Pakistan Telecom, IT, Tech updates

Prime Minister of Pakistan Inaugurates SFiber Phase-II in Gilgit-Baltistan 🇵🇰

Prime Minister of Pakistan has inaugurated Phase-II of the SFiber Project.

This initiative aimed at transforming telecommunication connectivity in Gilgit-Baltistan.

This phase involved laying 950 kilometers of optical fiber cable, bringing high-speed internet to 16 districts & connecting around 15,000 customers to the digital world!
 

Govt resolved to achieve $25bn IT exports target in 3 years: PM Shehbaz​

APP
November 8, 2024

During Friday’s meeting with a five-member delegation of the Holland-based VEON Group, led by Chairman Augie K Fabela, PM Shehbaz said that the government was taking steps to introduce 5G internet services to provide fast and reliable internet connectivity even in remote areas.

“The 5G services would also help the government realise its vision of Digital Pakistan,” he added.

The telecommunication sector had a significant role in promoting a cashless and digital economy, he said, lauding the services of VEON Group’s subsidiary Jazz in Pakistan’s telecommunications and financial technology sectors.

The prime minister said that the government was willing to collaborate with VEON Group in IT, digitisation and artificial intelligence.

The members of the delegation appreciated the government’s efforts towards achieving economic stability and said that Pakistan had become an important investment destination for the IT and telecom sectors.
 
Minister of State for IT Shaza Fatima Khawaja on Wednesday said the government did not “deny user challenges” resulting from slow internet speeds, claiming improvements in the tech sector, as lawmakers of ally PPP criticised measures resulting in internet issues.

In recent months, users have experienced sluggish speeds, difficulty downloading media on WhatsApp, and intermittent connectivity issues.

Digital analysts say the government has been testing a “firewall” that monitors some platforms and gives the power to block content, like photos or videos of rallies shared on WhatsApp. The government has said a ‘web management system’ is being updated for increased cyber security.
 
Khawaja noted that the average internet speed had improved by 28 per cent, citing an annual report by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) for 2023-24.

She added that the usage of mobile data services surged by 24pc and IT exports in November increased by 25pc year-on-year.

Khawaja said there were “various reasons” that posed challenges, including congestion of the internet, spectrum availability issues, and less than 2pc “fiberisation” (use of optical fibre cables) in the country.

“Fixed lines were not closed even in the case of internet disruption due to security concerns,” the minister of state said.
 
Pakistan’s internet runs at 274 megahertz, which provided limited accessibility and the government was trying to enhance spectrum density to the level of the region’s top ten countries.

Four more under-sea cables would be laid down in the next two years to improve internet connectivity and speed.
 

Target set for attaining 50/100 Mbps broadband speed​


Tahir Amin
December 18, 2024


ISLAMABAD: The government, terming 2025 as year of 5G, has prepared an ambitious target including attaining an average broadband speed of 50/100 Mbps and increasing Fibre-To-The-Site (FTTS) coverage to 60 percent.

This was noted in the outcome statement presented by Amer Shahzad, Director General (DG) Licencing at National Broadband Network Forum 2024, organised by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) in collaboration with Huawei.

Shahzad said that 5G spectrum auction is expected to take place in April 2025, which would be a great achievement in terms of its benefits for the country.

He elaborated the government plan while saying that Fixed Broadband (FBB) penetration is currently less than two percent in the country which is envisaged to increase and achieve 20 percent within five years.

Regarding broadband speed, the DG envisaged attaining an average broadband speed of 50/100 Mbps, which is currently 15 Mbps. He further said that one of the current challenges is low FTTS coverage of current 20 percent; however the government is planning to increase FTTS coverage to 60 percent.

A key component of the telecom infrastructure - Optical Fibre Cable (OFC) is essential for closing the digital divide and supporting 5G networks. With the rise in demand for OFC to connect base stations, the government initiated the development of a National Fiberization Plan to boost OFC footprint and FTTS penetration.

He also came up with another suggestion for deploying 1 Gbps connectivity in Islamabad with a vision for nationwide expansion. He said that government is aiming at expanding fibre footprint to 0.5M km, which is currently 200k km.

The PTA annual report noted that it achieved remarkable progress vis-à-vis nationwide expansion of telecom coverage, improving accessibility and connectivity for millions.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
 

Locally manufactured phones meet 94 percent of Pakistan’s demand​


The Nation
Dec 17, 2024

Local mobile manufacturing in Pakistan, bolstered by Chinese mobile companies, is thriving and now meets 94% of the country’s demand.

This growth is attributed to the government’s strategic regulatory initiatives aimed at sustaining sectoral expansion and innovation.

Chairman of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), Retired Maj. Gen. Hafeez Ur Rehman HI (M), presented PTA’s Annual Report 2024 to Senate Chairman Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani, highlighting recent developments in the IT and telecom sectors.

He emphasized the Authority’s commitment to foster technological advancements, implement online safety measures, safeguard consumer rights, and promote fair competition.

According to the report, the telecom sector generated record revenue of Rs955 billion in FY2023-24, a 17% increase over FY2022-23, despite economic challenges. Cellular mobile services now reach 91% of the population, while 4G services cover 81%.

Total telecom subscribers reached 196 million by September 2024, Gwadar Pro reported on Tuesday.

The number of broadband subscribers rose to 142.3 million from 127.6 million in June 2023. Average mobile internet speeds improved by 28%, increasing from 15.65 Mbps to 20.02 Mbps. Data usage grew by 24.2%, reaching 25,141 terabytes in FY2023-24, while broadband penetration increased to 58.4% compared to 53.6% in 2023.

“During FY2023-24, 29.6 million mobile devices were locally manufactured, meeting 94% of the country’s demand,” the report stated. The local manufacturing/assembling has also created 60,000 jobs for the locals.

According to the PTA website, during the first 10 months of 2024, Pakistan locally manufactured or assembled 22.59 million mobile devices.

Of these, 13.86 million were smartphones, while 8.73 million were Second Generation Mobile (2G) or GSM phones. In comparison, only 1.17 million mobile phones were commercially imported during this period.

Chinese brands led the local manufacturing industry, with Infinix producing 2.79 million devices, followed by iTel with 2.75 million, VGO Tel with 2.43 million, Vivo with 2.13 million, TECNO with 2.03 million, Redmi with 1.89 million, Realme with 1.35 million, and G’Five with 1.09 million. South Korea’s Samsung manufactured 0.98 million devices, while Nokia produced 0.96 million phones locally.
 

IHC orders cellular firm to refund over Rs2bn to customers​

Newspaper's Staff Reporter
December 29, 2024

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has directed Zong to return more than Rs2 billion collected incorrectly from its customers and abide by the decision of the telecom sector regulator in this regard.

Zong filed an appeal against the decision of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), directing it to refund Rs2.02bn collected from customers on account of service/maintenance/cards/ operational fee charges from April 26, 2019, to July 12, 2019.

Justice Mian Gul Hassan Aurangzeb dismissed Zong’s appeal, upholding the PTA’s order to refund Rs2.02bn to customers.

The court observed in its decision, “Cellular mobile operators including the appellant (Zong), had been charging Rs10 from customers each time they purchased and used a prepaid card valuing Rs100 as assistance/maintenance/administrative service charges”.

Justice Mian Gul said that the Supreme Court, in its order, expressed that the service charges could not have been validly and legally imposed on the amounts loaded by users of mobile phone devices.”
 
Pakistan has achieved record-high Monthly 🧑‍💻 IT exports of US$ 348 million in December 2024.

This marks a 15% year-on-year increase and a 12% rise compared to the previous month.
 

PTA initiates licencing VPN service providers under class category​


Umaid Ali
February 24, 2025

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) on Monday initiated the licencing of Virtual Private Network (VPN) service providers under the class licence category for the provision of data services in the country.

A class license allows multiple users to operate under a general set of conditions without needing individual approval. As of December 2024, PTA resumed granting Class Licenses for Data Services, specifically for VPN service providers. Entities offering VPN and related services are required to obtain this license to operate legally within Pakistan.

“As part of this process, PTA has approved the applications of two companies for the grant of Class Licences to provide VPN services,” said a press release issued by the telecom authority today.

“This initiative enables businesses to utilise VPNs for lawful purposes, ensuring data security, privacy, and regulatory compliance while promoting transparency.
 
PM Shehbaz Sharif announces $700M in new IT investment pledges at DFDI2025, declaring: 'Pakistan isn’t waiting for the future.

—it’s shaping it.' Global tech leaders rally behind Pakistan’s rise as a digital economy powerhouse. The future is here!
 
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