KARACHI: The Federal Minister of Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja claimed that Pakistan will launch 5G services within the next few months, with the first launch in seven key cities.
The allure of 5G internet, however, comes on the heels of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) in its 2024 annual report concluding that despite increasing broadband penetration, Pakistan will not have an easy shift towards 5G.
Speaking during the inauguration ceremony of the 26th ITCN Asia Expo held today at Expo Centre Karachi, she said steps were also being initiated to provide more stable internet coverage across the country.
The minister emphasized that information technology would be the “backbone element” of the newly signed Pakistan-Saudi agreement. She explained that the agreement would bolster Pakistan’s digital infrastructure and spur economic growth.
Accentuating economic advancements, the IT minister informed that the nation had shifted away from default fears, inflation decreased, and macroeconomic conditions were stabilizing. “Karachi bears the burden of the economic growth of the country,” she stated.
She went on to say that Pakistan was gaining international acclamation because it was resilient, and its technology rankings were also improving consistently under the “Digital Pakistan” program.
She emphasized that the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) played a critical role in enhancing the ease of doing business and investment.
Khawaja added that the cabinet had sanctioned Pakistan’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) policy and work was under way on its implementation.
She added that 0.5 million to 1 million youth would be trained in AI and cybersecurity by the end of this year.
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Those well versed in the use of technology will take over traditional jobs,” she continued, encouraging youth to make best use of their time and grasp the opportunities presented by the digital age.
While commenting on the issue of weak mobile and data services, the minister explained that two submarine cables off the Red Sea coast near Jeddah had been hit, impacting network performance.
She ensured that her ministry was busy enhancing submarine cable capacity and fiberisation for the reliability of internet.
She also shared the news that Pakistan had successfully defended itself against recent attempts at hacking from India, a time of conflict, to keep all government websites secure.
