Internet Shutdown in Pakistan.
Internet Shutdown in Pakistan
Due to security reasons, internet shutdowns, website shutdowns, and slow speeds have become very common in Pakistan since 2023; however, 2024 was the worst, as there were many more internet outages reported in 2024 compared to 2023, and their reasons are political.
A government official says that it is a security issue; that is why they have to shut down the internet, and the government has blocked a couple of social media websites and some local forums so that the government can counter fake news. However, these reactions also have consequences and impact citizens lives and, most importantly, the Pakistan economy.
It is a fact that government claims are true that people are using social media platforms to generate hate, fake news, and propaganda. There is no denying that, however, this action will only impact common people and does not stop the issue. The government has installed a firewall to track down the culprits and fall under PECA law, which we hope the government succeeds in.
Internet outage and shutdown caused USD 350 million loss to Pakistan.
IT industries in Pakistan have said Pakistan has lost USD 350 million due to slow internet speeds at times, outages, and shutdowns, which also resulted in layoffs and unemployment. They revealed that a per-hour internet shutdown or outage and slow speed issue causes a USD 1 million loss, and it impacts their company in a negative way, which also downgrades their ratings internationally.
IT industries in Pakistan have said Pakistan has lost USD 350 million due to slow internet speeds at times, outages, and shutdowns, which also resulted in layoffs and unemployment. They revealed that a per-hour internet shutdown or outage and slow speed issue causes a USD 1 million loss, and it impacts their company in a negative way, which also downgrades their ratings internationally.
IT industry businesses and freelancers spoke to the government in this regard, and they assured that these issues will be solved on a top-priority basis. They said we lose money, and it has a big financial impact for us; our ratings get negative suggestions, and also, we lose clients, and we get negative suggestions and feedback from our clients, which impacts our overall ratings.
Telecommunication sector FDI is declining
Due to Internet outages, shutdowns, and blocking websites, the telecommunication sector is witnessing setbacks. First there is revenue loss, and now foreign direct investment (FDI) is declining compared to last fiscal year. There is a 21% drop in FDI for the telecommunication sector compared to last FY.
Even though Pakistan announced its intention to upgrade its 4G sector and move forward to 5G, it still did not create any investment, and in fact, there is a downgrade in terms of FDI investment. Moreover, it seems that foreign investors are waiting for the government official to first sort out internet outages, speed issues, and shutdown issues before they think about investing their money in the telecommunication sector.
Pakistan’s Internet got 198 ranks.
Due to bad quality of internet, outages, shutdowns, VPN issues, and blocking websites, Pakistan ranked one of the worst in terms of the Internet. It is shocking that it even blows the rank of Iran, Iraq, Libya, and Palestine. The report was provided by the World Population Review. The review says that even messaging from WhatsApp is a nightmare, and it becomes impossible to communicate via the internet in such circumstances.
PTA official says outages, speed issues, and shutdowns are due to the new firewall installation, and it will be resolved within 3 months, and people will witness these issues after the firewall installation. Moreover, people are also complaining about mobile signal issues, and at times signal is totally lost.
