Political Instability Contributes To Pakistan’s Low Connectivity Ranking

Pakistan’s low ranking on the 2009 Connectivity Scorecard is typical of the nations immediately above and below it.  Consumer infrastructure sees a somewhat positive score in the areas of mobile penetration and mobile coverage, but most other metrics, including consumer usage, are relatively weak.  This is also true of broadband penetration and internet usage.  Business performance is defined by the same generally low scores, with very low literacy rates and secondary school enrolment.  Conversely, Pakistan’s E-Government ranking is respectable.

Pakistan’s relatively open telecommunications sector is a ray of hope for the future development of the country’s ICT sector.  However, political instability has worked against the foreign investment necessary to properly develop the nation’s ICT goals, infrastructure and businesses.  Development of human capital must also become a priority in order to create workers who can thrive in an IT environment, as well as a population capable of benefiting from increased telecommunications resources.

Pakistan Connectivity Performance by Scorecard Component