Telecom Operators' Initiatives in the wake of COVID-19 ... - PTA
Zero-rating blocks innovation. As long as the first 100MB of the day is free only for foreign apps, no Pakistani "YouTube Killer" or "Homegrown Twitter" will ever rise to prominence.
Access to emergency health information, disaster management websites, and certain citizen portals (like the Pakistan Citizen Portal) has occasionally been zero-rated to ensure public access to governance tools. The Benefits: Driving Digital Inclusion zerorated websites pakistan
Today, all major cellular service providers in Pakistan offer zero-rating plans to their consumers.
Do you believe zero-rating is a necessary stepping stone to connect rural Pakistanis? Telecom Operators' Initiatives in the wake of COVID-19
Zero-rating in allows users to access specific websites or apps without consuming their data balance. While the landscape changes as operators shift toward paid "social bundles," several platforms remain accessible for free or through minimal-cost "Free Basics" initiatives. Current Zero-Rated Platforms (April 2026)
In June 2013, Mobilink (now Jazz) launched Wikipedia Zero, providing prepaid customers with round-the-clock free access to the full mobile version of Wikipedia, including Urdu-language articles on supported handsets. A company spokesperson stated at the time: "As Pakistan's leading mobile internet provider we are proud to partner with the world's sixth largest website to offer our customers free access to Wikipedia." Zero-rating in allows users to access specific websites
As PTA moves toward enforcing net neutrality in new ISP licenses, Pakistan faces a pivotal decision. The challenge for policymakers is not simply to expand access but to ensure that access is meaningful, equitable, and does not come at the cost of a free and open internet. The future of zero-rating in Pakistan will ultimately depend on whether the country can balance the urgent need for affordable connectivity with the long-term imperative of preserving a level playing field for innovation, competition, and digital freedom.
Internet.org operates on a zero-rating model where content providers pay for the data traffic to their sites rather than the consumer. While the initiative aimed to bring internet access to those who could not otherwise afford it, it quickly drew criticism from net neutrality advocates who argued that access was limited to only 16 sites selected by Facebook.
A notable example of a pure zero-rating initiative was , a global program that provided free access to Wikipedia's encyclopedia. The program served over 800 million people across 72 countries. Its discontinuation in 2018, partly due to net neutrality concerns, serves as a significant case study on the long-term sustainability of such models.
During national crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, telecom operators partnered with the government and educational bodies to zero-rate access to university portals, distance learning platforms, and websites like Pakistan Better Education Portal.