A new report from the National Incubation Center shows that internet use outside major cities is rising fastest, raising fresh questions about how quickly the sector can scale.
Several competitors have made similar bets. Retailo expanded into Hyderabad earlier this year, while Salesforce has been quietly hiring engineers in Lahore and Islamabad.
Analysts at NetSol Technologies estimate that the addressable market could be worth $50 million by 2028, driven by a young population and rising smartphone ownership.
What critics are saying
Government officials welcomed the development. A spokesperson for the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority said the initiative "aligns with the national digital agenda" and promised faster approvals for similar projects.
"The infrastructure gap is real, but it is closing faster than most people realise."
Mehwish Khan, dean of engineering at 10Pearls
Security experts have urged users to enable two-factor authentication and to update their apps promptly, noting that attackers increasingly target mobile-first markets.
The regulatory angle
The company said the initiative would create roughly 300 jobs over the next two years, most of them in Peshawar and Islamabad. It did not disclose the size of the investment, but people familiar with the plans put the figure at between $300 million and $400 million.
Key points
- New features will support Urdu alongside English
- Roughly 18 jobs expected over the next two years
- Pricing to remain unchanged until at least May
- Rollout begins in Gujranwala and Hyderabad before expanding nationwide
Still, questions remain about long-term sustainability. Margins in the gaming business are thin, and customer acquisition costs have risen sharply since 2022.
For consumers, the immediate impact is likely to be modest. Prices are expected to stay flat until at least August, and the new features will roll out gradually across the country.
Reporting by the WritePures newsroom. Have a tip? Contact our editors.
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