Sluggish Internet and Infrastructure Issues Plaguing Pakistan’s IT Sector: Experts

Recently, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) organized the ‘National Broadband Network Forum 2024,’ attended by government officials and industry stakeholders. Government officials lauded the achievements of the IT sector, while industry leaders and IT experts pointed to persistent issues affecting the country’s digital growth. The sluggish internet and infrastructure challenges continue to hinder Pakistan’s IT sector, according to the experts.

While representing the government, Senate Chairman Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani emphasized the need to bridge the digital divide between rural and urban areas. He asked for implementing Artificial Intelligence (AI) solutions across all sectors and highlighted the importance of high-quality internet services. “To achieve this, the government has to remove barriers to internet efficiency, and public-private partnerships were needed to further the digital agenda of the government,” Mr. Gillani stated.

In the case of providing legislative support, Mr. Gillani said, “We are committed to providing comprehensive legislative support for the implementation of progressive policies to enhance efficiencies, remove barriers, and encourage investment and innovation in the telecom sector.”

However, contrarily, the industry stakeholders expressed disappointment over current challenges, including slow internet, outages, and restrictions on certain apps. They warned that such issues could “reduce the interest of investors in the 5G.”

The CEO of Jazz Aamir Ibrahim also raised concerns about the upcoming 5G rollout. He said, “4G for all is better than 5G for few,” and cautioned against repeating the same past mistakes in the 5G spectrum auction planned for April 2025. He questioned the government’s inactivity, stating, “Why is the government sitting on spare spectrum?” He mentioned that while national demand is around 100mbps, available spectrum currently stands at 15mbps.

In response, the Minister of State for IT and Telecom Shaza Fatima Khawaja reassured stakeholders of the government’s commitment to improving internet speed and bridging the digital divide. She connected some issues to cyber security concerns and misuse of technology by extremists. She also said satellite-based internet would help boost connectivity across the country.

Meanwhile, the PTA Chairman Maj-Gen (retd) Hafeezur Rehman and Huawei executive Feng Zhishan emphasized the role of innovation in achieving connectivity goals.

There was a discussion on VPN issues as well, on which PTA officials shared plans to register proxies to assist freelancers and individuals. They noted current VPN registrations are limited to sectors like IT, banking, and foreign missions but efforts are underway to include freelancers.

The forum concluded with calls for collaborative efforts to address infrastructure challenges and ensure a digitally inclusive Pakistan.

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