PAKISTAN'S INTERNET PANORAMA : MOOT GLOBAL ESSAY

 

'' FOUNDER ANGEL Ibrahim Faraz '' : WELL BEFORE the Fajr call for prayers, Ibrahim's father honoured me with a call.

I took the call : '' Ibrahim,'' he said, '' has taken just so well to Artificial Intelligence. His school and class are well up the learning curve. He opined and thanked The Global Founders of The World Students Society.

And then experts at a public-private dialogue last Tuesday spotlighted ways in which the Internet has become the oxygen for the future. Any disruptions hurt terribly just about every facet for life. 

A seamless internet connectivity based on modern technology was a key to boosting the very DNA of a nation. Alternative connectivity routes are the way forward.

The Sustainable Development Policy Institute [ SDPI ] had just recently organized the conference titled '' Preserving the Lifeline of our Modern World : Strengthening the Internet Resilience in Pakistan''.

Mr. Mohammed Yasin, Senior Advisor Emeritus at SDPI chaired the event which brought together experts to address mounting issues plaguing the nation's internet connectivity and its implications for economic and social life.

PAKISTAN : The performance issues of Internet infrastructure were simply out of the modern day world, and were just getting unbearable.

Pakistan ranked dismal 100th out of 111 nations for mobile internet speed and 141st out of 158 for broadband in a recent Ookla Internet Speed Test report.

'' We must learn from countries like China, UAE, and Saudi Arabia, which balance security risks with seamless internet access.''

Jahanzeb Rahim, a member of the Ministry of Information and Technology and Telecommunication, highlighted Pakistan's  telecom sector's critical dependence on submarine cables and emphasized the need for diversification of terrestrial links to ensure robust connectivity.

He proposed the adoption of orbital satellites as a complementary measure to enhance connectivity. He stressed the importance of  collaboration between industry, policymakers, and academia to achieve sustainable growth.

Citing the International Telecommunication Union [ITU], Rahim noted a 14 percent increase in ITU services and coverage, calling it a slight improvement in ICT infrastructure.''

The Telecom Operators Association shared details of the progress on Fibre optics deployment, reporting the installation of 23,000 km of fibre optic cables and connecting four million households last year. 

Despite this achievement, Rahim pointed out that Pakistan's 120,000 km optical fibre cable manufacturing capacity remains underutilised.

Rahim highlighted Pakistan's strategic geographic position, describing it as '' the cusp of the highest population centre '' and likened its potential to become '' the next Suez Canal in digital corridor of the world.''

He also called for the need to boost the telecom sector's contribution to the national GDP,  which currently stands at a mere 1 percent.

Dr. Muhammed Mukarram Khan, Director General of Cyber Vigilance at Pakistan Telecommunication Authority [PTA], pointed out that cyber-attacks and sabotage were exasperating challenges for Pakistan.

'' Internet disruption should be a last resort, as it compromises the trust of businesses and citizens,'' he warned. He urged the government to remain focussed on modernising internet infrastructure.

The World Students Society thanks Bakhtawar Mian.