Yes, and how! A study commissioned by the Ministry of Information Technology:
I’ve copied the paper to this website: Broadband Penetration Study Pakistan Feb 2008. The link on the Ministry’s website is so horrendously long that I didn’t want to go near it! The gist of the paper is correct, Pakistan as a whole is lagging behind in widespread internet availability.
Comments on the paper from elsewhere:
The major conclusion points of the documents are:
- Pakistan’s broadband penetration is very low
- Currently there are around 100K Broadband subscribers which need to be taken to 1.6 million by 2010 (1% of population)
- This low penetration is earning bad scores for us under the WSIS measuring criteria & there is a strong need to improve the same
- Three approaches have been suggested for the GoP’s intervention in this ‘dismal’ state of broadband affairs:
- No intervention – leave it to market; slow broadband growth expected
- Bundle with Basic Services – only rural areas will benefit; existing broadband provides will loose
- Tackle issue with a new format – dedicated efforts are expected to yield better results; divided in various phases
A rant here: On the Clueless Ministry of Information Technology Pakistan.
My take: For a academic study of broadband penetration in Pakistan, the report seems to have no original research or study, and most of the figures and charts used have been lifted from various other reports. The report makes various predictions of future bandwidth demand, and doesn’t give the basis on how it is calculating the numbers.
There are are figures from a PTCL, Orascom and Economic Survey 2001 – in the internet age, a survey conducted in 2001 is worse than useless – it’s probably wrong. You can’t use that to extrapolate future demand in 2008 looking at 2012!
So yes, it’s nice that the Ministry is thinking of the bigger picture, but I wish it would do so through more capable eyes.
great analysis – i hope someone from the MOITT reads it very soon –
But wait !! oh forgot they cant, since they have blocked this site on their own network. as they say ignorance is bliss..
DSL and WiMax broadband services are not available in the remote areas of Capital City, Islamabad. In urban areas other broadband service providers are operating but in remote areas i.e. suburbs of Islamabad, like Chack Shahzad and TARNOOL….. no broadband connectivity.
Please provide WiMax services in TARNOOL, Islamabad.
O yeah! thats a gud article but with ptcl’s aggressive strategy of rapidly decreasing the broadband prices, we might see many million users very soon, i have just saw this…. ptcl has made 512kb/s its lowest available package for the price of 256kb/s >>> price=1200Rs
Now thats a killer strategy… u can read full info on ptcl’s website..
link:
http://www.ptcl.com.pk/contentp.php?NID=47
hello everyone… i live in (BaraKahu)5mins drive from Serena Islamabad….And i Desperately need ptcl DSL over there…i have been waiting for this service for around 3yrs….all my friends have DSL and they enjoy online gaming…but i cant …..I request Ptcl to offer there valuable service to us soon …thanks
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