Jazz signs deal to bring satellite internet to remote Pakistan

The announcement, made at an event in Islamabad, follows months of speculation about Telenor Pakistan's plans for 2028.

The numbers tell part of the story. Freelancers in Pakistan brought in $25 million in Q4 2025, and the country remains one of the largest suppliers of online talent in the world.

Employees will be offered training through a partnership with Aga Khan University, the company said, with a focus on cloud engineering, data analysis and product management.

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Key takeaways

Universities are responding too. FAST-NUCES has added new courses in renewable energy, and enrolment in computer science programmes rose 22% this year.

"Every startup founder in Multan is asking the same question: how do we compete with global platforms on a fraction of the budget?"

Mehwish Khan, dean of engineering at NetSol Technologies

Not everyone is convinced. Critics point to a shortage of skilled engineers, unreliable power supply and a tax regime that changes almost every budget cycle as reasons for caution.

What happens next

Behind the scenes, the deal took nearly 25 months to negotiate, according to two people involved in the talks who asked not to be named because the discussions were private.

Key points

• Roughly 80 jobs expected over the next two years
• Rollout begins in Lahore and Quetta before expanding nationwide
• New features will support Urdu alongside English
• Regulatory approval from the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority still pending

The company said the initiative would create roughly 60 jobs over the next two years, most of them in Lahore and Karachi. It did not disclose the size of the investment, but people familiar with the plans put the figure at between $60 million and $900 million.

The service will initially be available in Multan, Rawalpindi and Islamabad, with a nationwide launch planned for later in 2028.

Reporting by the WritePures newsroom. Have a tip? Contact our editors.