Internet Speeds in Azad Kashmir are Still from 90’s

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Pakistan is fast catching up internet bandwagon where millions of users are converting online and web companies are all set to grab the highly potential market, worth several hundred million dollars, at a time when mobile usage has surpassed the desktop usage trends.

We are all talking about startup boom, various incubators, accelerators, global brands taking interest in local tech, Pakistani IT companies making a mark in US, Europe and African markets and what not.

We also also abuzz about FTTH reaching in several metropolitan areas, 3G, 4G and 100Mbps of speeds that have potential of changing the future of Pakistan.

However, tech scene — and particularly the internet connectivity — in one part of Pakistan is not as vivid as in rest of Pakistan.

Jhelum (an historic but relatively less populated city on GT Road) for example has all kinds of fast speed internet — including DSL, EvDO from both PTCL and WorldCall, 3G for all five operators, IPTV and WiFI networks from local players — however, Mirpur — a neighboring city less than just 40KMs away, has one operator that offers 3Mbps of maximum advertised speeds while actual speeds are less than half of the promised speeds.

Interestingly, customers in Mirpur get 30Kbps (in place of expected 300KBps) on a 3Mbps package as the back-end system responsible for setting up the speeds isn’t updated.

Maximum advertised Internet Speed with unlimited usage in Azad Kashmir is 3Mbps

This notable difference is mainly due to the fact that Pakistan went through deregulation in 2004, which opened up the market fetching abundant amount of investment and advancement in telecommunication sector, however, this change happened in only rest of Pakistan while Azad Kashmir was left alone in the hands of Special Communication Organization (SCO) a Pakistan Army administered entity.

For those who don’t know, only SCO is allowed to operate wired telecom infrastructure in Azad Kashmir and Gilgit & Baltistan. Cellular operators did get GSM license in 2005 (that too when government had no other option but to allow telcos to fill communication gap caused by earthquake), however, they are still now allowed to offer 3G/4G services there.

Pakistan has made a lot of efforts in equipping Azad Kashmir on various vectors and scales, including education, energy needs, roads and infrastructure but Telecommunication is an area which has been ignored for long enough now.

Whole of Azad Kashmir, Gilgit & Baltistan is now demanding an effective and next-gen communication solutions for wired and wireless broadband and telephony services.

Its 2015 today, either through deregulation or through other means, time has come now that concerned authorities should address this area and equip this important region of Pakistan with fast speed internet and other telecom facilities.

Tech and telecom reporter for over 15 years


  • alipur city is one of the 100 largest cities but has no 3g /4g service by any operator.

  • It is high time that Azad Kashmir, Gilgit Baltistan and FATA are made proper provinces of the country rather than keeping them federally administered areas. Why do we not have the courage to accept AK/GB as our own? Why do we treat them (legally) as different?

    • Becuz mere bhai… GB and Kashmir were never a part of Pakistan in the first place. They were and should have been independent countries rather than pakistan and india dividing them between themselves without asking the local people if they wanna accede to any of these countries. Same happened in Balochistan, Jinnah tricked them to accept Pakistan as a caretaker and then federal government took complete control and made it a province of Pakistan, but never thought of giving any rights to such a resource rich province..!
      na-Pak army k kaarnaamon ki list intehai lambi hai.. poori duniya is haraaami aarmy se tang aai hui hai..

  • Skytelecom is only known internet provider in mirpur area but their prices are very high

    512Kbps = 1940 PKR
    1Mbps = 2850 PKR
    2Mbps = 5130 PKR

    they support upto 50Mbps speeds via custom packages but don’t ask about price ;) on other hand there is SCO( Army Signal Core ) that do dsl but only limited in few areas the last open we have is PTCL EVO and we all know how good it is ;)


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