Govt to Launch E-Office Mobile App in Ministries/Divisions

The Federal Government has decided to launch an e-office mobile application in Ministries and Divisions. According to National Information Technology Board (NITB) officials, NITB has prepared a mobile application for e-office services and the trial has been completed. While Talking to ProPakistani, CEO NITB Babar Majid Bhatti said, the e-office mobile application will work on the intranet instead…

View On WordPress

Telcos Fail to Meet Key Performance Indicators for Quality of Service

The Cellular Mobile Operators (CMOs) have missed most of the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) set in their licenses and the applicable regulations with respect to webpage loading time, voice, and latency, an independent survey about the quality of service (QoS) carried out by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has revealed. The PTA has issued instructions to the operators for taking…

View On WordPress

PTA Conducts Quality of Service Survey in Punjab, Sindh, KP and Azad Kashmir

Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) conducted independent Quality of Service (QoS) surveys across eighteen (18) cities in Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK) to measure the performance and quality of services provided by Cellular Mobile Operators (CMOs) to their customers. During the survey, QoS Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) of Voice, SMS, and Mobile…

View On WordPress

Cabinet Approves New Directors on Universal Service Fund Board

The federal cabinet has approved new directors on the Universal Service Fund (USF) Company Board including three from the private sector for the development of telecommunication services across the country. According to the summary approved by the Cabinet, Secretary Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication will be the chairman of the USF Board, while the Chairman of Pakistan…

View On WordPress

Cabinet Approves Pak-Saudi MoU to Promote IT Collaboration

The Federal Cabinet has granted its approval for the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia to promote information technology and drive digital transformation. The Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication in Pakistan, in collaboration with the state agency responsible for foreign cooperation in the ICT sector in Saudi Arabia, is set to…

View On WordPress

Pakistan's First Ever Data Protection Bill Finalized by IT Ministry

The Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication has finalized the “Personal Data Protection Bill, 2023”, proposing a fine that may extend to $2 million or an equivalent amount in Pakistani Rupees for those who process or cause to be processed, disseminates or discloses personal data in violation of the provisions of the proposed legislation. The draft of the bill a copy of which is…

View On WordPress

PTA Takes Action Against Illegal Provisioning of Internet Services

In its continuous efforts to eliminate the rampant proliferation of illegal internet service providers, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) in coordination with the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), successfully conducted multiple raids. During the two raids conducted at Muslim Town and Multan Road in Lahore, the equipment of illegal ISPs was confiscated. In addition, enforcement…

View On WordPress

Govt to Train 1 Million IT Graduates in Artificial Intelligence

The federal government has decided to train 1 million IT graduates in Artificial Intelligence and Allied Technologies by 2027. According to the IA policy document, a sustainable model will be prepared and 10,000 new trainers will be required to impart high-impact AI and Allied Technologies education. According to the document, the survey conducted by MoITT in 2022 shows currently there is less…

View On WordPress

Pakistan's IT Exports Decline by 3% in 10 Months of FY23

Pakistan’s IT and IT-enabled Services (ITeS) export remittances declined by 3 percent during the first ten months of the current fiscal year 2022-23 (FY23) and stood at $2.133 billion compared to $2.199 billion during the same period of last fiscal year According to the official data, on a year-on-year (YoY) basis, the sector’s exports remittances decreased by around 23 percent and remained at…

View On WordPress

Pakistan's Digital Lag Behind Emerging Economies Hinders Growth

By Umer Nawab The recent connectivity blackouts are only a reflection of the fact that the government still fails to understand the IT sector’s importance. Pakistan’s digital lag in global indices paints a dismal picture of the country’s ability to harness opportunities in the global IT economy. This lag is concerning, especially considering the country’s young population. Emerging economies such…

View On WordPress

Blocking Mobile Broadband is Another Deadly Strike Against Digital Pakistan: GSMA

The Global System for Mobile Communications (GSMA) has expressed concerns over the restriction of connectivity – internet services in Pakistan while saying that in addition to the harm imposed on businesses, restrictions can have a knock-on credit and investment plans, ultimately damaging the country’s reputation for managing the economy and foreign investment. Julian Gorman, Head of Asia Pacific…

View On WordPress

Jazz Invests PKR 3.7 Billion in 1Q23, Adds Over 1,000 New 4G Sites YoY

Despite a 16% year-on-year (YoY) growth in overall revenues in local currency, Jazz’s revenue decreased 20.4% in USD terms during the first quarter of 2023, mainly due to 47% YoY PKR devaluation. Additionally, margins were affected by a significant increase in business costs, including an 8.3 p.p. YoY increase in interest rates, and a YoY increase of around 80% and 32% in fuel and electricity…

View On WordPress

Pakistan Should Look Towards Asia-Pacific Alliance for IT Export Growth: Chairman P@SHA

Muhammad Zohaib Khan, Chairman of the Pakistan Software Houses Association ([email protected]), explained that the Pakistani IT industry has forged partnerships with the 16 economies ICT alliance of the Asia-Pacific Information & Communication Technologies Alliance (APICTA) for the tangible promotion of IT & IT-enabled Services (ITeS) exports. He said the stagnation in IT exports has created…

View On WordPress

PTA Yet to Appoint New Member Compliance & Enforcement

The post of Member Compliance and Enforcement in Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has been vacant for over three months. The federal government neither issued an advertisement for the appointment of a new member enforcement and compliance nor approved the extension of the tenure of ex-member enforcement and compliance of Dr. Khawar Khokhar. Sources in the federal government told…

View On WordPress

PTA Shared 162 Cyber Security Advisories with Telcos in Last 4 Years

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has shared 162 advisories and security alerts with the telecom sector over the last four years. According to the document available to ProPakistani, PTA shared a total of 39 cyber security advisories and alerts with the telecom sector in 2018-19.bIn the year 2019-20, PTA shared 40 cyber security advisories and alerts with the telecom sector. The…

View On WordPress

Cabinet Issues Advisory Against Fake NTISB Emails

Hackers have started cyber-attacks by sending fake emails in the name of the National Telecommunication & Information Technology Security Board (NTISB). The Cabinet Division has issued an advisory to government agencies, ministries, and departments. According to the advisory, hackers are trying to steal information by issuing fake cyber security alerts in the name of NTISB, a subsidiary of…

View On WordPress

IT Ministry Identifies 8 Key Issues Hindering Country's IT Exports

The Ministry of Information and Technology and Telecommunication has identified eight issues that are hindering the country’s IT exports. According to the Ministry of IT and Telecom consistency of policies, taxation issues, banking hurdles, ease of travel, lack of skilled HR, lack of IT-ready infrastructure, limited access to capital, and limited international marketing, branding, promotion, and…

View On WordPress