ISLAMABAD: Pakistan ranks 198th globally in internet speed rankings, according to a report by the World Population Review. According to the report, Pakistan ranks below Palestine, Bhutan, Ghana, Iraq, Iran, Lebanon, and Libya in internet speed.

The average mobile internet download speed in Pakistan is 19.59 Mbps, while broadband internet averages 15.52 Mbps. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) leads globally in both mobile and broadband internet speed, followed by Singapore in mobile internet and Qatar in broadband speed. Hong Kong and Chile rank third and fourth in mobile internet speed, respectively.  The report anticipates improvements in internet speed with advancements in technology.

Chairman of the Pakistan Software Houses Association (P@SHA), Sajjad Mustafa Syed, has stated that the current internet speed issues are expected to be resolved within a three-month timeframe, amidst concerns that the implementation of a firewall may cause connectivity problems. He remarked, "If a message is being sent via WhatsApp but images are not transmitting, it may indicate that monitoring is taking place." Users in various regions of Pakistan are experiencing intermittent internet outages and reduced speeds, which hinder their ability to browse, download, and share media effectively.

Reports suggest that both Wi-Fi and mobile data services are suffering from significant slowdowns, rendering it extremely difficult for users to send or receive media files, including images, videos, and voice notes on widely used platforms like WhatsApp.