World News | Residents in Gilgit Take Stand Against Military-run Telecommunication Company
Get latest articles and stories on World at LatestLY. Residents of Gilgit-Baltistan have initiated a boycott campaign against the military-run telecommunications company for the substandard services being provided and demanded improved connectivity and reliability.
Gilgit-Baltistan [PoK], February 22 (ANI): Residents of Gilgit-Baltistan have initiated a boycott campaign against the military-run telecommunications company for the substandard services being provided and demanded improved connectivity and reliability.
The Special Communications Organization (SCO) is a government division of the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication, which is operated by the Pakistan Army.
The SCO is often criticised for its poor performance and for putting up barriers that prevent other companies from offering telecom services in the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) region.
Due to SCO's exclusive monopoly in PoK, the region suffered and lacked access to contemporary telecom services. The lack of communication infrastructure in the region was blamed for a large number of fatalities following the 2005 earthquake.
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Following protests, the Pakistani government opened up the PoK region to mobile operators, but SCO still has tight control over network access in the region.
The Internet, which is a basic requirement nowadays, is still a luxury in the areas occupied by Pakistan.
The poor internet facilities in Gilgit-Baltistan and PoK have prompted journalists to hold demonstrations. Moreover, the internet crisis in the region is forcing students to move to different places. They have to hike up to the mountaintop just to attend their online classes.
During the pandemic, students were compelled to announce the boycott of online classes, demanding better internet connectivity. (ANI)
(The above story is verified and authored by ANI staff, ANI is South Asia's leading multimedia news agency with over 100 bureaus in India, South Asia and across the globe. ANI brings the latest news on Politics and Current Affairs in India & around the World, Sports, Health, Fitness, Entertainment, & News. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)