ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Economy Watch (PEW) on Tuesday said, the demand for internet is more than its supply resulting in shortage while disruption in services has become a permanent feature which is resulting in heavy losses.
Telecom companies, call centres and high-tech business are facing heavy losses due to frequent disruptions while masses are also facing problems, it said.
The internet service providers should not rely on three sources as usual and should try to get new companies involved so that people can get internet if one or two sources are disrupted for few days, said PEW President Dr Murtaza Mughal.
Increased demand for the internet is due to the interest of masses in the smartphones all of which are internet enabled, he said, adding that disruptions are very damaging for the businesses, he added.
Dr Murtaza Mughal lauded plans of the government to escalate socio-economic growth through digitalisation as the importance of internet cannot be overemphasised.
The internet is extremely important in many fields, from education and healthcare to business and government while its promotion in Pakistan is satisfactory more needs to be done, he said.
He said that the government’s resolve to provide connectivity to un-served and under-served areas by the end of 2018 is commendable as we have witnessed a phenomenal increase in the ratio of broadband penetration from 3 per cent to 24 per cent in two years.
Pakistan has become an important country as far as the freelancers in the IT sector are concerned but now additional efforts should be initiated to passing on the benefits of IT to the less privileged.
Poor should get the equal benefits of the technological advancement with a special focus on women empowerment in the remote areas, he demanded. He added that 71 per cent of the world’s population would be using mobile internet by 2019.
