Policy Solutions for Internet Infrastructure development for Pakistan

Technology infrastructure and public policy face many challenges in the developing world, but it also provides some leniencies for development that gives developing countries such as Pakistan over the developed countries.

To advocate the development of technology infrastructure, Pakistan must approach problems dynamically, that should not be limited to the private sector only. Business markets, local culture, literacy, and economic benefits should be combined to address the development. Only then Pakistan may be able to answer questions such as, 

How to efficiently collect data?

How to create a business environment using technology infrastructure?

How to create data literacy in Pakistan and connect the community?

There are many internet service providers in Pakistan, mostly limited to urban areas. If the government or one private internet provider dominates the development of internet infrastructure in various regions of Pakistan, the national agenda and development may be slowed. The approach has to be the other way around, the development of internet infrastructure which is the foundation of technology infrastructure today and it must target retail competition. Combining the two must be seen as a long-term goal. Deploying infrastructure is step1 while maintenance and upgrading are step2 that should be based on factors such as data usage, data privacy concerns, and basic human rights surrounding the development. 

In 2021, Internet connectivity is at the very bottom of technology infrastructure, there are many public and private stakeholders linked to the development, phone service providers, electricity, private housing schemes, local cable operators, and of course politics are all main players. All of these players have to be working together or at least in one direction.

Part of my research on internet infrastructure development in Pakistan from the public sector’s point is to involve existing electricity infrastructure in Pakistan. It connects better with the public on literacy as well as on deployment and maintenance. Internet technology must first connect with the middle class of Pakistan defined on economic grounds. Only then will Pakistan be able to transition into addressing problems related to data transmission, applications to run on data, type of data, analytics to run on the data (All of which is interconnected and must be considered while deploying the first step of the internet infrastructure). For a country like Pakistan, this seems possible in terms of demand for internet usage yet it requires investment in federal research that addresses each problem individually and collectively.

Another aspect of internet infrastructure development is to differentiate between incentives of the public and private sector for long-term policy deployment. In cities like Lahore, Karachi, Islamabad, Rawalpindi 5G internet technology is debated in academia as well as in the private sector. The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority plans to deploy 5G internet in limited parts of urban areas by 2023, providing 10 times faster internet than 4G with a tested speed of 100 Mb/sec. This is in the trial phase and services will not cater to the middle class, markets, or industries. Basic infrastructure development must provide the platform for the deployment of advanced internet technology such as 5G. 

5G internet access in Pakistan through the concept of the smart city seems good in theory and by no means I discourage the introduction of 5G in Pakistan but if we consider the digital economy of Pakistan and the cost of 5G towers and data usage seem impractical and not an immediate need. Countries like Germany are far more developed than Pakistan also struggles to deploy 5G technology in all parts of the country. The technical aspect of 5G internet infrastructure struggles to address problems such as signal penetration, internet communication devices, and its effects on humans are still not addressed and need to be researched further and is not an immediate concern for Pakistan either. Our primary concern must be connecting remote areas of Pakistan with the internet using ‘Optic Fiber’.

Where and how to start:

Pakistan is developing its highways efficiently, connecting small cities and nearby villages. Railroads that have not been upgraded the same way must be used to deploy optic fiber lines. 

Tax incentives must be provided to the private sector willing to invest in internet infrastructure to deploy optic fiber, this will also take pressure off from the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) that works closely with the biggest mobile connection and internet providers in Pakistan like Mobilink and PTCL.

We must involve international stakeholders from China, the US, and the EU to invest in the spread of optic fiber lines across railroads and highways in Pakistan. This way Pakistan will be able to attract foreign investment opportunities for economically stable countries.

Data privacy and Human Rights surrounding data usage should not be forgotten but it must be based on realistic grounds. It should be debated but should not be a hurdle for the development of the internet in the country, in no way these concerns should slow down the development and access of the internet.

We must also suggest how the government can fund such development. It has to be taxed, which is a long pending concern for all past governments, tax collection is not effective in Pakistan, bringing people into the tax bracket is one of the primary concerns of the government of Pakistan. Technology literacy and advocacy should surface in the mainstream media and telecom industry. People need to see the use of internet technology beyond entertainment and consumerism. All basic needs of the people of Pakistan are directly related to the use of technology from healthcare to business markets. Although the internet is playing a basic role in building effective communication, it is needed to attract investment in the country and Pakistan must ride this wave and that's why it should be developed the same way as we develop roads, hospitals, schools, etc.

Setting up agendas needs serious discussions and targeted research on internet infrastructure development in Pakistan to address our basic needs by 2031.