Bell to Broadband is a Tale of
Telecommunication. The beginning of modern telecommunications in the nineteenth
century is marked by the invention of telephone by Alexander Graham Bell which
initiated new methods for longdistance information transmission. Further
progress followed by historical developments resulted to high speed mobile
cellular broadband which led to more rapid and dramatic technical progress.
Today, telecommunications governs nearly all economic, social, and scientific
domains of life with ever-increasing intensity. This history of development of
telecommunications is therefore not only of technical interest but also of
general cultural importance. Being connected has rapidly become essential to our
prosperity.An important resource in the modern world, broadband is a vital
technology, promising to boost economic growth. Today, we have crossed
thehistoric 110 million mark of broadband subscription in Pakistan - an
outstanding achievement towards the realization of “Digital Pakistan” vision.
Undoubtedly, this milestone is a result of achallenging journey (5P-5G) starting
from: 1) era of fixed line 2) deregulation of telecom sector 3) auction of 3G/4G
spectrum and 4) introduction of test & trial framework for 5G technology. PTA
continues to be at the forefront, playing its rolein the digital revolution and
facilitating the telecom sector on the avenue of achievements to make this
journey a success story. PTA, under the given mandate, is proactively working
onimplementing the national priority goals and making efforts to bridgethe
digital divide to accomplish “Digital Pakistan” vision.
With over114 million broadband subscribers with 52.02% penetration, 192 million
mobile subscriptions withteledensity at 87.17%,most of the country’s population
has access to internet/broadband services at one of the lowest rates in the
region. This proliferation of the internet and smartphones has led to financial
technology innovations. FinTech solutions have huge potential to change the way
people think about, access, and use their money.State Bank of Pakistan (SBP)
report indicates that e-banking transactions registered 31.1 percent
year-on-year growth, which highlights substantial increase in adaption of
digital means for payments. This growth was spurred by major uptake in mobile
banking (29 percent increase in the number of users, 133.6 percent and 178.7
percent increase in volume and value respectively) and internet banking (32
percent increase in the number of users, 65.1 percent and 91.7 percent increase
in volume and value respectively)”. The reliability, availability of
connectivity and enabling regulatory environment & reforms, not only trusted the
digital financial services but also boosted the e-commerce in the country. The
number of e-commerce merchants reached 3,003, showing double-digit growth of 76
percent.Consumers carried out 21.9 million online transactions worth Rs60.6
billion on these locally registered e-commerce merchants during the FY2021,
which amounts to significant year-on-year growth of 114.8 percent and 74.1
percent by volume and value of transactions respectively.
The COVID-19 pandemic hit the world with far-reaching impact in various aspects
of lifeand graphically illustrated the importance of digital networks, service
platforms and broadband. In the midst of the crisis, PTA had successfully played
its role supplementing Government of Pakistan’s efforts by effectively
leveraging digital technologies for public awareness. The regulator ensured
availability of robust and quality broadband and telecom services. Telecom
operators implemented many initiatives under the instructions of PTA to
facilitate their subscribers across the country; by offering discount packages
and temporary upgrades at little to no cost and sending vital health SMSs
directly to subscribers’ mobile phones to help protect them from COVID-19
amongst other endeavors.PTA also facilitated the operations by whitelisting IPs,
and registering VPNs of businesses and educational institutes, and allocated
short codes including 6677 for collection of funds in PM’s Pandemic Relief Fund
&8171 for EhsasProgramme registration free of cost. Areport released by the
Pakistan Citizen Portal highlighted PTA’s proactive role as a regulator in the
immediate redressal of complaints and for consumer satisfaction. PTA also
received ISO 9001:2015 quality management system certification, after a detailed
audit conducted by accredited certification body British Assessment Bureau. An
automated Lost & Stolen Device System (LSDS) for blocking of lost, stolen and
snatched mobile phones has also been launched in 2021. LSDS is integrated with
PTA’s Device Identification, Registration and Blocking System (DIRBS).
Withongoing 5G test & trials in the country, a promising environment and
appetite for uptake of 5G technology can be foreseen. Certainly, such
initiatives willpromote the development of an eco-system which is conducive for
economic prosperity. It is expected that such advancements will open doors for
social and economic development opportunities that will make the dream of
‘Digital Pakistan’ a reality.
Growth and innovations in the telecom sector is having a positive impact not
only on society, lifestyles and socio economic developments but also making
significant contributions to nations’ GDP. Telecom sector has emerged as a
prominent contributor to Pakistan’s economy since years and has shown a
remarkable increase of 129% in FY2019-20 when compared to year 2018-19.Total
contribution is PKR 228.4 billion including PTA direct deposits PKR 44.8 billion
to national treasury in FY 2020-21. Total revenues of the sector reached PKR 644
billion in FY 2020-21 as compared to PKR 592 billion in FY 2019-20.
Over the years, PTA continues to share its experiences at international and
regional forums including ITU, APT, SATRC, SAMENA Telecom Council, Mobile World
Congress, GSMA and CTO. PTA has also been declared as the GSMA Centre of
Excellence for regional regulatory training.There is a long struggle, tireless
efforts, smart regulatory reforms, effective monitoring and collectiveefforts of
telecom industry behind these achievements.
PTA is determined to ensure quality of service and enhance customer
satisfaction. It is committed to make efforts to narrow the connectivity gap,
bridge digital divide, ensuring gender equality and supportthe adoption of
emerging technologies in the country. This will only be achieved with thesupport
and confidence of the Government of Pakistan. As we witness the performance of
the Authority and the rapid growth of telecommunication sector, it would not be
out of place to call the current year: the year of telecommunication.