F.P. Report
ISLAMABAD : Minister of State for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima has asserted that there has been neither an internet suspension nor a reduction in internet speed in the country.
She attributed any perceived slowdown in internet speed to the increased use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs).
Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, Fatima highlighted that the government was taking measures for IT sector development and investment in the country was on the rise under the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC).
Despite economic challenges, the IT sector’s needs have been met with a budget allocation of Rs 60 billion.
She noted that over 4 billion rupees have been allocated for IT training for children.
COLLABORATION WITH TECH GIANTS FOR IT TRAINING
The Ministry is collaborating with Meta, Google and Microsoft to provide training to the youth, and more than 4.5 million children have been enrolled in digital skills programs.
Pakistan has also participated in Meta’s global Artificial Intelligence (AI) competition for the first time.
Fatima announced two IT parks, one in Islamabad and one in Karachi being established which are expected to create over 10,000 job opportunities.
She reiterated that the government was working to ensure that the public did not face internet issues and emphasised that the slowdown was a result of increased VPN usage.
ESTABLISHMENT OF NATIONAL DIGITALISATION COMMISSION
She highlighted that Pakistan has achieved its highest-ever IT exports in the country’s history. She emphasised that IT was a priority for the Prime Minister, who has focused on digitisation since taking office.
PM Shehbaz Sharif has also announced the creation of the National Digitalization Commission, with efforts underway to make the federal government paperless as soon as possible.
Fatima revealed that the Artificial Intelligence (AI) policy will be unveiled soon, and work was underway on a semiconductor policy.
The auction for the 5G spectrum was expected to occur shortly, and four new cables were being introduced to improve internet quality.
Once these cables were in place, the internet service in Pakistan was anticipated to reach a standard level, she stressed.
It is noteworthy that after nearly a week of extremely slow internet speeds across Pakistan, there has been a slight improvement in internet speed in various cities over the past day.
