ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has decided to implement a series of steps to improve Internet access for the public, state-owned media reported on Tuesday, citing the National Assembly proceedings from the previous day.

The information was shared by Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Azam Nazeer Tarar during the Question Hour amid widespread discontent over slow Internet speeds across the country, which digital activists attribute to the government’s decision to install a national firewall to filter “propaganda and unwanted content” online.

However, Pakistan’s IT Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja has rejected claims that the government is responsible for slowing or shutting down the Internet, attributing the issue instead to the widespread use of virtual private networks (VPNs) following a ban on the social media platform X since February.

“Tarar said the PTA has allowed six gigahertz spectrum band for unlicensed operation for Radio Local Area Network (RLAN) in Pakistan,” Radio Pakistan said while reporting the National Assembly proceedings.

Countries typically make such unlicensed spectrums available for general use by the public without the need for users to obtain specific authorization or licenses. These unlicensed bands are commonly used for technologies such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and other wireless local area networks (WLANs).

The minister said the unlocking of this spectrum had made Pakistan the 10th country in the Asia Pacific region to embrace six gigahertz for Wi-Fi.

“Currently, only sixty countries worldwide have unlocked six gigahertz for RLAN WIFI services,” he was reported as saying. “The development aims to facilitate deployment of next generation WIFI technologies across Pakistan, empowering business and individuals with high speed, low latency connectivity.”

“This initiative underscored Pakistan’s commitment to bridging the digital divide and ensuring nationwide access to advanced technologies,” he added.

Tarar said the PTA had also formulated the telecom infrastructure sharing framework for the growth and sustainability of the sector in Pakistan.