Pakistan has the second-fastest mobile internet speed in the Asian region, according to Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA). According to document by PTA indicates that the average download speed for mobile broadband in Pakistan is 20.84 Mbps, which is higher than in other countries in the area.
For instance, India’s average mobile broadband download speed is 19.57 Mbps whereas in Bangladesh it is 16.33 Mbps. The average download speed in Nepal is 20.60 Mbps, which is slightly slower than in Pakistan. Sri Lanka is leading the South Asian region with an average mobile broadband download speed of 20.90 Mbps.
In Pakistan, 3G and 4G mobile signals are currently available to 78% and 75% of the population, respectively. Authority also reports that the price for 1 GB of data in Pakistan has been further decreased to 0.58% of gross national income per capita, far below UN Broadband Commission recommendations.
According to the document, In its performance agreement with the Prime Minister’s Office, PTA set a target of 51% broadband penetration by June 2022 and 55% by June 2023.In July 2022, the authority successfully attained 55% broadband penetration.
The National Broadband policy 2021 has set a target of 80% broadband penetration by 2025 and 90% by 2030. It also aims to achieve a minimum average broadband speed of 30 Mbps by 2025 and a 50% drop in the average price of a gigabyte by the same year.
