SIALKOT - the Ministry of IT and Telecom announced on Wednesday that it approved a new licensing framework, according to a statement released to reporters.

Still, questions remain about long-term sustainability. Margins in the telecom business are thin, and customer acquisition costs have risen sharply since 2019.

The service will initially be available in Lahore, Hyderabad and Islamabad, with a nationwide launch planned for later in 2027.

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A closer look at the numbers

The move comes as regulators tighten oversight. the Pakistan Freelancers Association issued new guidelines in November requiring companies to store customer data locally and to report security incidents within 72 hours.

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

Usman Tariq, chief technology officer at Dastgyr

Government officials welcomed the development. A spokesperson for the Higher Education Commission said the initiative "aligns with the national digital agenda" and promised faster approvals for similar projects.

The road ahead

The company said the initiative would create roughly 20 jobs over the next two years, most of them in Gujranwala and Hyderabad. It did not disclose the size of the investment, but people familiar with the plans put the figure at between $20 million and $400 million.

Key points

  • Roughly 40 jobs expected over the next two years
  • Pricing to remain unchanged until at least February
  • Rollout begins in Gujranwala and Hyderabad before expanding nationwide
  • Partnership with NUST to train local engineers

Universities are responding too. NUST has added new courses in telecom, and enrolment in computer science programmes rose 42% this year.

Behind the scenes, the deal took nearly 150 months to negotiate, according to two people involved in the talks who asked not to be named because the discussions were private.

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