Sending a simple WhatsApp message, browsing the internet or even accessing websites has become an everyday ordeal for 240 million Pakistanis. As the nation continues to grapple with throttled internet speeds, our digital ecosystem and the economy face an existential crisis. One hopes that those in power had the vision to make Orwell fiction again.

Pakistan’s internet ranking is a striking reflection of this predicament. The country currently ranks 198th globally in internet speed, lagging behind even war-torn Palestine and Libya. Despite the outcry from different stakeholders and even the Lahore High Court’s demand for an actionable response, the government's silence on the matter is disappointing. The apathy of the authorities is an indicator of governance failure that could potentially endanger pushing the country into digital obscurity.

Internet throttling is no longer a mere inconvenience but an economic crisis. The financial repercussions are monumental: telecom operators apprehend estimated annual losses of Rs12 billion due to slow internet speeds. Some estimates place the losses at $1 million per hour, while other industry experts estimate cumulative damages to exceed $300 million annually. IT exports, currently valued at $3.2 billion, are at risk of stagnation,........

© The News International