Islamabad: Minister of State for Information Technology Shiza Fatima attributed slowdown in internet speeds across country to increasing number of users and limited bandwidth.

During briefing with beat reporters here, she claimed that Pakistan offers one of cheapest internet services in world but is grappling with mismatch between number of users and available infrastructure.

“With growing population and limited bandwidth, internet speed naturally slows down,” Fatima explained, highlighting need for improved infrastructure to meet growing demand. She touched on multiple efforts to advance Pakistan’s digital landscape, including implementing Safe City initiatives and moving towards digital payments. “We are making strides towards digitalisation. While small countries have already embraced it, Pakistan is catching up,” she remarked. She slated public’s tendency to evade taxes, noting that many people buy property but fail to contribute their due to national exchequer.

“FBR is also being digitised and this step will contribute significantly to leading Pakistan towards digital economy,” she added. In addressing issue of slow internet speeds, she cited structural challenges. “Pakistan’s entire internet infrastructure is operating on just 274 MHz, and legal challenges have delayed expansion,” she revealed. Regarding government’s “Smartphone for all” policy, she acknowledged concerns about defaulting customers and potential restrictions on phone access if payment conditions are not met.” In addition to these issues, she shared that two undersea cables operated by PTCL were damaged, further impacting internet connectivity.

“One cable has been repaired, and efforts were underway to bring four new cables to Pakistan to enhance internet capacity,” she said.