The Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunication has expressed concern over internet issues faced in Gwadar despite big investments being made in the port city.
A meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecom was held in Islamabad today. The committee discussed internet connectivity issues faced in Gwadar and the impact of such issues on both the residents and those bringing money from overseas channels.
Noting that the region’s internet is a source of frustration, Senator Dr. Afnan Ullah Khan stated that investors are coming to Gwadar so it would be prudent to establish the best internet facility in the area.
Committee members stated that children in Gwadar were unable to study due to a lack of internet during COVID and that improved services in this area would also help the region achieve better.
Officials from the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) informed the committee that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had given the regulator special instructions to help improve internet services in Gwadar by developing a concrete strategy for such adjustments. When asked why the internet wasn’t available in some parts of the region, officials said it was for security reasons.
The committee was informed that Internet service projects worth Rs. 4 billion are currently in progress in Gwadar. Authorities in Balochistan have completed optical fiber projects spanning over 5,800 kilometers, and are planning another fiber project worth Rs. 2 billion to improve services in Gwadar.
Work has been halted in North and South Waziristan due to security concerns, the Senate Standing Committee on IT was informed. According to an official of the IT Ministry, 1.5 million internet connections were being established on a monthly basis.
