Internet Data Usage Soaring in Pakistan

[RiazHaq]

Soaring broadband subscriptions in Pakistan have helped drive a whopping 35X increase in Internet data usage since January 2014.

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As the number of broadband subscriptions in Pakistan crossed 38 million in October 2016, the internet data usage jumped from 1,243 terabytes in January 2014 to 45,672 terabytes in September, 2016, according to Pakistan Telecommunication Authority.

A lot of new data traffic is being driven by 3G/4G equipped smartphones running a variety of applications ranging from social media to consumer and business apps.


Mobile Broadband:

Mobile broadband (3G/4G) subscriptions have jumped from almost zero in 2014 to 34 million as of September, 2016. It has been accompanied by corresponding increase in the number of smartphones which is expected to cross 40 million mark this year.

Applications:

Growth of 3G/4G networks and smartphones has spawned a variety of applications from social media apps to business, education and entertainment apps. Use of Facebook, Twitter and Youtube has soared. Taxi-hailing service Uber has arrived in the country. Netflix has entered the Pakistani market. Government is making use of the Internet applications to deliver services.

Digital Cable, DTH:

Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) is pushing all cable service providers to support digital television. PEMRA is also auctioning Direct-to-Home (DTH) service which is digital. Both of these mediums will help increase internet broadband penetration in the country and bring more and more people on line.

Internet Infrastructure:

Rapid growth of data is driving infrastructure improvements in Pakistan. Tens of thousands of kilometers of fiber is being laid to cope with rising Internet traffic. Universal Service Fund (USF) alone has installed 5,500 kilometers of fiber in underserved areas of the country to increase digital inclusion.

Pakistan currently has 16 data centers: 8 in Karachi, 5 in Lahore and 3 in Islamabad. The numbers are expected to grow significantly with growing demand.

Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) has set up the first Internet Exchange Point (IXP) in Islamabad and more are planned for other major cities. IPXs connect Internet Service Providers (ISPs) with Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) like Amazon and Akamai to facilitate faster delivery of web pages and other content to users.

Digital Inclusion:

Beginning in October 2016, Pakistani government is giving away five million smartphones to farmers in the country in an effort to improve knowledge of modern farming techniques, according to the BBC. Large numbers of farmers in countries such as India and Kenya have also recently experimented with smartphone technology.

In addition, the Benazir Income Support Program (BISP) has announced plans to give away 30,000 smartphones with 3G subscriptions funded by Universal Service Fund (USF) to low income Pakistanis on BISP. Each smartphone will have Rs. 250 balance per month. It is intended to enhance digital and financial inclusion, according to a report in Pakistan Observer.

The objective of giving away smartphones is to help increase farmers' productivity. Digital access is is expected to reduce poverty in rural and semi-urban areas of Pakistan by supporting micro and small enterprises. Market access to the products of marginalized segments will improve their welfare and at the same time boost the national economy.

Lack of financial inclusion and the growing digital divide are known impediments to progress of the low-income and poor segments of the population. Any effort by the government to remove such impediments will help Pakistan's economy by making more people more productive.

Summary:

Internet data usage is soaring with rapidly rising broadband penetration and smartphone ownership in Pakistan. Infrastructure is being improved to cater to the digital data explosion taking place in the country. Universal Service Fund (USF) is playing its part to support this effort in underserved areas.

http://www.riazhaq.com/2016/11/intenet-data-usage-soaring-in-pakistan.html

 

[mhafeez]

This also reflects that our middle class is growing at an exorbitant pace. Which is a good sign for the economy of Pakistan. Yesterday, DTH licenses sold at unexpectedly high price. Despite all the negativity shown about our country in local and Indian media Pakistan is moving ahead at good speed.

 

[paki__]

This also reflects that our middle class is growing at an exorbitant pace. Which is a sign for the economy of Pakistan. Yesterday, DTH licenses sold at unexpectedly high price. Despite all the negativity shown about our country in local and Indian media Pakistan is moving ahead at good speed.

higher usage of internet or TV is not equal to a higher economy

 

[mhafeez]

higher usage of internet or TV is not equal to a higher economy

What else is?? Higher use of household items, cars, food items, etc reflects that people have more money to spend. Whats your argument??

 

[hassan.te]

higher usage of internet or TV is not equal to a higher economy

Rate of AAlu is equivalent to rising economy

 

[hassan.te]

What else is?? Higher use of household items, cars, food items, etc reflects that people have more money to spend. Whats your argument??

well Mr. Patwari. people are turning towards Internet based solutions because traditional means of communication are expensive. a major population of your own city lives abroad and whatsapp and skype are solutions with which they can talk to their loved ones back home, relatively free. all what they have to do is to pay for internet. thats the reason internet use is rising. there is no middle class anymore in pakistan, either its lower middle class or very rich.

 

[mhafeez]

well Mr. Patwari. people are turning towards Internet based solutions because traditional means of communication are expensive. a major population of your own city lives abroad and whatsapp and skype are solutions with which they can talk to their loved ones back home, relatively free. all what they have to do is to pay for internet. thats the reason internet use is rising. there is no middle class anymore in pakistan, either its lower middle class or very rich.

So you know only one use of Internet or do you think Pakistanis use Internet for only this purpose?? The world is changing so is Pakistan, my bro.

 

[hassan.te]

So you know only one use of Internet or do you think Pakistanis use Internet for only this purpose?? The world is changing so is Pakistan, my bro.

O yes how can i forget that internet is also used to see po*rn sites. after all who can take away from us the victory stand. honestly speaking the Internet of things is something will take time here, may be more than aa decade if nooras are here. buying from a physical shop is so unpredictable and consumers have no rights whatsoever when it comes in form of conflict between buyer and seller, so what to expect from internet buying? risk involved is so great. but may be a fraction 1 % of buying is happening via internet. The industrial use of internet and parallel looping of its stake holders as in industry 4.0 programme is something that ministry of industry even doesnt know. so hold your arguments and refresh your page to burn another 10 bytes.