Mid-year target for 5G rollout confirmed

Express Tribune

12-02-2025

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The Parliamentary Secretary provided clarification regarding the internet speed in the country during the National Assembly session.
The session, chaired by Deputy Speaker Ghulam Mustafa, discussed the issue of slow internet speed during the question hour.
Parliamentary Secretary for IT, Sabin Ghori, informed that internet speed would improve by mid of this year, and 5G would also be launched by mid-2025.
She explained that there are several reasons for the slow internet speed.
Pakistan People's Party (PPP) member, Agha Rafiullah, mentioned that videos don't download, and the internet is extremely slow. Another member, Shagufta Jumani, remarked that Bilawal Bhutto had rightly said that there is some fish that only eats Pakistan's cable.
In response, Parliamentary Secretary Sabin Ghori humorously said, "There is some fish that cuts the internet cable, but we don't know which fish it is."
Earlier, National Assembly Standing Committee on Information Technology
urged
for the swift finalisation of its agreement with Starlink, with parliamentary secretary confirming that the service will be available in the country by June 2025.
The committee, chaired by Aminul Haq, discussed various key issues, including the Information Technology (IT) Ministry's PSDF for FY 2024-25 and other significant projects.
Haq instructed officials to expedite the licensing process for Starlink, the satellite internet service provider owned by Elon Musk, which has been in discussions with Pakistan for nearly two years.
Starlink's licensing process had previously stalled due to the absence of a regulatory authority, as pointed out by Barrister Gohar, a member of the committee. The Pakistani authorities aim to complete the necessary paperwork soon, with the potential for Starlink to become operational by mid-2025.
Amonth ago, Sharmila Farooqi, PPP lawmaker,
expressed
her frustration during a National Assembly Standing Committee on Information Technology meeting, accusing the government of failing to address persistent internet disruptions.
The meeting, chaired by Federal Minister for IT Syed Aminul Haque, focused on the slow internet issues. Farooqi criticised State Minister for IT Sheza Fatima Khawaja for her responses, questioning the government's claims of improved internet services.
'Whenever PTI announces a protest, the internet suddenly goes down. Is the government calling e-commerce companies, the public, and us liars?' Farooqi asked, pointing out the financial losses incurred by her husband's e-commerce business due to the issue.