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Mobile broadband benefits be utilized after 3/4G auction(Balochistan Times (Pakistan) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Experts on Tuesday recommended that the authorities should maximize benefits of broadband internet across the socio-economic divide in view of forthcoming 3G/4G auction. A Study Group on Information Technology and Telecommunications at Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI), in recommendation emerged in its 58th meeting, also asked the authorities to make full use of benefits of faster and widely available mobile broadband internet as a result of spectrum auctions. Chairman Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Dr Syed Ismail Shah said there was no harm with advancement in technology. He said the PTA was in process to devise a plan for telecom sector in consultation with all the stakeholders, including industry representatives. Chairing the session, Dr Ijaz Shafi Gillani, Chairman Gallup Pakistan, highlighted that platforms such as SDPI’s Study Group were important in bringing together experts from various fields and deliberate over matters of public interest. He said Pakistan was able to get access to internet before other countries in the region, indicating the impact and significance of policy messages from such discussion. Keynote presentations were made by Dr Aamir Matin, a noted IT industry professional, and Parvez Iftikhar, an international consultant on ICTs and former CEO Universal Service Fund. Dr Matin drew a comparison between motorway and the information highway, explaining that the long term benefits of motorways include reducing pressure on large cities by opening up industrial zones and employment opportunities in newer/smaller towns along the motorways. Reducing the time required for agricultural produce to reach markets was another important impact. However, in the case of Pakistan, the longer term benefits of Islamabad-Lahore motorway were still to be fully realised, due to lack of a comprehensive plan, he added. On a similar note, with examples, he explained the benefits of e-services that could accrue from faster internet, once the 3G/4G networks were rolled-out, but the full potential would remain unutilized unless a proper plan was prepared and implemented. Parvez Iftikhar laid out a strategy to implement a broadband plan that would allow e-services in the areas of education, governance, health, agriculture/livestock, etc., to be delivered at citizens’ doorsteps. He said these were much bigger tasks than the mere provision of broadband and suggested that apart from the Universal Services Fund and ICT R&D Fund, national and provincial government budgets should also be used for funding, in addition to investments from the private sector. The meeting concluded with recommendations that following a comprehensive plan, a broadband eco-system should be built, which included development of relevant content in regional languages, rolling out e-services, raising awareness among citizens through targeted promotions, capacity building of public officials and general public towards ICT, and adoption of ICT-enabled services through shared access points. It was suggested that the Ministry of IT should take a lead in coordinating the national broadband plan, taking along the provincial governments and relevant federal ministries. |