Telenor Pakistan has partnered with Data Vault to launch a sovereign AI cloud and GPU-as-a-Service GPUaaS offering for enterprises in Pakistan. The collaboration provides locally hosted AI infrastructure that allows business users to perform AI training, inference workloads, and data processing entirely within the country’s borders. This initiative, supported by Data Vault’s AI factory, enables enterprises to develop large language models LLMs for Urdu and regional languages while ensuring full compliance with national data protection regulations. The service is positioned to strengthen cybersecurity, data transparency, and operational control for organizations across multiple sectors including finance, healthcare, manufacturing, telecom, and public services.
The partnership is designed to address gaps in Pakistan’s AI infrastructure by providing secure access to Nvidia-enabled GPUs, something previously unavailable to domestic enterprises due to global export restrictions, high import costs, and GPU shortages. Data Vault CEO Mehwish Salman Ali emphasized that their facility is the country’s only AI data centre providing locally hosted GPU services. She noted that Data Vault obtained special approval from Nvidia for enterprise-grade GPUs after undergoing strict technical, compliance, and financial evaluations. Through this process, Pakistani businesses can now leverage high-performance computing without relying on offshore cloud regions for AI workloads, reducing risks associated with sensitive data transfer.
The joint offering allows enterprises to adopt AI technologies with a fully managed, sovereign solution that supports a wide range of applications. Industry-specific AI models for fintech, healthcare, agri-tech, telecom automation, and smart governance can now be developed on local infrastructure, ensuring compliance with Pakistan Telecommunication Authority PTA guidelines, State Bank of Pakistan regulations, and emerging AI safety frameworks. By keeping all data and computation within the country, the sovereign cloud also improves auditability, access control, identity management, and overall digital trust, providing a controlled and secure environment for sensitive organizational datasets.
This collaboration comes at a significant moment for Telenor Pakistan, which is set to be acquired by Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited PTCL, creating the country’s second-largest mobile operator with a combined subscriber base exceeding 71 million. By embedding Data Vault’s AI infrastructure into its enterprise portfolio, Telenor is enabling businesses across Pakistan to move from consuming AI to producing it locally. The partnership is expected to boost AI adoption across sectors, support research and development initiatives, and provide domestic enterprises with the tools necessary to leverage advanced computing power for modern AI applications. The launch was also highlighted during TelecomTV’s Digital Sovereignty Forum in London, reflecting growing international interest in Pakistan’s emerging AI ecosystem.
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