Which SIM works best depends on where in the Northern Areas you are going: there is no single network that covers all of it. SCOM, built for Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir, has the widest reach in the high valleys, while Zong is usually the most dependable national network on the roads into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Azad Kashmir. The safest plan for most travellers is a dual-SIM phone: your own everyday network, plus SCOM if your route runs through Gilgit-Baltistan.
This guide compares the networks across the three regions travellers usually mean by "Northern Areas": Gilgit-Baltistan, the Kaghan, Swat and Chitral valleys of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Azad Kashmir.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Widest reach in Gilgit-Baltistan | SCOM |
| Widest reach in Azad Kashmir | SCOM, alongside Zong |
| Best national network for Kaghan, Swat, Chitral | Zong, generally |
| Best overall plan | Your usual SIM plus SCOM for a Gilgit-Baltistan route |
| Needed to buy a new SIM | CNIC and fingerprint verification |
| Expect no signal | High passes, glacier treks, deep gorges, most national parks |
SCOM: the network built for the mountains
SCOM is the mobile arm of the Special Communications Organization, a state-run body that has provided telecoms in Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir since before any private operator arrived. That head start shows: SCOM has laid the most fibre and built towers in villages that no national network reaches.
In the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority's quality-of-service survey for the second quarter of 2026, which tested sites in both Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan (Muzaffarabad and nearby areas, plus Astore, Gorikot and Rattu in GB), SCOM came first across every category measured: 4G coverage, download speed, latency, voice and SMS service. At Rattu it was the only network that met the 4G coverage standard at all.
If your trip is built around Hunza, Skardu, Astore or the Neelum Valley, a SCOM SIM is worth the half hour it takes to buy one.
The national networks: good in town, weaker outside it
Zong, Jazz, Telenor and Ufone (merging into a single brand, PTML, since mid-2026) all hold licences to operate in Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir, and all four work well in the main towns: Gilgit, Skardu, Muzaffarabad, Chitral and Mingora. Of the four, Zong is generally the one travellers find most consistent once the road climbs out of town, though the same PTA survey found Jazz falling short of the 4G standard in Astore, with slow speeds and high latency at that site.
Outside Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's own mountains, the pattern flips: SCOM's licence covers GB and AJK, not KP, so it isn't an option in Swat, Kalam, Chitral or Kaghan. There, Zong, Jazz and Telenor cover the towns and the main road, and signal thins out the same way it does everywhere else once you leave the valley floor.
Coverage by region
| Region | What tends to work |
|---|---|
| Hunza, Nagar, Gilgit, Skardu, Shigar, Khaplu | SCOM widest; Zong, Jazz and Telenor/Ufone good in the towns |
| Astore, Deosai edges | SCOM the reliable option; national networks weak to absent |
| Khunjerab Pass and the glacier treks | Patchy to none on any network |
| Muzaffarabad and lower Neelum Valley | All networks, SCOM and Zong strongest further up-valley |
| Upper Neelum (Kel, Sharda, Taobat) and Leepa | SCOM the safer bet; others fade |
| Kaghan, Naran, Shogran | Zong and Jazz reasonable in the bazaars, thin beyond them |
| Swat, Kalam, Mahodand | Zong, Jazz and Telenor in the towns; weak on the higher jeep tracks |
| Chitral town and the Kalash valleys | All networks in town; coverage drops quickly outside it |
Treat this as a starting point rather than a promise. Coverage changes as towers go up, and a storm or landslide can take a whole valley offline for a day, so ask at your hotel what actually works there.
When there's no signal at all
Plan for offline stretches on:
- High passes: Khunjerab, Babusar and Shandur all have long sections with no coverage on any network.
- Deosai and similar plateaus, where you may pick up a weak SCOM signal near the edges and nothing in the middle.
- Glacier and high-altitude treks, from Fairy Meadows and Rakaposhi base camp to Baltoro and K2 base camp.
- Deep gorges on the Karakoram Highway and in Kohistan, where the valley itself blocks the signal.
Download offline maps before you leave the last town with a good connection, and agree a time to check in with anyone waiting to hear from you. For the day-to-day detail of Gilgit-Baltistan's coverage valley by valley, see our Gilgit-Baltistan SIM guide.
Wi-Fi and eSIMs
Hotel Wi-Fi in Gilgit, Skardu, Hunza and Muzaffarabad is common but runs on the same towers and power supply as everything else, so it can slow or drop during a power cut or a busy evening. Don't plan around it as your only connection.
International eSIMs sold for travel to Pakistan generally route through the same national networks as a physical SIM, so they inherit the same weak spots outside the towns; they save you a shop visit, not the coverage gaps. If your plan depends on a specific network working in a specific valley, a local SCOM or Zong SIM bought on arrival is the more reliable choice.
How to buy a SIM
Every SIM in Pakistan is registered against the buyer's CNIC with a fingerprint check at the counter, so bring your own card and buy it yourself. Franchise shops for the main networks sit in the bazaars of Gilgit, Skardu, Muzaffarabad, Chitral and Mingora; smaller towns and villages usually sell top-ups but not new connections. Allow 15 to 30 minutes for registration in busy season. Foreign nationals need their original passport with a valid Pakistani visa, and requirements can change, so ask at a city franchise rather than a village shop.
Is it worth carrying two SIMs?
For most travellers, yes, if the route runs through Gilgit-Baltistan or the upper Neelum Valley. A second SIM costs little next to the rest of a trip, and it is the difference between reaching a hotel from the road and driving in blind. If your trip stays in the towns, on the Karakoram Highway's better-served stretches, or in Swat and Chitral where SCOM isn't an option anyway, your usual national network is generally enough, backed up by hotel Wi-Fi in the evenings.
Our travel guide covers the rest of what to sort out before you go, including cash and documents; see our guides on ATMs and cash in the Northern Areas and documents and checkpoints.
Frequently asked questions
Which SIM is best for Hunza and Skardu?
SCOM, by a clear margin, with Zong as the best backup in the towns. Carrying both covers almost everywhere that has any signal at all.
Does Zong work well in the Northern Areas?
Yes, in the main towns across Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Kashmir, Swat and Chitral, and generally along the better-travelled roads. It thins out faster than SCOM once you leave the valley floor in Gilgit-Baltistan.
Is there a SCOM SIM in Swat or Chitral?
No. SCOM's licence covers Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir, not Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, so it isn't sold or usable in Swat, Kalam or Chitral. Zong, Jazz and Telenor are the options there.
Can I use my normal SIM the whole trip?
In the towns and on the main roads, usually. Once you head up a side valley, onto a high pass, or into a national park, expect it to drop out, sometimes for a full day.
Do foreign tourists need anything extra to buy a SIM?
An original passport with a valid Pakistani visa, in place of a CNIC. Buy it at a franchise in a main town, since the registration process is the same fingerprint check used for citizens.
