Wireless Broadband a game changer – Over the past two decades, Pakistan’s media and telecommunications industries have seen meteoric growth. It seems like only yesterday that Pakistani consumers had access to just one channel – PTV. Today, there are a multitude of TV channels, cable operators, cellular networks, and ISPs. Powerful fibre optic networks connect the country’s 20 million internet users at the speed of light; WiFi and 3G enabled handsets provide access to culture, music and entertainment on the move.
Despite the many challenges facing our country, today Pakistan’s telecom and broadband market is one of the most vibrant in the region. Our telecoms industry plays host to some of the world’s largest and most experienced emerging markets investors, including Orascom, Telenor, Etisalat, China Mobile, OmanTel, WiTribe, Qubee and the Abu Dhabi Group. According to figures released by the PTA in April this year, the country’s teledensity sits at an impressive 68.4% ‐ this includes fixed line, wireless and WLL connections; we have around a 100 million cellular subscribers, and over 20 million internet users.
With the combination of a young population and a robust telecoms environment, Pakistan sits on the verge of a communications and broadband revolution that will invariably change the socio‐economic fabric of the country. In fact, I would venture to say that this revolution has already begun. Recent years have seen a massive social transformation within the country; technology has become a unifying force, touching billions, young and old, across social and communal divides, connecting people when and how they want. This rapidly growing media and communications environment has further provided the Pakistani youth with the foundations to create their own blogs, channels and sites. New media and converged communication services have provided the populace with access to new prospects and opportunities, creating new employment and career opportunities – much as the communications revolution has done in the rest of the world.
Yet what is often overlooked is the tangible contribution such technologies make towards sustainable economic and social development. Take the education sector; Innovations in consumer electronics have led to relatively lower price points and more and more people adopting handheld communications devices, whether tablets such as the iPad or mobile devices, such as the iPhone or BlackBerrys. Access to such devices, as well as greater access to computers, means that today’s internet user can attend remote lectures and join courses at global educational institutions, such as the London Business School or Harvard University, all from the comfort of their living rooms. What this means for the average Pakistani is that location is no longer a determinant when looking at education.
You can take this a step further – by connecting underserved rural areas to the ‘net, you can create virtual schools and universities – internet‐based centres of learning – which can be accessed by anyone and everyone. All you need is a high‐speed internet connection. By removing the need for fixed line access, wireless broadband creates wider internet access, allowing students in underserved rural areas access to educational facilities anywhere in the world. By connecting the country’s rural areas to the internet, we can open up access to higher education and the promise of a better life. This in turn can help bridge the rural‐urban divide and contribute to sustainable rural development.
According to recent World Bank estimates, around 68 percent of Pakistan’s population resides in rural areas. That’s around 122 million people. Yet currently only 2‐3 percent of this rural population has access to broadband internet; wireless broadband can help us connect these underserved areas to the internet and by extension to the world. Wireless broadband is in fact the ideal stepping stone for launching any development campaign in rural areas, as it is not only the perfect tool for generating employment and literacy, but it also brings investment opportunities, which translate into sustainable economic growth. I believe that if we focus on connecting the country’s rural areas, it will in turn result in an increase in employment opportunities, an increase in education, an increase to the country’s GDP; it will also help even out the distribution of wealth in Pakistan. In rural areas, Pakistani telecommunications companies are already directly contributing to economic growth by creating access to economic opportunities and development. Moreover, these companies provide enhanced opportunities to generate income and combat poverty and illiteracy, amongst others.
Wireless broadband can introduce a whole new way of life to the rural areas. The exposure that people living in rural centres can get would benefit them substantially and transform their daily lives, not only helping improving earnings, but also helping bring these communities into the mainstream. One example is rural e‐businesses: we have already seen that mobile banking is on the rise and e‐commerce has opened new possibilities for people in remote areas. Similarly, with wireless broadband access, we can enable people to conduct their businesses from remote locations, for example linking poor farmers directly to consumers and international markets. The majority of government departments are already online, giving people in remote areas, as well as urban centres, access to information they require, in addition to forms, policies and a host of other public services. Virtual healthcare is another tangible benefit of wireless broadband connectivity. Again, this is especially relevant in rural, underserved areas.
Indeed, the use of the Internet as a tool for social reform and sustainable development in rural areas is a vast subject, and much has been written and discussed in this regard. That’s because the moment you look to the Internet and new communications technologies, the possibilities are endless. Currently, in USF‐connected regions in Pakistan, you can get a broadband connection for as low as Rs. 299. There are critical milestones associated with this and the PTA is actively ensuring that these objectives are met in a timely and orderly manner. Of course, this is a gradual process and will take years to build. However, every great journey must begin with a first step.
Suffice it to say, wireless broadband is a ‘game changer’ – and I believe that it holds the ability to bring about real, tangible, life‐affecting social and economic change to Pakistan. Today, a broadband connection may be a household need, but I envision a future where each broadband connection would be as personal as owning a cellular connection.
