What COMSATS does

COMSATS Internet Services (CIS) is the pioneer Internet Service Provider of Pakistan, launched in 1996 as the ISP arm of COMSATS (Commission on Science and Technology for Sustainable Development in the South), an international inter-governmental science organization. The company operates a diversified connectivity and ICT services platform across 13+ Pakistani cities, anchored by three state-of-the-art data centers in Islamabad, Lahore, and Karachi, and serves a base of 75,000+ customers — predominantly corporate entities alongside government departments, NGOs, and SMBs.

Its core product portfolio, marketed as 'The Colors of CIS', spans eight branded service lines: Tornado (long-range wireless broadband up to 50km / 100Mbps), Comspeed (optical fiber connectivity, 1-50Mbps), Hurricane (on-demand pay-per-event broadband), Hawaii (domain registration, web hosting, VPS, colocation), Prism (web/software development), Viacon (Polycom-based video conferencing), ComMeeting (web conferencing up to 16 users), and ComClinic (a telehealth social service with 12 rural clinics and 45,000+ patients examined). The technical stack includes ISO 27001:2013 and ISO 9001:2008 certified data center infrastructure, DNSSEC deployment (first in Pakistan), L-Root DNS mirrors in Islamabad and Lahore (with ICANN), and a RIPE Atlas Anchor hosted under APNIC sponsorship. Underlying infrastructure is also used to deliver managed services — network management, infrastructure optimization, and managed security (firewall, IDS/IPS, penetration testing).

CIS generates revenue through subscription-based internet connectivity, managed services, data center services (hosting, VPS, colocation), domain registration, and professional services (web/software development). Pricing is publicly disclosed for SMB-grade hosting, VPS, and domains (e.g., VPS-4 at PKR 60,000/month, .com domains at PKR 4,800/year, ComMeeting at PKR 1,000/seat/month); enterprise contracts are quote-based. Distribution is direct-sales-led through 13+ city offices, supplemented by channel partners (Cybernet, PTCL, REDtone, DMD Max), technology partners (ICANN, APNIC, Internet Society), and government partners (PTA, KPITB, PITB). The go-to-market emphasizes government and enterprise accounts, with the PITB telemedicine award (PKR 35.98M, 2016) and KPITB Mansehra telemedicine center (2017) illustrating a deliberate push into provincial health-ICT contracts.

Name

COMSATS

Legal name

COMSATS Internet Services

Website

https://comsats.net.pk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

COMSATS Internet Services is Pakistan's pioneer ISP (founded 1996), operating a diversified connectivity and ICT platform across 13+ cities with three data centers, serving 75,000+ corporate, government, and SMB customers through wireless, fiber, hosting, and managed services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Internet Service Provider (Telecommunications)

NAICS

Wired and Wireless Telecommunications (except Satellite) (5171), Wired Telecommunications Carriers (517111), Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (518)

SIC

Communications Services, Nec (4899)

akta.pro primary industry

Managed Internet & Value-Added ISP Services (Managed Router/Wi-Fi, Security, Filtering) (HDAIADAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Fiber ISPs (FTTH/FTTP Retail Providers) (HDAIADAE), Rural & Regional ISPs (HDAIADAI)

Keywords

• Internet service provider
• Wireless broadband services
• Web hosting solutions
• Managed network services
• Data center services

Headquarters

HQ city

Islamabad

HQ country

Pakistan

HQ region

Asia

Offices13 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Internet Connectivity Services: Wireless broadband (Tornado), on-demand broadband (Hurricane), and fiber optic connectivity (Comspeed) services for corporate and residential customers.
2. Data Center Services: Virtual Private Servers, Domain Registration, Website Hosting, Co-location of servers, and rack space services.
3. Managed Services: Network management, infrastructure management, and managed security services including firewall, intrusion detection/prevention.
4. Software Development: Website design and development, SEO services through Prism brand.
5. Video/Web Conferencing: Video conferencing (Viacon) and web conferencing (ComMeeting) services.
6. Telehealth Services: Free telehealth consultations for underprivileged communities in rural areas - social service initiative.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

COMSATS Internet Services (CIS) is Pakistan's pioneer ISP operating since 1996, providing a diversified portfolio of connectivity and ICT services. Its core offerings include wireless broadband (Tornado), optical fiber connectivity (Comspeed), on-demand broadband (Hurricane), web hosting and domain registration (Hawaii), software development (Prism), video/web conferencing (Viacon and ComMeeting), and managed infrastructure, network and security services backed by three ISO-certified data centers in Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi.

Product overview

COMSATS Internet Services (CIS) operates as Pakistan's pioneer ISP since 1996, offering a diversified portfolio of eight branded service products organized as 'The Colors of CIS'. Core connectivity products include Tornado® (wireless broadband), Comspeed™ (optical fiber connectivity), and Hurricane™ (on-demand broadband). Web services include Hawaii™ (domain registration and web hosting) and Prism® (software/website development). Communication services include Viacon™ (video conferencing) and Commeeting™ (web conferencing). A distinctive social service is Comclinic™ (telehealth clinics) providing free healthcare to rural communities. CIS also offers managed services for infrastructure, network management, and security. The company operates state-of-the-art data centers in Islamabad, Lahore, and Karachi, serving over 75,000 customers including corporate entities, government organizations, and NGOs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Tornado®: Long range wireless broadband service with distance up to 50 kilometers and throughput up to 100Mbps. Point to point and point to multipoint wireless links.
• Hawaii™
• Comspeed™
• Hurricane™
• Prism®
• Viacon™
• Commeeting™
• Comclinic™

Products and services

• Tornado Wireless Broadband

Quantifiable outcome

• 75,000+ customers served with majority being corporate entities
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

AI capability5 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core, strategic and minor.

• Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 November 2017Collaboration with ISOC and CIS to provide online interactive remote education to 6th grade students in rural Multan as part of W4C program.
• TeleTaleemstrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 November 2017Tele-education partner for delivering real-time online lectures of English, Mathematics and Science to rural students through interactive classroom environment.
• KPITB (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Information Technology Board)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 August 2017Agreement for establishment and operation of Telemedicine center in District Mansehra, KPK to extend healthcare delivery to remote areas.
• Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2016Awarded Telemedicine Project worth PKR 35.98 Million for hardware, software, and video conferencing solutions for 50 Basic Health Units in five districts of Punjab.
• REDtone Telecommunications PakistanstrategicTechnology or Integration · 2 September 2016Partnership for satellite broadband internet services to connect 50 Basic Health Units across Punjab for telemedicine services.
• DMD MaxstrategicTechnology or Integration · 30 August 2016Data center infrastructure sharing agreement for DMD Max to utilize CIS data center facility for technical operations in Pakistan.
• PTCL (Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited)coreTechnology or Integration · 22 July 2016High capacity internet bandwidth agreement (Gbps level) to meet rapid business growth requirements.
• CybernetstrategicChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 15 June 2016Partnership for provision of wireless broadband services across Pakistan, expanding footprint and outreach of both organizations.
• INFOGISTICminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 June 2016Partnership for installation of IT equipment at 50 BHUs in five districts of Punjab for telemedicine consultation services.
• Internet Society (ISOC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2015Collaboration to establish Wireless for Communities (W4C) program in Pakistan to provide internet access to underserved rural communities using WiFi-based technologies. Pilot project established in Chak Faiz, Multan.
• A.F. Ferguson Co. Ltd (PwC)strategicImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 9 September 2015MoU to collaborate in IT enabled products, services, and projects including ERP implementation. A.F. Ferguson is certified Diamond Partner of Oracle.
• ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers)coreTechnology or Integration · 12 August 2015Joint venture to deploy L-Root mirror server in Pakistan (Islamabad and Lahore) to strengthen country's DNS operation and improve internet speeds.
• APNIC (Asia Pacific Network Information Centre)coreTechnology or Integration · 1 August 2015Sponsored RIPE Atlas Anchor hosting, first in Pakistan, for real-time internet connectivity measurement and network diagnostics.
• MobicashminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 August 2015Bill payment solutions partnership enabling CIS customers to make payments through mobile accounts and 55,000+ Mobicash outlets across Pakistan.
• CiscostrategicChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCisco training partner providing IT training courses including CCNA, ITIL v3 Foundation, Microsoft Office, and web development at CIS training center.
• P@SHA (Pakistan Software Houses Association)minorOthersCIS is a member of P@SHA, Pakistan's software industry association.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Supernet Limited: Pakistan-based data communication and networking services company providing VSAT, MPLS, and managed connectivity to enterprise and government clients. Comparable to CIS in enterprise/government connectivity and managed services focus.
• Wateen Telecom: Pakistani carrier offering fiber, data, and managed network services to enterprises. Comparable to CIS as a competing nationwide data and connectivity provider with similar enterprise and carrier service portfolios.
• Cybernet: Pakistan's leading private ISP and parent of the StormFiber fiber brand, offering enterprise connectivity, data center, and cloud services. CIS has a channel partnership with Cybernet for wireless broadband, making it both a partner and direct competitor.
• StormFiber: Pakistan-based fiber broadband ISP owned by Cybernet, operating FTTH in Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, and other cities. Directly comparable to CIS's Comspeed fiber connectivity service in product and target SMB/enterprise segment.
• Nayatel: Pakistan-focused FTTH/fiber-to-the-home ISP serving Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore, and Faisalabad. Closely comparable to CIS's Comspeed fiber offering in product, target market, and geographic footprint.

Broad incumbents

• Transworld Associates: Pakistani submarine cable landing station operator and IP transit provider. Comparable to CIS as wholesale network backbone and IP transit infrastructure serving domestic ISPs, including the upstream capacity CIS itself relies on.
• PTCL (Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited): Pakistan's state-owned incumbent telecom providing fixed-line, broadband, and data services nationwide. Directly comparable to CIS as the dominant ISP and the wholesale backbone provider from which CIS sources capacity.

Regional players

• Multinet Pakistan: Pakistani data and network services provider focused on enterprise and corporate connectivity. Comparable to CIS in B2B internet and managed network services but concentrated in fewer metros.

Emerging players

• Worldcall Telecom (WTL): Pakistan-based triple-play (voice, video, broadband) operator. Comparable to CIS in offering combined internet, telephony, and content services to enterprise and residential customers in overlapping geographies.
• REDtone Telecommunications Pakistan: Pakistan-based satellite broadband and telecom services provider. Directly comparable to CIS as a partner in the BHUs satellite-broadband telemedicine rollout, competing for the same enterprise and rural connectivity opportunities.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CisComsats
• YouTubeyoutube.com/embed/live_stream?channel=UCdAKvu0tFLpZva9njuQ4F8A
• Facebookfacebook.com/Comsats-Internet-Services-CIS-2019660148162651
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/comsats-internet-services

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about COMSATS