Internet woes dent nation's IT ambitions

Connectivity crisis could cripple IT sector and freelancers, jeopardise economic goals

KARACHI:

Users across Pakistan are grappling with widespread internet disruptions, reporting delayed WhatsApp messages, failing to upload files and photos, and facing issues with sending voice notes, which exacerbated communication challenges.

The disruption is not just causing inconvenience for the everyday users but is also dealing a severe blow to the information technology (IT) export sector and the overall digital economy. Freelancers and businesses dependent on stable connectivity are particularly the hardest hit.

Pakistan's 5Es National Economic Transformation Plan (2024-29) – Exports, E-Pakistan, Environment and Climate Change, Energy and Infrastructure, and Equity & Empowerment – targets a $60 billion increase in the IT exports and aims to foster a robust digital ecosystem.

However, experts stress that achieving these goals require dismantling the social media barriers and improving internet infrastructure to support the country's growing IT sector. However, several ICT experts and analysts suggested that these frequent disruptions were not conducive to business.

"Global platforms are flagging Pakistani service providers, and businesses are increasingly moving away from hiring them," ICT analyst Waqas Ghani said. "This isn't just a loss of current income, but a loss of future opportunities. It will directly impede our ambitious goals for boosting IT exports," he added.

According to Kapeel Kumar, an ICT expert and startup consultant, the recent internet disruption in Pakistan has exposed the fragility of our digital infrastructure and its profound impact on our daily lives. Kumar points out that the current disruptions have particularly affected the freelancers.

"From students struggling with online classes to businesses facing operational challenges, the consequences are far-reaching. The IT export sector, a key driver of our economy, is also feeling the strain as connectivity issues hinder productivity and international collaboration," he says.

He warns that the IT sector, which has been a source of significant foreign exchange earnings for Pakistan, could see a decline in productivity and revenue. Moreover, he says, Pakistan's global ranking in the digital economy, which once was as high as 5th, could now be lowered.

Islamabad resident Afshan Younus told The Express Tribune that the recent deterioration of internet services in the federal capital has made it extremely difficult to work online. "Simple tasks like downloading images or sending voice notes have become frustratingly slow," she says.

For those who work online and rely heavily on stable internet access, disruptions can be incredibly frustrating, hindering their ability to connect with the team and clients.

Muhammad Faisal, CEO of Zynergy Solutions, a solar installation company in Karachi, says that frequent disconnections impact "our operations, from customer communication to system monitoring". He stresses that "reliable internet in sectors like ours is essential for sustaining growth and innovation".

Microblogging website X, formerly Twitter, has also reportedly been affected, further exacerbating communication challenges. "As a digital content creator, X is my major source of income, which has not been working in Pakistan for more than six months," said Nouman Younus.

"And now other social media platforms like Instagram are also facing sudden downtime in Pakistan," Younus continued. "During the last few days, many times I couldn't send or receive media on WhatsApp," he added.

Pakistan has finalised a five-year economic plan to grow its economy to $1 trillion, with key goals including raising literacy to 70% and reducing poverty by 13%. The 5Es plan prepared by the planning ministry, also aims to boost IT and freelancing exports by $5 billion per year over the next five years.

The plan targets producing 75,000 IT graduates annually, expanding mobile users to 192 million, and creating 100 software parks. It also aims at 100 million mobile subscribers, with 10% on 5G, and at least one Pakistani unicorn company valued at $1 billion, a significant leap from current export figures.

Experts believe that achieving these goals requires dismantling of the social media firewall and shifting to a rule-based democratic society. They warn that internet restrictions hinder economic growth, as seen in other advanced digital economies.

Despite a recent resolution of connectivity issues by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), the apex trade body of the IT industry – the Pakistan Software Houses Association (P@SHA) – notes that challenges persist because of infrastructure limitations and surging demand.

P@SHA Chairman Sajjad Mustafa Syed told The Express Tribune that in a recent survey among the members of the association, 99% of the respondents reported experiencing internet disruptions. Following this, P@SHA reached out to the Ministry of IT and the PTA for assistance.

P@SHA members are premium customers who typically purchase additional bandwidth to ensure better connectivity than average users. However, 30-40% of their staff work from home and face the same challenges as the general public, said Syed.

He expressed gratitude to the authorities for their prompt response, noting that internet services resumed swiftly. He also mentioned that P@SHA plans to conduct another survey on Thursday (today) afternoon to assess the situation.

While P@SHA members may have access to better internet services, internet disruptions remain a persistent issue across the country. While giving a conjectured opinion, Syed says, these problems arise from infrastructure limitations and the growing number of users.

"This is not just about the internet. We've faced similar challenges with gas and electricity in the past," Syed says, drawing parallels to other utilities. He also cited an example of massive electrification drives in the past and ultimately, there was not enough electricity.

"We prioritised the electrification of remote villages with the slogan "electricity in every village" but realised afterwards that we lacked sufficient production capacity. This led to inviting Independent Power Producers (IPPs)," he says.

"Later, we found that while we had installed electricity poles in villages and built power plants, the distribution system was inadequate," Syed continued. "The underlying issue has always been the lack of central planning."

He emphasised that while the IT industry is growing at an annual rate of 30%, infrastructure development has not kept pace with the increasing demand. "This mismatch between demand and infrastructure highlights the need for better planning and investment."

The PTA director of Public Relations was contacted for the regulator's version on this matter, but no response was received by the time this news report was filed.

 

 

 

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The underlying issue has always been the lack of central planning."

P@SHA Chairman Sajjad Mustafa Syed