The little-known public sector organisation and Gilgit-Baltistan’s largest mobile and internet service provider namely the infamous Special Communication Organisation (SCO) has consistently failed to deliver. Yet it continues to insist to retaining control while celebrating incremental progress and remains reluctant to acknowledge the bitter truth that providing reliable telecom and internet facilities on modern standards requires far more than merely installing antennas and towers. That, such feat can only be achieved by Multinational Corporations (MNCs) that have access to vast financial resources, modern infrastructure and innovation. Having said that, their failure is not entirely intentional, nor it can be discredited outright considering the efforts it has made over the years to facilitate connectivity in the region. Gilgit-Baltistan’s complex dynamics, difficult terrain, and harsh climatic conditions pose serious challenges to infrastructure development. However, recognition of these constraints should not obscure the broader picture.
While the rest of the country has made significant progress in the recent years in terms of quality telecommunication and internet services and infrastructure – with the government preparing to auction additional spectrum for the anticipated launch of 5th Generation technology- the region of Gilgit-Baltistan has witnessed little to no meaningful advancement. This stagnation has further widened the already existing digital divide between Gilgit-Baltistan and the rest of Pakistan.
The improved and comparatively reliable telecom and internet services in other provinces are largely result of healthy market competition between telecom operators run by MNCs, along with upgradation of optical fiber network primarily led by PTCL. In sub-urban and rural areas, improvements in telecommunication and broadband services have been enabled mainly through government-led interventions under the Universal Service Fund (USF), which has proven instrumental in advancing the vision of a Digital Pakistan.
Unfortunately, Gilgit-Baltistan remains excluded from the USF due to its so-called constitutional status. Moreover, PTCL’s vast optical fiber infrastructure currently terminates at Kohistan and Chitral in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, leaving Gilgit-Baltistan under the near-monopoly of the resource-constrained and inefficient Special Communication Organisation (SCO). The organisation primarily relies on hardware and infrastructure contracts with companies such as Huawei and ZTE, limiting its flexibility and scalability.
Although SCO’s primary mandate is to provide telecommunication services to military installations along the borders, it has, in recent years, expanded into the commercial sector with ambitions to launch services nationwide. Despite its limited resources and capacity, SCO has introduced fiber-based internet and 4G services in parts of Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir. However, the reliability and efficiency of these services remain far below modern standards- for the record, you cannot even stream a 240p video without buffering on its 4G network and have to wait till late night for everyone to sleep.
SCO maintains the only optical fiber link connecting Gilgit-Baltistan with Islamabad. This critical link is frequently damaged due to landslides and harsh weather conditions, forcing the entire network to rely on low-capacity microwave backup systems. The lack of redundancy often results in prolonged outages or severely degraded services, significantly hampering efforts toward digitalization and inclusiveness. Furthermore, many telecom towers in Gilgit-Baltistan continue to rely on microwave radio links, easily identifiable by drum-shaped antennas, which are highly susceptible to weather disruptions and offer far lower bandwidth than direct fiber connections.
Although SCO has recently introduced high-speed internet through optical fiber, its availability remains limited to a few kilometers within commercial urban areas. Internet users in sub-urban and remote regions continue to depend on 4G towers. The situation deteriorates further during winters due to prolonged power outages and insufficient backup capacity, leaving consumers without access to telecom and internet services for extended periods.
Recently, the federal government auctioned 4G spectrum to commercial entities, including Jazz, Zong, and Telenor, alongside SCO. However, due to limited backhaul capacity and SCO’s monopoly over core infrastructure, these operators are compelled to rely on rented bandwidth from SCO. The high cost of such arrangements and the limited bandwidth allocation render them incapable of providing internet speeds comparable to those available in the rest of the country. Moreover, the potential benefits of the recently connected Pakistan–China gateway through the Khunjerab Pass have yet to materialize for consumers in Gilgit-Baltistan.
The Special Communication Organisation, with its limited resources and low-profit margins, cannot be solely blamed for the current state of affairs. Achieving high-speed telecom standards requires enormous investment, costly hardware, and continuous innovation, capacities that only multinational corporations can realistically afford. Coupled with internal operational inefficiencies, SCO is currently ill-equipped to meet the rapidly increasing demand for reliable and high-quality telecom services.
In addition to infrastructure and operator-level challenges, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), the regulatory body responsible for ensuring service quality and enforcing standards, has also failed to fulfill its mandate. Although 4G services are nominally offered in the region by SCO and other operators, their quality and reliability remain highly questionable when measured against national and global benchmarks. Despite this, PTA has largely remained silent, reflecting a clear lack of regulatory will.
Recently, the Government of Gilgit-Baltistan has adopted the ‘Cloud First’ policy to fast-track digitalization snd improve governance though e-governance, however,The present state of the affairs paints a grim picture for the prospect of digitalization and government’s efforts towards e-governance, for a region which is already the most vulnerable and sensitive to climate-change induced calamities. Without addressing the issue of adequate infrastructure, the government’s efforts in other areas will bring no real change.
Recently, the Government of Gilgit-Baltistan has adopted a ‘Cloud First’ policy aimed at fast-tracking digitalization and improving governance through e-governance initiatives. However, the current state of telecom infrastructure presents a grim outlook for the realization of these objectives. For a region already vulnerable to climate change-induced disasters, the absence of reliable digital infrastructure severely undermines governance reforms and development efforts.
Gilgit-Baltistan, an underdeveloped region with a growing freelancing community that relies entirely on internet connectivity for income, faces ever-increasing consumer demand for reliable digital services. Without adequate resources and funding, particularly through inclusion in the Universal Service Fund, for upgrading backend infrastructure, placing high expectations on SCO alone is unrealistic.It is therefore imperative that the incoming government places the inclusion of Gilgit-Baltistan under the Universal Service Fund among its highest priorities. Equally important is the rationalization of SCO’s role by transitioning it into a neutral infrastructure host and fostering a collaborative ecosystem that allows other market players to access bandwidth on fair and competitive terms.
Until these issues are addressed, or a viable alternative such as Starlink’s satellite internet becomes available—the people of Gilgit-Baltistan will remain dependent on an outdated system, with frustration continuing to mount.
The writer holds a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering and is currently pursuing an MPhil in Project Management at Karakoram International University.
