World Summit on Information Technology 

Action Plan & Recommendations

By M. Tariq BadshaMember (IT)

Ministry of Information TechnologyGovernment of Pakistan

Outline Background ICT Readiness Indicators Initiatives taken by Pakistan Impediments Recommendations

Background

Following the Geneva and Tunis Phases of WSIS, Plan of Action at National Levels were to be developed.

Pakistan has developed the Midterm Development Framework, which includes ICT sector Plans in line with WSIS, MDG, and National Goals.

Ministry of IT, Policies and Development Plans are in accordance to agreed upon development goals.

ICT Readiness IndicatorsParameter Current Fixed lines (teledensity) 3.727 Million (2.3)

Mobile lines (teledensity) 91.442 Million (56.8)

WLL lines (teledensity) 2.432 Million (1.5)

Total lines 97.601 Million

Combined teledensity  60.60%

Total Direct & Induced Jobs in Telecom Sector 1.36 Million

ICT Readiness IndicatorsParameter CurrentTotal Internet Connections  3.7 Million

Total Internet Users 17 Million

Total Broadband Subscribers 270,000

No. of under sea cables – International  bandwidth

3

Domestic Fiber Backbone Networks 4

Major Thrust Areas An independent company to manage the Universal Service Fund

Access to Underserved and Rural Areas Emphasis on Broadband penetration with 59% annual growth in the past two years.

Continued growth in Teledensity – nearly 100 Million connections

Third Submarine cable for International Bandwidth Separate Company to tap Research & Development funds contributed by Telecom companies

Action ItemsItemTo connect villages with ICTs and establish community access points

Initiatives• Under Rural Digital Communication uplift Program, an un-served

population of 40 million has been provided with facilities for DigitalCommunication

• Specifically during last Fiscal Year, 3,400 un-served Mauzas, witha population of 3.3 Mil have been given access to basic telephony through 8 Rural Telecom projects funded through Universal Service

Fund (USF)

• 23 un-served Tehsils, with a population of 3.8 Million havebeen connected with Optic Fiber as a result of 2 USF Projects inSindh and Balochistan provinces

Action ItemsItemTo connect universities, colleges, secondary schools and primary schools with ICTs

Initiatives• Establishment of 1100 Computer labs in Secondary & Higher Secondary

Schools in all provinces and Federally controlled tribal areas with a total cost of Rs. 1841.31 million

• Establishment of Computer Labs and infrastructure at Cadet Colleges andPolytechnic Institutes of AJK, Islamabad, Kohat, Mardan Jehlum andSanghar

• Establishment of IT Centers in Remote Areas of Pakistan like Bannu,Gilgit and Sakardu

Action Items

ItemTo Connect Scientific and Research Centers with ICTs

Initiative

• Provision of ICT Infrastructure at Pakistan Medical Research Center• Establishment of GIS to facilitate investors in Mining for NWFP Province• Pakistan Education Research Network (PERN)-II interlinked all

public/private sectors academic and research institutes of the country over an IP based infrastructure through metro fiber ring.

Action Items

ItemTo connect public libraries, cultural centers, museums, post offices and archives with ICT

Initiative

• Pakistan Post Department has initiated an automation program to Implement Express Mail Tracking and Inquiry Management System. Theprogram has been launched in 11 major cities

Action Items

ItemTo Connect Health Centers and Hospitals with ICT

Initiative

• Implementation of Hospital Management Information Systems in FederalGovernment Hospitals like PIMS, CDA and JPMC at a total cost of Rs. 120million

• Establishment of Telemedicine Centers at three Hospitals in major cities with Remote hubs at 12 locations in Pakistan at a total cost of Rs. 114 million

Action ItemsItemTo Connect all local and central government departments and establish websites and email addressesInitiatives•Provision of Basic ICT infrastructure in all Federal Ministries completed. Provinces are in various stages of implementation

•Electronic Office Suite deployed at Ministry of IT and being replicated in the other Ministries of the Federal Government at a cost of Rs.160 million)

•Government Portal with the websites of All federal ministries

•Implementation of Federal Government Data Center to provide Internet /Email and Applications Services at a cost of Rs. 400 million is underway.

Action ItemsItemTo Adapt all Primary and Secondary school curricula to meet the challenges of Information Society taking into account national circumstances

Initiatives• Introduction of Computer Science as a basic subject in Secondary School

Education through Ministry of Education

• Provision of ICT infrastructure in 1100 Secondary / Higher SecondarySchools

• Phase II for provision of Computer labs at 3800 schools is Planned

Action Items

ItemTo ensure all the world’s population have access to television and radio services

Initiatives• 9 million TV sets in Pakistan• For every 17 people there is a TV Set available• Till 2006-07, 84% of the Population has access to Television• Till 2006-07, 92% Population has access to Radio• 6.27 million people have access to Cable Television

Source: Federal Bureau of Statistics

Number of TV Sets / Year

Population/Household per TV Set

Action ItemsItemTo encourage the development of content and to put in place technical conditions in order to facilitate the presence and use of all world languages on the Internet

Initiatives• Through National IT Development and Promotion Unit, Pakistan Cyber

Library www.pcl.org.pk has been established to promote content in local and regional languages

• A Content Development Group has been established to identify content for conversion in Local Language

• Urdu Language Translator and Dictionary has been developed through Lexicon and Machine Translation Project at a total cost of Rs. 39 million

Action ItemsItemTo ensure that more than half the world’s inhabitants have access to ICTs within their reach

Achievements• An overall Tele density of 61.5% till May 2009 including Rural and Urban• Mobile Density of 57.9% with 93 million subscribers• Internet Growth Rate is 5.7%• Pakistan Telecommunication Corporation reports 48% Growth in

Broadband subscribers• Internet Subscriber per 1000 inhabitants are 23• Broad Band Subscriber per 1000 inhabitants is 0.51• Internet International Bandwidth is 3.1 Gbps• Personal Computer per 1000 inhabitants is 15

Source: Pakistan Telecommunication Authority

Broadband Growth

Technology Share for Broadband

Impediments Financial limitations – ICT allocation vying with other

social sectors Infrastructure Issues like Power shortages Human Resource Capacity, Education standards, and

Literacy Short life cycle of IT equipment Sustainability and Scalability due to Capacity, Recurring

Expenditure, and other Socio Economic conditions Security Challenges

Recommendations Cost of Access devices to be reduced through innovation

e.g. reuse of used equipment with light weight software

To develop Broadband infrastructure and create applications in education, health and social welfare.

Create awareness. Citizens should be able to perceive the value of ICT through these applications.

Maintain the emphasis on ICT in all levels of education -from school to University

Recommendations Develop Public-private partnerships

Stronger linkages between Academia and Industry to promote innovation and solutions

Make use of online resources, like the Virtual University of Pakistan, which has an enrollment of 30,000

To Develop Training Programs for citizens, students, government officials to produce ICT enabled manpower.