results highlight Zong’s strong and consistent network reliability, ensuring users stay connected for a greater portion of their mobile experience.
Ufone Wins Two Critical Awards
1. Games Experience: Optimal Mobile Gaming Performance
Winner: Ufone – 47.9 points (out of 100)
Mobile gaming enthusiasts will find Ufone offers the superior gaming experience in Pakistan. With a score of 47.9 points, Ufone leads the pack, followed by Zong (42.6), Jazz (39.3), and Telenor (37.3). This metric evaluates network performance for real-time multiplayer games, considering factors like latency, packet loss, and connection stability—all critical for competitive mobile gaming.
Games Experience Rankings:
- Ufone: 47.9 points
- Zong: 42.6 points
- Jazz: 39.3 points
- Telenor: 37.3 points
2. Consistent Quality: Ufone Takes the Lead
Winner: Ufone – 29.3%
Ufone won the Consistent Quality award with a score of 29.3%, narrowly ahead of Zong (29.1%), Jazz (27.0%), and Telenor (23.8%). This metric measures the network’s ability to deliver “good enough” performance for common mobile applications consistently.
Consistent Quality Rankings:
- Ufone: 29.3%
- Zong: 29.1%
- Jazz: 27.0%
- Telenor: 23.8%
Consistent Quality Impact:
- Reliable web browsing experience
- Dependable social media usage
- Consistent messaging app performance
- Steady streaming quality
Jazz Secures Two Critical Awards
1. Coverage Experience: Widest Geographic Reach
Winner: Jazz – 6.7 points (out of 10)
Jazz scored 6.7 points on a 10-point scale, indicating that Jazz users experience the most extensive and widespread geographic coverage in populated areas across Pakistan. This award is crucial for users who travel frequently or live in smaller cities and towns.
2. 4G Availability: Maximum 4G Access Time
Winner: Jazz – 93.5%
Jazz retained its 4G Availability award with an impressive 93.5% score, meaning Jazz 4G users spend the vast majority of their time connected to 4G networks rather than slower 3G or 2G services.
Joint Winners: Jazz & Zong – Video Experience
Jazz and Zong are the joint winners in the Video Experience category, delivering the highest overall video streaming quality among mobile operators.
Video Experience Rankings (0–100 Points):
- Jazz: 46.5 (Joint Winner)
- Zong: 46.2 (Joint Winner)
- Ufone: 42.6
- Telenor: 34.9
What is Video Experience?
Video Experience measures the overall quality of streaming video on mobile networks, based on real user data. It reflects factors such as video start time, buffering, resolution, and playback smoothness.
With both Jazz and Zong leading this category, users on these networks enjoy a stronger and more reliable mobile video streaming experience compared to other operators.
Telenor-Ufone Merger: Historic Acquisition Completed
PTCL Completes Telenor Pakistan Acquisition
In a landmark development for Pakistan’s telecom sector, Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL), the owner of the Ufone brand, formally completed the acquisition of Telenor Pakistan on December 31, 2025. This $400 million deal marks one of the most significant consolidations in Pakistani telecom history.
Transition Period and Network Independence
During the transition period, Telenor continues operating independently before full integration into a single merged entity. As Telenor is still offering services to new customers under its brand, OpenSignal continues reporting on its network performance until the integration is complete.
Impact on Award Distribution
Neither Telenor nor Ufone secured any awards in this February 2026 report. However, the completed merger creates significant implications for Pakistan’s mobile market landscape.
What the Completed Merger Means:
The PTCL-Telenor merger will:
- Create Pakistan’s largest mobile operator with over one-third of the market share
- Combine network infrastructure from both operators
- Potentially improve service quality through merged resources and spectrum
- Reshape the competitive dynamics currently dominated by Jazz and Zong
- Position the merged entity as a stronger competitor in the 5G era
- Eliminate redundant infrastructure and reduce operational costs
Timeline: Full integration is expected throughout 2026, with Telenor customers gradually transitioning to the unified network.
Which Mobile Network Should You Choose in Pakistan?
Choose Zong If You Prioritize:
- Download Speed for heavy data usage
- Gaming Performance for mobile gaming enthusiasts
- Network Reliability for consistent connectivity
- Consistent Quality for balanced performance
Choose Jazz If You Need:
- Video Streaming quality for Netflix, YouTube, etc.
- Upload Speed for content creation and cloud services
- Wide Coverage especially when traveling
- 4G Availability for maximum 4G access time
Consider Telenor or Ufone If:
- Pricing is your primary concern
- You have specific regional coverage needs
- You want to wait for the potential post-merger improvements
Why Real-World Data Matters:
This real-world approach provides more accurate insights than laboratory testing, reflecting actual user experience across different times, locations, and network conditions. OpenSignal is recognized as the independent global standard for analyzing consumers’ connectivity experiences.
The February 2026 OpenSignal Mobile Experience Awards demonstrate that Pakistan’s mobile network market is highly competitive, with Jazz and Zong pushing each other to deliver better services. While both operators excel in different areas, the overall trend shows continuous improvement across all metrics—good news for Pakistani mobile users.
As the industry awaits the potential Telenor-Ufone merger and operators begin planning for 5G deployment, Pakistani consumers can expect further improvements in mobile network experience in the coming years.
Key Takeaways:
- Zong leads in download speed, reliability, gaming, and consistent quality
- Jazz excels in video experience, upload speed, coverage, and 4G availability
- Network quality is improving across all operators
- Competition drives innovation, benefiting all users
- Future looks promising with potential consolidation and 5G on the horizon
