ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will be hiring a consultant to finalize regulations regarding satellite-based Internet services in the country, its information technology (IT) ministry said on Monday.
The statement came after State Minister for IT Shaza Fatima Khawaja chaired a meeting in Islamabad to review progress on licensing of Starlink Services, owned by US billionaire Elon Musk, and regulatory frameworks for Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites.
Pakistan, a country of over 240 million, has witnessed up to 40 percent drop in Internet speeds in the last few months, according to the Wireless and Internet Service Providers Association of Pakistan (WISPAP).
The drop came as the federal government last year moved to implement a nationwide firewall to block malicious content and protect government networks from cyberattacks, with IT associations saying the slowdowns have resulted in significant losses.
“During the meeting, it was decided that consultant hiring will be completed in a few weeks, for regulations,” the Pakistani IT ministry said.
“The minister emphasized the need for aligning Pakistan’s policies with global standards to unlock satellite technology’s full potential for national growth.”
Pakistan suffered a total of $1.62 billion losses due to Internet outages and social media shutdowns in 2024, according to a report by global Internet monitor Top10VPN.com, surpassing losses in war-torn countries like Sudan and Myanmar.
The report, released on Jan. 2, said Pakistan experienced 9,735 hours of Internet disruptions that affected 82.9 million users, with elections and protests cited as the primary causes.
The IT state minister last month confirmed that Pakistan was in talks with Musk’s Starlink to bring satellite Internet services to the country.
“Discussions [at Monday’s meeting] focused on expediting these processes to ensure a robust regulatory framework for LEO satellites, enhancing connectivity, and driving technological innovation,” the IT ministry added.
Pakistan also plans to enhance its Internet speeds and connectivity by linking up with the 2Africa submarine cable later this year, according to the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA), which regulates Internet in the South Asian country.
2Africa, one of the world’s largest submarine cable systems, spans 45,000 kilometers and connects 46 locations across Africa, Europe and the Middle East, offering speeds of up to 180 Tbps.
Pakistan to hire consultant in few weeks for regulatory framework on satellite-based Internet
https://arab.news/gwj27
Pakistan to hire consultant in few weeks for regulatory framework on satellite-based Internet
- Pakistan, a country of more than 240 million, has witnessed up to 40 percent drop in Internet speeds in the last few months
- The country is in talks with Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite Internet provider, plans to link up with 2Africa submarine cable
Pakistan moves to digitize payments for 10 million women under flagship poverty initiative
- BISP Official says accounts will be linked to phones to boost financial inclusion and curb payment deductions
- Over 1.9 million SIMs issued as the nationwide rollout continues across provinces ahead of the March deadline
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s flagship poverty alleviation initiative, the Benazir Income Support Program (BISP), plans to equip 10 million women with digital bank accounts linked to their phone numbers within four months in one of the largest such exercises in the world, one of its top officials said on Wednesday.
Launched in 2008, the initiative is named after the late former prime minister Benazir Bhutto and has a budget of Rs716 billion ($2.5 billion) during the current fiscal year. Through its Benazir Kafaalat — or financial assistance — program, BISP provides quarterly stipends of Rs13,500 ($48) to around 10 million women.
In an exclusive interview with Arab News, BISP Secretary Amir Ali Ahmed said the opening of digital bank accounts for the beneficiaries was part of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s initiative related to a cashless economy and digital transformation of the country.
“I’m glad to share that 10 million bank accounts, wallet accounts were created,” he said. “This is a follow-up of the same exercise whereby now 10 million SIMs are being distributed.
“It is significant to share that the entire beneficiary network that we have is female-centric,” he continued. “So these are 10 million female accounts that have been created.”
Ahmed said the process of issuing mobile phone SIM cards to BISP beneficiaries had started on November 17 and would be completed by March next year.
“Let me share that this is one of the largest such exercises to be conducted in the world which is female-centric, linked with financial inclusion and financial empowerment.”
The BISP official added that out of the more than 10 million beneficiaries, only five to 10 percent had bank accounts, but nearly 90 to 95 percent were excluded from the system.
He said they were being linked to the banking system with cellphone SIMs that are being distributed with the help of the IT ministry, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority, National Database and Registration Authority and telecom companies across the country.
“We feel that this initiative of the government of Pakistan will not only result in financial empowerment of our beneficiaries, it will also result in financial inclusion of a segment which was not part of the banking sector in Pakistan,” he said, adding that the move will also lead to transparency.
In the past, there have been complaints of women not getting their full payment from bank officials in the absence of their own accounts, but Ahmed said this was going to change.
“They will be free from any exploitation at the agent networks, the queues that one would witness, the complaints of corruption or deductions that would emerge,” he continued.
According to official data, more than 1.9 million SIMs have so far been issued for BISP beneficiaries across the country.
The province of Punjab leads the rollout with 810,597 SIMs, followed by Sindh with 523,629 and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with 371,427 SIMs.
In other regions, Azad Jammu and Kashmir has received 59,617, Balochistan 82,826, Gilgit-Baltistan 45,184, and Islamabad 4,508 SIMs.
