Sheheryar Qadir
SPECIAL Communications Organization (SCO) has maintained its position as the top-ranking telecom, internet and mobile money services provider of Azad Jammu & Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan regions of Pakistan. The Organization’s cellular service SCOM, internet service SNET and mobile financial solution S-Paisa continue to effectively meet the connectivity and financial services needs of these hard to access regions with tough geographical terrains.
While the people of the regions continue to depend heavily on SCO services to have their digital needs met, their trust is only getting stronger on the operator and recent surveys are a testament to that increasing customer loyalty. A recent Gallup survey revealed SCOM as the most popular mobile network in GB and second in lead in AJ&K. In GB the organization is ranked the highest for quality of services, while in AJ&K it is leading on the signal strength and customer care fronts.
The survey found over 80% of SCOM users to be satisfied with the coverage, with 71% are satisfied with the quality of calls. 84% of SCOM users were found to be happy with the operator’s call, data packages and offers. In the survey 60% of SCO’s internet services, SNET users registering complete satisfaction. 59% of users are frequently using SCO’s 3G/4G internet on their cell phones, however, DSL was found to be more famous in GB. Some dissatisfaction was also reported for SNET services which the organization attributes to extreme weather conditions in the region.
The organization’s mobile financial solution S-Paisa, which is the only Mobile Financial Solution (MFS) available in the remote areas of GB, was also found to be very popular coming in the second lead in AJ&K and GB. Seven in ten users of S-Paisa reported using the mobile wallet at least once a month. Earlier, a survey from Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) also ranked SCO as the leading data services provider in the AJ&K and GB regions. According to the survey findings, SCO’s service accessibility was 100% in both urban and rural areas where it also passed the internet speed threshold (256 Kbps).
Call connection time was recorded at less than 6.5 seconds, while call completion and SMS reliability rates were also found to be at 100%.SCO is the pioneer of cutting-edge communications technology in AJ&K and GB, the mountainous areas that have remained largely inaccessible for a majority of other operators due to the topography.
The organization has been effectively meeting the evolving connectivity and financial services needs of millions in the region with its best-in-class products and services. SCO also remains socially responsible and is focused on carrying out projects for a better society and regional development. The organization’s recent response to the Covid-19 pandemic has also been inspirational.
