Announces plans to introduce satellite internet through Starlink
State Minister for IT Shaza Fatima has rejected reports of slow internet speeds in Pakistan, stating that the issue was temporary and has been resolved.
Addressing a meeting of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on IT and Telecom, Fatima stated that despite the country facing terrorism and losing over 100 lives each month, the internet issue was not a major concern.
She acknowledged that unnecessary surveillance on citizens should be avoided but noted that surveillance is necessary in certain situations.
Fatima also highlighted Pakistan’s significant export earnings of Rs. 1.5 billion over the past month, questioning how this was possible if the internet was down.
The minister assured that the temporary internet issues have been resolved and announced plans to introduce satellite internet in Pakistan through Starlink.
The IT minister’s comments came after Pakistan Software Houses Association (P@SHA) chief revealed that Pakistan’s IT industry is facing an estimated daily loss of Rs 1.3 billion.
He made this statement during a Senate Standing Committee on IT and Telecommunications meeting headed by Senator Palwasha Khan.
The chairman stated that the IT industry is growing at a rate of 30% per annum, but the losses are hindering its progress. He suggested that the government should register VPNs at the local level to mitigate these losses.
