THOUGH fuller details are not available but glimpses of the annual report for 2023 presented by Chairman Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Major-General (R) Hafeezur Rehman to Prime Minister Anwar-ul-Haq highlight prospects of the telecom sector as well as problem that need immediate attention of the authorities concerned. The PTA Chairman highlighted key milestones, innovative initiatives and strategic interventions undertaken to enhance connectivity and ensure the provision of high-quality services to the citizens of Pakistan.
There is no doubt that as a regulator, PTA is doing its level best to promote the telecom sector by way of facilitating the industry and service-providers and keeping a check on the quality of the services. It is because of the policies and measures taken by the PTA and the IT and Telecom Ministry that the telecom sector generated Rs850 billion in terms of revenues in FY 2022-23, showing a growth of 17% despite economic challenges. However, it may be pointed out that telecom revenues witnessed 17 percent growth in 2023 in terms of rupees whereas in dollar terms, they decreased from $4.84 billion in 2018 to $3.03 billion in 2023. The industry is facing problems and challenges and in the absence of a conducive environment, telecom operators are leaving the market despite prospects for growth. Earlier, Warid merged with Jazz and now another foreign operator – Telenor – is leaving the Pakistani market. It is satisfying that cellular mobile services are available to 90% of Pakistan’s population, telecom subscribers reached an impressive number of 192 million and broadband subscribers 130 million. However, quality of service is deteriorating with the passage of time despite periodic surveys carried out by the PTA to assess the quality of service and imposition of fines on operators. According to PTA, the cellular mobile operators (CMOs) have missed some of the key performance indicators (KPIs) set in their licences and the applicable regulations with respect to voice and latency. Similarly, some countries of the region have successfully launched 5G but in Pakistan, the deadline continues to be extended depriving people of the benefits of the latest technology. It is time all stakeholders sit together for a brainstorming session on issues and prospects of the telecom sector in Pakistan and remove bottlenecks impeding its growth at the required speed. Much needs to be done on the cyber security front as well as restoration of the confidence of prospective investors because of forced shutdowns of the internet.
