Growth of IT

EXPERTS argue that the IT and Telecom sectors have the potential to boost economic growth and take care of the financial needs of the country but regrettably the Government so far seems to be not interested in creating an enabling environment for the purpose. This is explained by yet another period of slow Internet and deterioration in telecom quality, which, Minister for IT and Telecom Shaza Fatima Khawaja, has comfortably blamed on prolonged power outages. The reasons and factors narrated by the Minister are genuine as she pointed out that unreliable commercial electricity and dependence on solar systems, especially during shorter winter days, reduced backup resources and operational capacity at telecom sites affect the service. Difficult terrain, harsh weather, security concerns and access restrictions delayed maintenance, while fibre cuts, backhaul disruptions and theft of equipment further affected service continuity. However, it is also a fact that quality issues were there when there were no outages and it is for the relevant institutions and the service providers to take measures to address these and other issues. What a tragedy that in theory we have rolled out 5G but in practice service providers are unable to meet even 4G standards. Voice and data quality are abysmally low but the PTA has confined itself to carrying out surveys alone. Similarly, the very fact that the Government expects the IT exports to reach $4.5 billion during the current financial year is reflective of the role being played by IT companies and free-lancers despite slow speed and Internet outages every now and then because of technical as well as political/management issues. The crisis in the Gulf has opened new opportunities for Pakistan – making Gwadar a hub of transnational shipping and economic hub; and attracting IT companies but this calls for improvement of infrastructure and provision of required incentives. Some initiatives taken by the Government like establishment of ten spe