On 15 October 2026 the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) told mobile users what to try when calls sound unclear or take a long time to connect: switch on 4G/LTE, confirm that the phone and the SIM both support 4G, and turn on VoLTE, Wi-Fi Calling and VoWiFi where the phone and the operator allow it. The notice is short and names no operator and no phone model. This page goes through what it says, what each operator publishes about the same features, and how to check your own phone. It is a summary of published guidance. We have not tested these settings on any network.

What PTA said on 15 October 2026

PTA’s notice, reported by the Associated Press of Pakistan and by PhoneWorld, has four parts.

4G/LTE first. If call voice quality is unclear, or 4G/LTE calls are slow to connect, the 4G/LTE option should be switched on in the phone’s network settings if it is not already active.
Phone and SIM. Both the phone and the SIM have to support 4G services.
VoLTE. Voice over LTE can improve voice quality and speed up call connection. It works only when the phone, the SIM and the mobile operator all support it.
Wi-Fi Calling and VoWiFi. For places with weak signal, such as indoors or in basements, the notice points to Wi-Fi Calling. The user turns it on in the phone settings and connects to a Wi-Fi network. This works only when the phone and the operator support VoWiFi.

The notice closes by sending users to their own mobile operator for more information, and says that the availability and use of these features depend on compatibility between the phone and the operator.

What the notice does not say

We read the notice in two published copies. Neither says anything about replacing old SIM cards: the only SIM sentence is the one about the SIM supporting 4G. The notice also does not list phone models, does not name Jazz, Zong, Ufone or Telenor, and gives no activation steps. Anything beyond the four points above comes from the operators’ own pages, which are set out next.

VoLTE and Wi-Fi Calling are two different switches

People often treat them as one feature, but they solve different problems and are listed separately by the operators.

VoLTE carries the voice call over the operator’s 4G network instead of dropping back to an older network. It needs a 4G SIM, a phone the operator has listed, and the operator to switch the feature on for your line.
Wi-Fi Calling (VoWiFi) carries the call over a Wi-Fi connection using your normal mobile number. It is meant for rooms where the mobile signal is weak, which is common in basements and inner rooms of apartment blocks in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad.

One practical point for Pakistani homes: a Wi-Fi call depends on the router being powered. If your router goes off during load shedding and has no UPS, Wi-Fi Calling stops with it and the call falls back to the mobile signal, if there is one. Zong’s own page notes that a call can drop when you leave Wi-Fi range unless the phone supports a handover from Wi-Fi to the mobile network.

What each operator publishes

Zong

Zong’s VoLTE page lists three requirements: a 4G-enabled SIM, a handset that appears on Zong’s compatibility list, and an updated operating system from the phone maker. It says VoLTE will not work if the device is not listed. The service has to be provisioned from the network side first. After that, the user switches it on in the phone under Settings, Mobile Networks, VoLTE. The page says VoLTE is available nationwide and that there is no extra charge.

Zong’s separate VoWiFi page gives the route as Settings, then Mobile Network or Connections, then Wi-Fi Calling, then On, with a stable Wi-Fi connection. It says Wi-Fi calls and SMS are charged like regular ones under your existing package, that the number stays the same, and that popular Samsung, Apple, Huawei and Xiaomi models are among those that support it. The page asks users to confirm that both the device and the SIM are VoWiFi compatible.

Jazz

Jazz’s Wi-Fi calling service, JazzFi, started in July 2023. In an announcement reported on 16 October 2026, Jazz said it had reached 11 million users. The announcement says a customer needs a compatible smartphone and a Wi-Fi connection, no separate app and no new number, and that the service is available nationwide. The report does not name phone models.

Telenor

Telenor announced Voice over Wi-Fi on 11 December 2025. The announcement says the service works on compatible handsets only and points customers to Telenor’s VoWiFi page to check a phone. Telenor has added VoLTE support brand by brand, starting with OPPO phones in 2021 and Samsung phones in March 2022, and it sends users to its own page for the supported list. Those announcements are years old, so check the current list on Telenor’s page before relying on them.

Ufone

Ufone’s VoLTE page, dated 19 October 2023, says the service is available for a selected range of handsets and asks customers to check their handset’s compatibility and install the updates it needs. The page does not list models and gives no VoLTE activation steps. We did not find a Ufone page on Wi-Fi Calling.

A five-minute check on your own phone

Open the mobile network settings and confirm 4G/LTE is switched on. On a dual-SIM phone, use the SIM in slot one if you can: Zong’s handset FAQ says that in most handsets only SIM slot 1 is 5G/4G/3G enabled.
Look for toggles named VoLTE, Wi-Fi Calling or VoWiFi. The menu path differs by brand. On a Samsung Galaxy, Samsung’s Pakistan support page puts Wi-Fi Calling under Settings, then Connections, or in the Phone app under More options, then Settings. It needs a Wi-Fi network and an active SIM from a carrier that supports the feature.
If a toggle is missing or greyed out, the cause may be the operator side and not the phone. Check the operator’s list: Zong’s VoLTE page and Telenor’s VoWiFi page both ask you to check handset compatibility on their site.
If the toggle is there but calls do not change, ask the operator to confirm that the feature is provisioned on your line. Zong’s page says provisioning happens on the network side before the phone switch does anything.
Update the phone’s software. Zong asks for an updated operating system and Ufone asks customers to install the updates a handset needs.

If a PTA-approved phone still has no VoLTE option

A phone can be PTA approved, meaning registered in the DIRBS system so it works on Pakistani networks, and still lack a VoLTE or Wi-Fi Calling toggle for one operator. PTA approval and VoLTE support are separate things. A phone bought from a grey market stall or a used listing on OLX may also carry software for another region, and a menu item can be hidden by the carrier profile. The operator’s handset list is the reference point. If the list is not clear, ask the operator in writing which exact model name and number it supports.

What we could not confirm

We could not read Jazz’s own handset page directly, so we have not listed Jazz models or Jazz’s VoLTE steps. We did not find a Ufone Wi-Fi Calling page. Telenor’s and Zong’s compatibility lists load on their sites and were not readable in the copies we saw, so no model list is given here. The notice also says results depend on device compatibility, operator support and connection quality, so switching a setting on is not a guaranteed fix. We have not tested these settings on any operator network.

FAQ

Does PTA say old SIM cards must be replaced?

No. In the published copies of the 15 October 2026 notice, the only SIM point is that the phone and the SIM should both support 4G.

Is VoLTE the same as Wi-Fi Calling?

No. VoLTE carries the call over the operator’s 4G network. Wi-Fi Calling carries it over a Wi-Fi connection. Each has its own switch and, on the operators’ pages, its own list of supported phones.

Do VoLTE and Wi-Fi Calling cost extra?

Zong’s pages say VoLTE has no extra charge and that Wi-Fi calls and SMS are charged like regular calls and SMS under your package. We did not find charge details on the Jazz, Telenor or Ufone pages we read, so ask your operator.

Will Wi-Fi Calling work during load shedding?

Only if your router and modem stay powered, for example on a UPS. Without power to the router there is no Wi-Fi to carry the call.

Which phones support these features?

The notice does not say, and the operators publish their own lists. Zong names Samsung, Apple, Huawei and Xiaomi among the brands with Wi-Fi Calling. Telenor’s older VoLTE lists name OPPO and Samsung. Check your exact model on your operator’s page.

Sources