Pakistan’s Global Ranking For Mobile Internet fell to new lows

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s low ranking in the Speedtest Global Index for broadband (141st out of 151 countries) and mobile internet (99th out of 110 countries), combined with frequent internet slowdowns and shutdowns, is severely derailing the country’s digital adoption efforts, according to the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP).

The central bank, in its latest report, also noted that Pakistan’s poor performance against peer economies in terms of secure internet servers highlights underdeveloped cybersecurity frameworks — a critical vulnerability for a digital economy.

The government plays a pivotal role in digital infrastructure development due to the need for coordination with multiple stakeholders, governance of digital systems, and the sensitive nature of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI). DPI serves as the foundation for delivering digital services that can drive innovation, competition, and productivity. Core components of DPI include digital identity, digital payments, and data-sharing systems, with expanded definitions also incorporating digital postal services and core government data registries.

DPI is a transformative digital intervention that enables countries to leapfrog development stages by accelerating innovation and economic growth. It streamlines user experiences, improves service delivery, and enhances interoperability, resilience, inclusion, and scalability across sectors.

Progress Made, But Critical Gaps Remain

In Pakistan, significant steps have been made toward building a DPI ecosystem. Notable achievements include NADRA’s biometric verification system for digital identity and the State Bank of Pakistan’s RAAST platform for digital payments. Additionally, the introduction of the Cloud First Policy 2022 (CFP) and the Digital Nation Act 2024 (DNA) marks important progress.

However, PBS emphasizes that advancement in digital identity and payments must be matched by progress in other DPI areas like data sharing to create a fully interoperable digital environment. Swift implementation of the CFP and DNA, alongside strengthening digital infrastructure, is essential to harness emerging technologies such as Web 3.0.

Moreover, boosting digital adoption requires improving digital literacy, safety, privacy, and public trust. While Pakistan’s mobile phone subscriptions are comparable to those in peer economies, internet access and usage, particularly among rural populations and women, remain critically low.