ISLAMABAD : The recent floods starting in the month of August have exposed the fragility of Pakistan’s telecommunications infrastructure and the weaknesses of broader structural environment within which mobile networks operate, according to a report by Islamabad-based research house Tabadlab.

The report, authored Naeha Rashid, Maira Sheikh and Alina Khan, argues that without immediate intervention, the industry is prone to collapse.

“Such a collapse would devastate not just Pakistan’s broader digital transformation journey, but also the lives of Pakistan’s 195 million telecommunications subscribers and 123 million broadband subscribers.”

As 3,386 cell sites became inactive across flood-impacted provinces there was suspension of mobile connectivity and internet services and as a result thousands of flood victims could not contact or reach out to people, they knew or relief teams.

Relief teams report difficulties in communicating with the departments concerned due to connectivity issues.

To overcome short-term connectivity barriers, companies offered free on-net voice call services, but these solutions are short-term band-aids to a bigger set of issues.

The report has highlighted that Pakistan’s underlying infrastructure was vulnerable, especially given the realities of accelerating climate change, disaster events, so creating a resilient and robust telecom sector that can handle such events was critical for both immediate relief efforts, and also for our long-term digital viability.

Telecommunications forms the base layer of the entire digital ecosystem, and if the existing range of issues were not tackled collectively Pakistan’s digital ecosystem will be permanently compromised.

It has been suggested that Pakistan needs to have a connectivity-specific contingency plan.

Published in Dawn, October 9th, 2022

Follow Dawn Business on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook for insights on business, finance and tech from Pakistan and across the world.

Opinion

Editorial

China security ties
Updated 14 Nov, 2024

China security ties

If China's security concerns aren't addressed satisfactorily, it may affect bilateral ties. CT cooperation should be pursued instead of having foreign forces here.
Steep price
14 Nov, 2024

Steep price

THE Hindu Kush-Himalayan region is in big trouble. A new study unveiled at the ongoing COP29 reveals that if high...
A high-cost plan
14 Nov, 2024

A high-cost plan

THE government has approved an expensive plan for FBR in the hope of tackling its deep-seated inefficiencies. The...
United stance
Updated 13 Nov, 2024

United stance

It would've been better if the OIC-Arab League summit had announced practical measures to punish Israel.
Unscheduled visit
13 Nov, 2024

Unscheduled visit

Unusual IMF visit shows the lender will closely watch implementation of programme goals to prevent it from derailing.
Bara’s businesswomen
13 Nov, 2024

Bara’s businesswomen

Bara’s brave women have proven that with the right support, societal barriers can be overcome.