Internet in Pakistan.
City-by-city and ISP-by-ISP performance reports. Real Ookla data, updated quarterly. The honest numbers, not the advertised ones.
By city
Karachi
Pakistan's commercial capital, largest city, and a key fibre hub. Internet quality varies dramatically by neighbourhood: DHA and Clifton match Karachi's best, while many North Karachi and Lyari areas still have limited fibre options.
Lahore
Cultural and tech capital of Punjab. Lahore has the most competitive ISP market in Pakistan, with Nayatel, StormFiber, and PTCL all offering fibre across most of DHA, Gulberg, and Bahria Town.
Islamabad
Federal capital and Nayatel's home market. Among Pakistani cities, Islamabad has the highest median internet speeds, primarily because Nayatel saturated the city with fibre early.
Rawalpindi
Sister city to Islamabad with growing fibre coverage. StormFiber and PTCL lead; Nayatel coverage is partial and concentrated in Bahria Town and Saddar areas.
Faisalabad
Pakistan's third-largest city and a major textile and industrial centre. Fibre options are limited compared to the tier-1 cities; PTCL dominates the consumer market.
Peshawar
Capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Internet infrastructure is improving but lags Punjab and ICT cities. PTCL has the widest coverage; private fibre options are limited.
Quetta
Capital of Balochistan. The most challenging Pakistani city for internet, with terrain and infrastructure barriers. PTCL DSL is the dominant option; fibre availability is rare outside a few central neighbourhoods.
Multan
Major southern Punjab city with growing tech-services exports. PTCL fibre is the most common option; smaller private operators are entering the market.
By ISP
StormFiber
Cybernet-owned fibre operator with strong presence in major cities. Generally fast, reasonably reliable, and aggressive on pricing. The default "premium" choice for tech workers in Karachi.
Nayatel
Premium fibre provider that built its reputation on the highest median speeds and lowest packet loss in Pakistan. Most active in Islamabad and Lahore; partial Karachi presence is still rolling out.
PTCL
Pakistan's incumbent telecom operator. Widest coverage by far, including small cities and rural areas. Speeds are slower than private fibre but service is workable. Owner of Ufone.
Transworld Home
Mid-tier fibre operator with strong Karachi presence. Competes on price; speeds and reliability sit between PTCL and the premium private fibre operators.
Jazz
Pakistan's largest mobile operator. Leads on 5G in 2026 with the fastest mobile speeds available in Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad. Hotspot plans are a viable home-internet alternative in cities with poor fibre options.
Zong
China Mobile-owned operator with strong 5G deployment. Second-place to Jazz on speed but competitive on pricing.
Telenor
Norway-headquartered mobile operator. 4G only as of 2026; no 5G deployment. Future of the Pakistan operation is uncertain after reports of potential sale.
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