Senate Committee On IT Seeks Report On Losses Caused By Slow Internet

Abdullah Hussain (@Abdulla99267510) Published August 15, 2024 | 02:43 PM

Secretary of IT Aisha Humaira expresses optimism that the internet issues would soon be resolved

ISLAMABAD: (UrduPoint/UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News-August 15^th, 2024) The Senate Standing Committee on Tuesday Information Technology took notice on slow internet across Pakistan.

The Committee also sought a detailed report on the financial damages incurred due to slow internet services and interruptions to social media platforms.

It also directed the authorities to rectify the issues within two weeks.

During the session led by Senator Palwasha Khan, committee members expressed alarm over the detrimental effects of sluggish internet speeds on businesses and the broader economy. Senator Humayun Mohmand pointed out that the slow internet and social media outages were disrupting business operations nationwide. Senator Afnan Ullah estimated that these disruptions had caused losses totaling at least 500 million rupees.

In response, Secretary of IT Aisha Humera explained that the issues stemmed from mobile network providers rather than Wi-Fi services and promised that technical problems would be addressed promptly.

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) stated that it had not received any formal complaints about internet service interruptions.

Senator Afnan Ullah raised additional concerns about the impact on e-commerce, noting that issues with media uploads and downloads on platforms like WhatsApp were prompting businesses to leave Pakistan. Senator Humayun Mohmand warned that persistent problems could severely damage the country's business climate.

Secretary of IT Aisha Humaira assured the committee that her department was compiling data from mobile operators and would deliver a detailed report within two weeks. She expressed optimism that the internet issues would soon be resolved.

The committee also deferred its discussion on the national firewall system due to the absence of PTA officials, requesting an in-camera briefing on the topic at a later date.