Pakistan Experts

It is all common sense but I would like to give few reasons. It's about time we already got powerful broadband internet at affordable rates. That's a simple and easy to digest fact; yet the ISPs and telecommunication companies in our country are continuing with their dark strategies. The strategies which probably have the prevalent aim of filling the ISPs banks as quick as they can, before the gets fierce. As diminished as it may seem, however, the need for affordable and stable broadband internet in Pakistan is apparent.

Consider the following scenarios:

1. A student logs onto the internet at home, and with a limited amount of time, he/she needs to research on a particular subject and is required to download certain software(s), research material including videos, and may need to use some extensive search on any of the search engines.
   
   Issues arising from the current internet situation in Pakistan:
   
   
   1. If the internet is slow, it's a clear waste of time.
      
   2. On the other hand, if the student is using a broadband connection with a limit of 1gb or even 2gb, it will soon be exhausted because of the usual data transfer, size of research material and software.
      
   
   
2. A skilled web developer after getting frustrated over the IT industry condition over in Pakistan decides to work from home and notices the requirement of "Reliable internet connection" in most of the remote positions. Now the nature of the job requires voice/video chat/conferences over Skype, and obviously includes transferring a lot of data which in a matter of 30 days will count in total of above 4gb in a normal case. A lot of presentations and content may also include streamed videos.
   
   Issues arising from the current internet situation in Pakistan:
   
   
   1. The web developer cannot get a reliable internet connection, and possibly at a time when an urgent project needs to be completed, the internet may go down which clearly is a big letdown.
      
   2. The speed offered by most of the broadband companies is just not enough. A minimum speed of 512kbps (ideally 1mbps+) is required to let the web developers do their work smoothly.
      
   3. Current caps on data transfer are too low to even consider them usable. More sensible limitations on data transfer like 8-10gb are required.
      
   
   

Let's not consider few specific scenarios for a while, and let's just put in view the latest internet trends. Since the era of user-generated content arrived on the web and has labeled the current web as "Web 2.0", the bandwidth requirements have increased dramatically. Casual Pakistani users often feel discriminated when they cannot get access to something that is pretty average and a no big deal. Why Pakistani internet users don't deserve to watch YouTube videos? If the ISPs put up a lame explanation that it's a waste of time then they need to be enlightened. Many of the internet users use YouTube, Google Video or similar services to share many educational videos or entrepreneurial presentations in large.

It's quite possible the ISPs might come up with a cheeky excuse, "Oh well. Not everything is in sync with latest trends in Pakistan, isn't it?" In that case, let us dwell upon internet trends of the previous few years, or the web 1.0. Software, and informational/educational/presentational material like pdfs, power point presentations and the similar has been in a dominant position on the internet long before the "Web 2.0" era. Ignoring the regular teen and time-pass internet flock of Pakistan, and just shedding light on the elite few who use it for the educational, research or job purpose, we're still at an obvious loss! The normal internet data transfer in this case will be well above 3-4gb and requires at least 256kbps speed. The latter lot of casual users usually consumes above that limit downloading random software, playing lots of online games, etc. and requires at least 256kps with 15gb+ data transfer limit.

The internet packages which current Pakistani users may live happily upon can be as follows: (in writer's opinion)

• For hard-core gamers:
  2,000rs / month, 256kbps , 10gb limit, low latency, less contention (max 1:3, ideal 1:2)
  
  
• For the casual users:
  1,500rs / month, 256kbps, 10gb limit, average contention (1:5)
  
  
• The web developers and research lot special:
  2,500rs / month, 512kbps, 10gb limit, dedicated or max contention of 1:3
  
  
• For Heavy downloaders:
  1,500 / month, 256kbps, 30gb limit, max contention of 1:8
  
  
• Students/casual/low budget special:
  1,000 / month, 256kbps, 5gb limit, average contention (1:5)
  

Few common requirements:

• Reliability – Install mid-level infrastructure and build upon it as needed, but never build a strong infrastructure which will never be improved.
  
• Technical Support – No the technical support shouldn't need to troubleshoot each and every problem of the user for free. Set a fee if the user messed up something on his/hers own and is asking for tech support. But there needs to be someone knowledgeable available all the time. Or at the least, the operators at helpline should be able to tell what's wrong with the service and how long it will take to be back up again (estimates of course).
  

For both of the above requirements, the companies need to have an intelligent and experienced HR department to "hire better" and not "hire more".

To conclude it, the Pakistani people are already in dire need of more juice from their internet connections. Now all it depends upon is the ISPs in Pakistan, and how they would like to tackle with the fairly justified demands of the frustrated customers. All these packages can be offered if the ISPs change their current strategies, strive to offer more attractive packages, and focus on long term business developments. Here, this article ends with a hope that ISPs will be try their level best to offer packages that can be helpful to whole Pakistan IT industry in general, instead of relying on off-the-mark excuses. Let us hope Pakistan can prosper in the IT industry, once a revolution relating to internet connectivity in the country takes on.

I totally agree with you there asad. I think its high time our goverment does some thing about it. All they have been doing is pushing the Mobile phone sector which is not bad either but surly some one has to think about the growing IT industry.

IT industry is an orphan after Dr. Ata-ur-Rehman. No developments after him. IT industry can't develop without basic infrastructure, internet is like oxygen to us who work from home.

It should be thought and steps should be taken.
A very well written article. Well done Asad! Rep+

True. I agree that IT leaders in the country need to put in more than what they already have. Even after the latest PTCL price cuts, the prices haven't really decreased. Most of the ISPs are extremely stubborn when it comes to decreasing the price, and get away by putting all the blame on PTCL.

Glad you like it Aqeel, and welcome to PkExperts ..

Thanks Asad. Hope PKExperts will open new horizons for freelancers from Pakistan.

My vote for aqeel. Pakistan desperately needs to do some thing strong in it. There are guys working doing a pretty good job but still we need to do more learn new tech and improve our skill along with a good cheap broadband internet.