3 min read
The Special Communications Organization (SCO) has just made a massive promise. According to their latest announcement, the organisation is bringing Pakistan’s first 5G deployment to Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJ&K). The project targets Muzaffarabad and Mirpur, with a completion deadline set for June 2026.
SCO claims this move will drive “digital transformation” across education, healthcare, and business sectors. On paper, it looks like a tech revolution. But if you look at the ground reality, the story changes completely.
SCO & The “5G Joke”
The announcement, shared on SCO’s official channels, was met not with applause… but with a barrage of criticism. The sentiment among the masses is clear:
How can you launch 5G when the 4G network barely works?
Users flooded the comments section, tearing into the service provider for its current infrastructure failures. Local users didn’t hold back, as a user commented:
What! 5G? Even there is no 3G & 4G network.
The backlash highlights a severe disconnect between SCO’s high-tech ambitions and the daily struggles of its subscribers. Another user added:
Even 4G doesn’t work properly here… going after 5G is a strange joke.
A Network on Life Support
The criticism goes beyond just slow internet speeds. Basic cellular connectivity is a nightmare for many residents.
A user from Gilgit-Baltistan commented, painting a grim picture of the service quality. He stated that making a single call requires toggling “Flight Mode” ten times. Even then, cross-connections are rampant. The user demanded:
First, provide 2G properly.
This aligns with long-standing reports from the region. While SCO touts “smarter services”, users in areas like Mangla report that signals vanish the moment they cross into AJK.
The Load Shedding Reality
One of the most critical technical failures users have pointed out is the network’s dependence on the power grid. People noted that towers shut down the moment the electricity goes out, as a user commented:
As soon as the light goes, the towers turn off.
People are also mocking the organisation for acting as if it has installed towers on the moon while failing to provide basic battery backups for existing infrastructure.
The promise of 5G in Muzaffarabad and Mirpur by 2026 is ambitious. But ambition doesn’t load web pages. For the freelancers, students, and businesses in AJK who are currently struggling to send a simple WhatsApp message, a futuristic 5G promise feels less like progress and more like a distraction.
SCO needs to read the room. Before aiming for the sky with 5G, they need to fix the ground beneath them.
