While Pakistan is striving hard to revive the economy; experts find it strange that the past governments had failed in adopting the 5G technology.
A question rightly arises in the mind of a layman about the benefits and exploitable potentials amid adoption of the cutting-edge technology.
Global assessments indicate the creation of enormous employment opportunities all over the world as a result of switching to the latest means.
The number of 5 G-specific employment opportunities assessed for the next decade is no less than 25 million. The amount of financial circulation linked to these jobs is expected to cross the figure of 12 trillion dollars. By the end of this year, the growth of 5G connections is likely to swell to around 1.9 billion with a potential to reach the vertex of 6 billion users in the next four years.
The precise economic impact of 5G may be rightly gauged with its expected contribution of 12.3 trillion dollars to global GDP in the next ten years. Such great economic potential and growth numbers are the real attraction for the subscribers of 5G technology. How a country like Pakistan, desperately seeking an economic boost, can afford to remain detached from the latest digital revolutionary expansions? Pakistan is quite late in aligning and enabling its national digital infrastructure with 5G.
The caretaker IT minister has rightly pointed out the technical handicap about the availability of a limited spectrum with the service provider companies.
Resultantly, its consequences are now visible in economic, IT, telecom and banking domains. A general misconception persists that 5G is something related exclusively to cellular communication. Factually the utility of 5G technology is not restricted only to mobile users rather it is considered essential for digitizing industries in a rapidly evolving high-tech global environment.
According to renowned IT experts, a robust and stable telecom sector serves as the foundation of the digital ecosystem and drives virtually all sectors of the economy by enabling consistent improvements in service quality for users. It is an uncontested fact that Pakistan, as of today, is ranked among the top five countries offering freelancing services.
Undeniably, huge growth in the freelancing domain is a great boost to the deteriorated economy. Moreover, absolute reliance on freelancing activities on digital means is that factor which takes a central position in improving the existing systems.
During my campus days at QAU, I came across many fellow students who had been meeting their ends through freelancing and often faced problems due to poor internet services.
5G rollout in Pakistan is hindered by challenges like low 5G handset adoption and limited optic fibre cable coverage, prompting government efforts to address these issues and improve infrastructure. These initiatives are seen as crucial for economic growth and regional competitiveness.
The caretaker IT minister has rightly pointed out the technical handicap of the availability of a limited spectrum with the service provider companies. It is considered the lowest in the region at present. 5G needs more spectrum than 4G. Enhancement of the spectrum is like enabling the new startups for much-needed economic activities.
The spectrum already exists but it is unused at the moment. This unused spectrum is a great loss to the economy. Required enhancement in spectrum capacity is very much possible but two stay orders of Sindh High Court have hindered further progress on the matter.
The formation of a high-level committee for the auction of the 5G spectrum is a welcome step on the part of the IT ministry. As per IT experts, the existing capacity of 269.2 megahertz can easily be doubled with the available spectrum but it may not suffice.
Recently formed high-level committee should focus on laying hand on another 151.6 MHz which is under litigation in Sindh High Court and can be made available by breaking the deadlock of two stay orders. Unresolved cases with business giants, holding directly or indirectly the spectrum, are hurting the economic interests of Pakistan.
Unprecedented prolonged stay orders and paper deals among business tycoons without starting the operations make the whole matter quite weird and rather non-transparent. The unused spectrum of 151megahertz is choking the economic juggler vein and its responsibility flatly rests on the shoulders of those tycoons who are hoodwinking the system to mint more money.
Firms, involved in spectrum litigation, along with the business tycoons moving their strings from backstage must be kept in strict check by the state. Pakistan should not remain out of step anymore with the rest of the world which is rapidly switching to state-of-the-art technological systems. 85 countries are already running 220 operations using 5G technology whereas Pakistan has yet to take a start.
The appropriate inquiry may also be held to expose those who are responsible for hindering the much-needed adoption of 5G technology with ill-intended delaying tactics. Caretaker IT minister has set the right course on this issue with obvious intentions to launch the 5G in 2024.
Synergized efforts of the IT ministry, PTA, FBA and PEMRA can expedite the rollout of 5G by removing all the hurdles. Esteemed courts also carry a lot of responsibility on their shoulders as extended stay orders in this case have surely jeopardised the economic growth in Pakistan.
The writer is a graduate of QAU, a PhD scholar and a freelance writer. He can be reached at [email protected].