Belonging to a family where women generally do not pursue a career, Tahira Parvez Mirza didn’t imagine she would be an entrepreneur one day. However, the trying economic times worsened by the pandemic provoked her to take action and break down the barriers that surrounded her. She registered her kitchen on Foodpanda and started her food business to provide a better-quality life for her children. Today, she is spearheading a successful business and has uplifted her family’s life.

Looking back, she says this was only possible because she had a stable and fast-paced internet connection, as all orders, deliveries, and communication takes place through a mobile app. Frequent power outages in her locality have made her highly dependent on mobile broadband to stay connected. “Even during the emergency situation caused by the recent rain and flooding in Karachi, we didn’t have to close down our kitchen even a single day, as I relied on my mobile broadband for all my work,” says Ms Mirza.

Another such online entrepreneur Sidra Hafeez is a Quran teacher based in Rawalpindi, with students from different cities of Pakistan as well as abroad. Agreeing with Ms Mirza, she says: “It is through my 4G device that I have been able to broaden my work and provide uninterrupted, good quality classes to my students.”

Since all her classes are online, she needs a fast-paced, stable broadband connection to conduct classes. Furthermore, “having a good quality mobile broadband connection allows me to take classes even if I am away from home,” she adds.

A 10 per cent increase in mobile broadband penetration leads to a 2.44pc rise in GDP in the middle- and low-income countries in Asia Pacific

Being a Bykea partner, Muhammad Hamza’s work is entirely dependent on mobile broadband, as all his work is done outdoors. He was working at a production house, but due to revised timings at his university, where he is studying with a scholarship, he was forced to leave his job. Subsequently, he had to find means of generating enough funds to sustain his cost of living, and that is how he joined Bykea. “

For a Bykea partner, mobile broadband is as important as water is for a human. You cannot survive without it!” expresses Mr Hamza. All his work, from picking up rides and making deliveries to navigation, depends on it.

Several people like Ms Mirza, Ms Hafeez and Mr Hamza have been able to earn their livelihoods through mobile broadband. It has enabled Pakistanis to overcome geographic barriers and socio-economic status to embrace new economic realities. Today millions of Pakistanis are using it to access health, education, finance, and other life-changing services.

The mobile ecosystem plays an important role in GDP growth, job creation and is a key enabler of productivity across the economy and society. According to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), a 10 per cent increase in mobile broadband penetration leads to a 2.44pc rise in GDP in the middle- and low-income countries in Asia Pacific.

Even though Pakistan was the last country to roll out high-speed mobile broadband in South Asia, just within eight years of its launch, it helped bring around 55pc population of the country online from hardly 1pc in 2013-14.

The average monthly data usage per customer per month has also increased from 2GBs to over 7GBs during the last five years. In many Low and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs), mobile is the principal way to access the internet, and Pakistan is no exception. Out of overall 124 million broadband subscribers in Pakistan, 121m are 3G/4G subscribers.

Interestingly, information and communication technologies (ICTs) can help accelerate progress towards every single one of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The latest GSMA SDG Impact report also shows digital inclusion is central to SDG progress. It further highlights that closing the mobile internet usage gap should be a priority for countries seeking to deliver against the ambitious UN SDGs.

This brings back the discussion to Pakistan, where around 45pc of the population is still offline. Studies show that one of the biggest barriers to the provision of internet connectivity to the lower-income segments of society remains the affordability of smartphones. The Broadband Commission, in its report titled ‘Strategies Towards Universal Smartphone Access’, noted that in many LMICs, smartphones can cost over 70pc of the average monthly income.

In terms of proposed solutions to address the smartphone affordability barrier, the report outlines that some governments have begun shifting Universal Service Funds from building infrastructure to projects focused on other elements of connectivity, such as smartphones. It also proposes that key stakeholders of ICT and finance should work together to balance tax and custom duty policies on smartphones with broader internet adoption and subsequent revenue generation. Addressing the complex barriers of the unconnected requires public-private joint efforts and whole-of-government approaches.

Digital connectivity can accelerate inclusion while enabling people to improve their lives through the productive use of the internet. Evidently, access to connectivity empowers people and transforms their lives, as it did in the case of Mirza, Hafeez, and Hamza.

The writer is a tech journalist turned policy and strategic communication professional.

He tweets at @mkhayyams

Published in Dawn, The Business and Finance Weekly, November 14th, 2022