PTA updates prepaid mobile tariff

ISLAMABAD:  Pakistan’s telecom regulator has released its latest comparison of prepaid mobile tariffs, showing Zong and Telenor offering the lowest voice call rates, while operators continue competing on SMS and mobile data pricing.

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has released its latest comparison of prepaid cellular tariffs, providing consumers with an updated overview of voice, SMS and mobile internet charges offered by the country’s four major telecom operators as of June 30, 2026.

According to the regulator, competition among Jazz, Zong, Telenor and Ufone remains strong, with most standard prepaid packages offering on-net and off-net call rates ranging between Rs 2.90 and Rs 3.60 per minute. Base mobile internet charges generally range from Rs 4 to Rs 5 per megabyte, although operators continue to promote discounted data bundles separately.

The PTA’s comparison shows that Jazz continues to market its Budget, Champion, Easy and One prepaid packages at Rs3.50 per minute for both on-net and off-net calls on a 60-second pulse, while its Lite package charges Rs3.60 per minute on a 30-second pulse. SMS charges remain Rs2.50 per message, with internet usage billed at Rs5 per MB.

Telenor’s Talkshawk prepaid portfolio remains among the most competitively priced for voice services. The regulator’s data shows Talkshawk Economy, A1, Value and Apna packages charging between Rs 2.92 and Rs 2.93 plus applicable taxes per minute, while SMS is priced at Rs  1.80 plus tax. Mobile internet is charged at Rs 4 plus tax per MB.

Zong continues to offer some of the country’s lowest prepaid voice tariffs. The PTA comparison shows Zong 20, Zong 30 and Zong Economy packages charging between Rs 2.68 and Rs 2.97 plus tax, depending on the package and billing pulse. Internet charges stand at Rs 4 plus tax per MB across most standard prepaid plans.

Ufone’s prepaid portfolio, including its UWon and Super Sasta packages, charges Rs 3.50 per minute for voice calls, while SMS costs Rs 2.03 plus tax. The operator also continues to offer promotional data incentives, including 150 MB of free internet until midnight after the consumption of 25 MB at Rs 2.75 plus tax per MB.

The PTA comparison indicates that Zong and Telenor currently offer the lowest standard prepaid voice call rates, while Telenor provides the cheapest SMS tariff among the four operators. Base internet charges remain broadly similar across operators, although consumers typically rely on daily, weekly and monthly bundles for significantly lower data costs.

The regulator said it periodically updates tariff comparisons to improve transparency and help consumers make informed choices. It advised users to consult telecom operators’ official websites for promotional bundle offers, which often provide substantially better value than standard prepaid rates.