ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication, Shaza Fatima Khawaja, has announced that Pakistan will soon add three new submarine cables to its existing network, a move expected to significantly improve internet speed and reliability across the country.
Speaking on ARY News’ program Aabar Hai, the minister emphasized that in today’s world, no nation can move forward without embracing information technology. She highlighted that 10 million new mobile subscribers joined the national network over the past year, pushing the total number of mobile users in Pakistan to around 200 million. According to her, this growth not only reflects a rapidly expanding digital population but also opens the door to major investment opportunities.
The minister pointed out that over the last two years, data usage has risen by nearly 25 percent, while about 8 million women accessed mobile internet for the first time — a development she described as highly encouraging for digital inclusion. At the same time, Pakistan’s IT exports jumped by 19 percent in the past year, showing how increasing connectivity is feeding into the economy.
Unveiling future plans, Shaza Fatima said the government is preparing to launch a five-year strategy called “Connect 2030”, aimed at expanding internet infrastructure nationwide. Pakistan is currently linked to the global internet through seven submarine cables, but with the addition of three more, connectivity will receive a substantial upgrade. Still, she admitted that the use of fiber-optic internet remains limited, and steps are being taken to promote its adoption.
To address this, the government has abolished right-of-way charges within the CDA and is working to ease such charges for the Railways and National Highway Authority, hoping this will encourage greater fiber optic penetration.
The minister also recalled that 3G and 4G services were first introduced during the tenure of the PML-N government, underlining her party’s role in advancing Pakistan’s digital transformation.
On the challenges facing the telecom sector, she explained that Pakistan currently operates with 274 MHz of spectrum, which has already been exhausted. To overcome this, the government plans to hold a spectrum auction later this year, offering more than 600 MHz. According to her, this step will not only resolve industry bottlenecks but also increase internet speeds in Pakistan by up to 2.5 times.
