The internet deficit

For decades Pakistan has failed to invest in areas which were going to be of long-term developmental benefit for all and which would strengthen the nation at every level. Education and health services are the most glaring examples of our self-inflicted wounds while there are innumerable other areas suffering from neglect too, including the internet. There can be few inventions in the modern era that have had the profound impact of the internet. Whether we have an individual connection or not, whether we live in a mud house or a high-rise luxury apartment, the internet has touched our lives. It has brought untold added value to billions — and Pakistan has dropped the ball once again.

Nearly half of the global population is on line, and growing exponentially. But not Pakistan, which remains one of the least connected countries and ranks at 142 on the global ICT index of 166 economies. The latest report of the International Telecommunications Union paints a grim but familiar picture. The number of internet users in developing countries doubled between 2009 and 2014, and a startling two-thirds of all internet users are living in the developing world — which Pakistan is a part of. More than 80 per cent of our population is offline. There are about 3.6 million broadband subscriptions, which extrapolates to around 23 million (out of about 190) users with broadband access, with rural connectivity being negligible. It may be that the rollout of 3G is going to widen access but this is too early to say. The reality is that Pakistan has underperformed and missed an opportunity it should have grasped with both hands. The technology is not new, is easily available and should have been the spark that lit the connectivity revolution. Pakistan has enormous internet growth potential, but is saddled with a government that is suspicious of the internet and the freedoms that come with it. The internet is an area where Pakistan really can bridge the deficit — so just by way of a change let us grasp the future; it is not beyond our reach.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 2^nd, 2014.

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