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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has recorded significant gains in digital connectivity and internet usage, with new official data showing a sharp rise in mobile access and online adoption across households and individuals nationwide.&nbsp;&nbsp;The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has welcomed the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) findings released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) under the Household Integrated Economic Survey (HIES) 2024-25, which demonstrate a substantial expansion in digital connectivity across the country, state-run APP reported.&nbsp;The survey indicates that over 96% of households in Pakistan have access to mobile or smartphone facilities, while more than 70% of these households are using internet services, compared to only 34% in 2019, said a press release. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa leads in household-level digital access at 77%, reflecting encouraging progress.&nbsp;Improved affordabilityThis achievement is a matter of pride for the government of Pakistan and the regulator, highlighting sustained efforts toward deeper access, service availability, and improved affordability of handsets and internet facilities for households.&nbsp;At the individual level (aged 10+), mobile and smartphone ownership has increased from 45% in 2019 to 50% in 2025, while 92% of individuals are using mobile phones nationwide.&nbsp;Internet usage at the individual level has risen markedly from 17% in 2019 to 57% in 2025. It is encouraging to note that women and men are equally using the internet overall, with higher female usage in urban areas (71%) compared to men (67%).&nbsp;The survey also reflects growing digital awareness, safer online practices, and improved digital capabilities. PTA congratulates PBS on the release of HIES 2024-25, particularly the ICT indicators that provide a strong evidence base for informed policy making and regulatory planning.

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The survey indicates that over 96% of households in Pakistan have access to mobile or smartphone facilities, while more than 70% of these households are using internet services, compared to only 34% in 2019.

Pakistan sees digital leap with 96% mobile access, 70% internet use

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Vietnam&nbsp;on Tuesday&nbsp;agreed to start negotiations leading to a Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA), aiming to boost bilateral trade, investment, and economic cooperation between the two countries by the end of this year. The signing of the agreement to begin talks took place during the Pakistan-Vietnam Business Forum held in Islamabad. The session was co-chaired by Pakistan&rsquo;s Federal Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal Khan and Vietnam Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyễn Hồng Di&ecirc;n, according to a statement by Khan on his social media handle X. Jam Kamal Khan described the Vietnamese minister&#39;s visit as a sign of the two nations&rsquo; evolving economic partnership rooted in longstanding friendship and mutual respect.&nbsp; Minister highlighted that while progress was achieved in the bilateral trade between the two countries, it remained &ldquo;below its potential.&rdquo;&nbsp; He identified key sectors with potential for collaboration, including textiles, leather, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, food processing, fisheries, construction materials, and information technology. The signing of the joint statement on launching negotiations was hailed as historic, setting a structured timeline to conclude the agreement by year-end. The PTA will provide a comprehensive guideline to bolster market access, diversify trade baskets, and remove tariff and non-tariff barriers, the statement read.&nbsp; &ldquo;It is expected to foster a balanced and mutually beneficial trading partnership, boosting competitiveness and export potential for both countries&rdquo;, it said. The minister also encouraged the private sectors of both countries to see each other as long-term collaborators rather than short-term trading partners. According to the statement, he also invited Vietnamese investors to explore opportunities in Pakistan&rsquo;s Special Economic Zones (SEZs) for joint ventures, manufacturing partnerships, re-exporting, and people-to-people partnerships.&nbsp; Kamal highlighted the potential for cultural and religious tourism in Pakistan&rsquo;s Gandhara and Taxila civilizations, which are some of the world&#39;s sacred Buddhist heritage sites.&nbsp; Both sides are committed to enhancing connectivity through direct flights and visa facilitation to promote trade and tourism. The commerce minister concluded by stating that the signing represents the beginning of a new chapter in our bilateral relations &ndash; one defined by trust, mutual benefit, and shared prosperity. The Business Forum included several Pakistani federal ministers and senior officials alongside diplomats and business leaders from both countries.

Economy

The PTA launch at the Pakistan-Vietnam Business Forum in Islamabad signals deeper economic partnership, focusing on textiles, agriculture, technology, and connectivity, with commitments to balanced trade, investment, tourism, and cultural collaboration

Pakistan, Vietnam set to begin negotiations leading to trade agreement

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has approved the adoption of WiFi 7, becoming one of the first countries in the Asia-Pacific region to roll out the next-generation wireless technology, the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) said on Friday.&nbsp;WiFi 7, which operates on the 6 GHz spectrum band, promises ultra-high data rates, lower latency, and greater reliability. The PTA said the move highlights Pakistan&rsquo;s push towards digital innovation and improved connectivity infrastructure. <div class="fr-embed responsive-video"><div class="video-wrapper aspect-video"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1971612079376519541&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=03a527c83c7fad32867e5c55cef021fd97ab01bb&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="width: 550px; height: 873px; min-height: 0px; position: static; visibility: visible;"></iframe></div></div></div>&nbsp;&ldquo;Wi-Fi 7 delivers ultra-high data rates, low latency, and robust reliability, enabling 8K streaming, AR/VR, and industrial automation,&rdquo; the PTA said in a statement. It added that the technology would help reduce congestion on legacy bands and lower broadband delivery costs.&nbsp;The deployment is expected to benefit households, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), healthcare, campuses, and smart city projects.&nbsp;The announcement comes a week after Information and Technology Secretary Zarrar Hasham told lawmakers that internet services had been disrupted due to damage to multiple undersea cables near Yemen.&nbsp;Restoration efforts could take four to five weeks, he said during a meeting of the National Assembly&rsquo;s Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunication.

PTA says the move highlights Pakistan’s push towards digital innovation and improved connectivity infrastructure.

Pakistan among first in Asia-Pacific to adopt WiFi 7

<span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority said in a September 9 post on X that it does not hold subscribers&rsquo; data after blocking 1,372 websites, apps and social media pages trading personal information.<span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">&ldquo;Subscribers&rsquo; data remains solely with licensed telecom operators,&rdquo; the PTA said in a statement.<span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">They added that &ldquo;an initial review indicated the leaked datasets contained family details, travel records, vehicle registrations, and CNIC copies, suggesting that the data was aggregated from multiple external sources, rather than telecom operators.&rdquo;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1965409999057748182&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=374227bbfb47cc7875cf1710ca27e8f36a375704&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 873px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>NCCIA conducts probe<span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">The clarification followed media reports about alleged data leaks and came as the Ministry of Interior, the National Cyber Crimes Investigation Agency and a Joint Task Force on Unauthorised Data Access and Pilferage expanded inquiries, directing the National Technology and Information Security Board to audit telecom operators under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act 2016.<span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">The initial probe by the National Cyber Crimes Investigation Agency suggested the alleged breach could have exposed sensitive records that might enable sophisticated fraud.<span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Officials noted a listing on the dark web that advertised data of 3.2 million International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) and International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) records allegedly linked to users in Pakistan, as reported by newspaper Dawn.<span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">The statement came after Amnesty International claimed in a report released Tuesday that Pakistan operates extensive surveillance systems capable of monitoring millions of mobile phones and filtering internet traffic, Reuters reported.&nbsp;<span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">The rights watchdog said the network, which it linked to both Chinese and Western suppliers, can tap at least 4 million phones and block up to 2 million internet sessions at once. The report drew on court documents and technical files, noting that Pakistani authorities have denied in court having the capacity for such phone tapping.No breaches found within licensed entities&nbsp;<span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">The telecom regulator rejected suggestions that the data originated from mobile companies or fixed-line internet providers and referred to a recent sector-wide cybersecurity audit completed about two weeks ago, saying no breaches were found within licensed entities.&nbsp;<span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">&quot;Telenor Pakistan ranked first among mobile operators, while Nayatel led fixed-line operators in terms of cybersecurity,&rdquo; the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority said, citing its recent audit.<span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">The authority added that it conducts annual cybersecurity audits of all licensees through third-party consultants and continues enforcement against platforms trading in personal data.<span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Telecom Operators Association Vice Chairman Wahaj Siraj said defending against hackers is a constant challenge. &ldquo;Combating cybercrime is an ongoing challenge, and hackers could potentially strike any company or sector, though Pakistan&rsquo;s telecom and internet infrastructure are secure,&rdquo; he said.<span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Siraj added that while PTA conducts annual cybersecurity audits through third-party consultants, &ldquo;authorities should also ensure similar audits are performed across all relevant sectors.&rdquo;<span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Authorities said the investigation is continuing to assess the scale of any exposure and potential risks to citizens&rsquo; digital security.

Security

PTA denies role in data leaks after blocking 1,372 sites; Amnesty cites mass surveillance, as Pakistan probes dark web listings of sensitive records.

Articles tagged with "PTA"

Pakistan sees digital leap with 96% mobile access, 70% internet use

Pakistan, Vietnam set to begin negotiations leading to trade agreement

Pakistan among first in Asia-Pacific to adopt WiFi 7

Pakistan Telecommunication Authority denies claims of data breach