Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) announced a remarkable achievement: Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJ&K) and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) have become the only region in the country with 100% teledensity. This signifies that every 100 residents in these areas have access to a telephone connection.
Despite the challenging geographic landscape and sparse population density, the PTA, along with the Government of Pakistan, prioritized the development of telecom infrastructure in AJ&K and GB. This collaborative effort has ensured robust competition in all telecom services, including mobile broadband, fixed broadband, Fiber to the Home (FTTH), and fixed line services.
PTA acknowledges the crucial role played by the incumbent operator, Special Communication Organization (SCO), and other telecom companies, along with the trust of over 6 million mobile subscribers, in achieving this milestone. Residents now enjoy access to a variety of broadband services like FTTH, DSL, and WLL. These services facilitate e-education, e-commerce, e-health, and other digital initiatives, contributing significantly to the socioeconomic development of the region.
Following international best practices, PTA identified Telenor as a Significant Market Power (SMP) operator in the mobile market of AJ&K and GB. This ensures regulations are in place to maintain competitive tariffs and benefit consumers. Additionally, the PTA mandates mobile operators to install a minimum number of telecom towers annually, while independent and joint quality of service (QoS) surveys are conducted regularly.
PTA encourages residents to utilize the PTA’s Complaint Management System (CMS) to report any issues related to service quality.
This achievement marks a significant step forward in bridging the digital divide within Pakistan and demonstrates the positive impact of collaboration between government, telecom operators, and citizens.
