Pakistan's Internet Traffic Spikes Amid Coronavirus Lockdown

Internet traffic in Pakistan has surged 15% amid COVID-19 lockdown, according to Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA). This spike has occurred in spite the fact that Netflix and YouTube have reduced their bandwidth requirements during the current health crisis. Netflix says it has cut its bandwidth use by 25% without sacrificing quality.  Google's YouTube video platform has decided to temporarily change the quality of all videos on YouTube to standard definition.The increased traffic is mainly due to people working from homes. Pakistan has nearly 80 million 
broadband subscribers as of now.


PTA:

In an announcement on March 26, 2019, PTA reported "net increase of around 15% in internet usage was witnessed since last week as the country fights against Coronavirus". PTA went on to assure users that "there is sufficient internet capacity available in the country to meet the growing demands of the future". This surge in Internet traffic has occurred in spite of Netflix and YouTube cutting their bandwidth requirements.

Netflix:

Netflix notified PTA in March that "it has developed ways to reduce Netflix’s traffic on telecommunications networks by 25% while also maintaining the quality of service" during the COVID19 pandemic. This action is aimed at reducing stress on the network as people are forced to work from home.

Pakistan Telecom Indicators As Of December 31, 2019

Google/YouTube:

Google's YouTube video platform has decided to temporarily change the quality of all videos on YouTube to standard definition. In addition, Google has launched "Bolo" in Pakistan. It is a speech-based reading app in Urdu that uses machine learning to help children read aloud confidently, using their own voice. A free English app has also been introduced that includes fast and easy lessons on business, marketing, management, and more.

Google has added new features and resources to provide locally relevant information to Pakistani users. These include expansion of COVID-19 SOS Alerts and Knowledge Panels on Google Search, as well as YouTube Information Panels. These product features link to National Institute of Health (NIH), to provide locally relevant information to Pakistani citizens.

Google is also offering ad inventory to the Ministry of National Health Services so they can spotlight timely, helpful information. Google has also shared tips and resources for remote workers and students enabling them to improve their productivity. These include a new collection of distance learning solutions, training, and resources to help teachers and students stay connected.

Summary:

Pakistan has seen a 15% surge in Internet traffic since the coronavirus lockdown started forcing many people to work from home. This traffic spike has occurred in spite of bandwidth hogs like Netflix and YouTube cutting their bandwidth requirements. Pakistan has nearly 80 million subscribers.

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Comments

Riaz Haq said…
Pakistan Telecommunication authority is expected to issue 5G licences this year. This will pave the way to officially launch 5th generation service of mobile cellular communications in the country, which has a subscriber base of more than 161 million as of June 2019.

Khaleej times reports that the 5G service in Pakistan will be 100 times faster than the current levels, while network will be 10 times faster than existing broadband connections available in the country. 5G home routers speed has been recorded at 4 gigabytes per second, which means that it can download a 50gb file in just two minutes.


https://www.globalvillagespace.com/benefits-and-expected-release-date-of-5g-in-pakistan/

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#Pakistan #Telecommunication Company Limited has deployed Nokia’s technology to expand the capacity of a 100G transport network to 200G optical network for domestic and international traffic to meet growing demand. #4G #5G #mobile #Broadband | Nasdaq


https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/whats-in-the-cards-for-nokia-nok-this-earnings-season-2020-04-27

Riaz Haq said…
The National Assembly Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunication was informed by a representative of Special Communications Organisation (SCO) that the organisation was required to provide telecom services in areas of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B).


He said first phase of the fibre optic cable from Khunjerab to Rawalpindi had been completed under CPEC, adding that traffic tests yielded positive results and the project would help generate a lot of revenue for the government. The official said the government was working on the second phase of the optic fibre cable to extend the network along three routes of CPEC. “Sites have been identified,” he said.

The project had been envisaged in 2017 and its PC-I was sent to the Planning Commission, he said. However, it has not been approved so far. The official said the National Highway Authority (NHA) and Pakistan Railways were also working on laying the fibre optic cable on motorways and Pakistan Railways’ ML-I project.

However, SCO had proposed to merge this project into the second phase of fibre optic cable. He said NHA, Pakistan Railways and the Planning Commission deputy chairman had reached an agreement in that regard, adding that the CPEC Authority chairman had held a meeting and asked for a joint proposal.

The official shared that the first phase had been executed by Huawei and the same high technology would be used for the second phase. “We are following the same standards,” he said. The second phase of the project will cost Rs29 billion and SCO has demanded an allocation of Rs5.19 billion for the year 2020-21.

He pointed out that SCO wanted to enforce the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act 2016 and mobile certification system in AJK and G-B. “We are asking for funds worth Rs235 million in this regard,” he said, adding that mobile devices would be registered in AJK under the project.

The parliamentary panel was informed that the IT ministry had demanded Rs32.9 billion in the last five years but the government allocated Rs12 billion for IT-related projects in the country. It was informed that the IT ministry was seeking allocation of Rs34.6 billion for 16 new and 15 ongoing IT-related projects in the year 2020-21.

Another official told the panel that attempts had been made to hack WhatsApp of officials in the country and there was a plan to replace the network. He said the cabinet had written a letter that no government officer would use third-party communication apps but there was no alternative platform.


https://tribune.com.pk/story/2160351/2-pakistan-plans-second-phase-pak-china-fibre-optic-cable/?amp=1
Riaz Haq said…
How #COVID19 is fuelling the growth of the stay-at-home economy #StayHome
https://bit.ly/2Z1vEDr

https://twitter.com/wef/status/1264330401318875137?s=20


The COVID-19 pandemic is fuelling the growth of the stay-at-home economy.
E-commerce and grocery delivery services can test new concepts to better meet consumer needs for convenience and health and well-being.
The pandemic is likely to speed up adoption of video streaming and online education, and contribute to more inclusive access.
The coronavirus pandemic is fuelling the growth of the stay-at-home economy. How consumers learn, work, shop and play is poised to change forever.

Consumer preferences have been shifting toward e-commerce and online entertainment and education for over a decade. The COVID-19 pandemic, however, has been a boon to companies that serve the stay-at-home economy, which are displaying agility by simultaneously experimenting with new ideas to build brand affinity.

Since mid-March, Amazon has hired 175,0000 workers in the United States to meet surging demand for online shopping. Instacart, an American technology company that provides same-day grocery delivery and pick-up service in the U.S. and Canada, stated that their weekly sales jumped 10-fold, and 20 times higher in California and Washington State, where the virus was widespread early in the pandemic. The company is also leveraging the heightened interest in grocery delivery to test new, innovative concepts to better meet consumer needs for convenience and their health and well-being, such as the option to have groceries left at a customer’s doorstep at a designated time in lieu of hand delivery.

Concurrently, according to online restaurant reservation service OpenTable, on-site dining dropped 42% compared with a year ago.

Video streaming has been on the rise for over a decade, but last year, the number of streaming subscribers around the world (613 million) surpassed the number of cable subscribers (556 million), according to the Motion Picture Association of America. With city governments asking citizens to shelter in place, new streaming subscription services are seeing growth. Disney+, for example, has had a 75% rise in subscribers since early February and passed 50 million paying subscribers in its first five months.

In the meantime, in China, during a 20-day period commencing on the eve of the Lunar New Year, box office revenues fell to $3.9 million from $1.5 billion in 2019. While it is uncertain when consumers will return to movie theatres, it is quite certain that stay-at-home entertainment will continue to break new ground for growth and market size as consumers around the globe continue to isolate at home.

Amid the coronavirus crisis, Zoom Video is leading the charge towards virtual work-from-home practices and poised to accelerate a seismic shift in how work gets done. In the early days of the pandemic, Zoom’s stock increased 58% through 13 March, whereas the S&P 500 was down 16% in the same time period. While some US states and countries are beginning to open up, large cohorts of employees continue working from home. They are also gaining exposure to new digital engagement capabilities that can be leveraged to host both small and large meetings such as interactive workshops, hence eliminating the need for travel.

Furthermore, we are seeing the rapid transition to online education across all levels – primary school and high school to the university level. Digital technologies are reshaping the world of education in ways previously unimagined for a historically change-resistant institution. Plato once said that “necessity is the mother of invention.” Perhaps now, education will change as fast as technology and contribute to inclusive societies with unprecedented access to knowledge and prosperity.
Riaz Haq said…
https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/intl/en-apac/country/insights-pakistan/what-pakistan-searching-insights-brands/

Google's “Insights for Brands” in #Pakistan. Searches are surging for #COVID19, "healthy diets", "fast delivery", "gym at home", "Intermittent fasting", "climate change", "electric cars", "clean air", 7 in 10 Pakistanis using YouTube every month. #Lockdown https://nation.com.pk/20-Jun-2020/google-releases-pakistan-s-search-insights-for-brands


“Pakistanis and their smartphones are inseparable -- always on the lookout for the best experiences and deals within their vicinity and at the same time seeking authoritative information during these trying times,” said Faraz Azhar, Industry Head for South Asia, Google Asia Pacific. “Our research found rising levels of consumer sophistication, interest in more sustainable products and services, and a move towards a healthier lifestyle as some of the biggest drivers of behavior in the last 12 months. Also, digital video continues to boom with local content on YouTube representing Pakistan’s favorite online destination.”

In the newly released report, Google outlined five key trends that are shaping how Pakistanis search as well as their curiosity on the impact of reduced human mobility on the environment:

1. Increasingly sophisticated consumers

Consumers expect Search to understand the intent behind what they need and deliver the best, most helpful answers. They want high-quality products that are available with a convenient digital experience. 4 in 5 Pakistani consumers research products online before a purchase, and they switch between online search and video. They also want quick access to products and services: 138% growth in “near me” searches and 1.5X increase in “same day delivery” queries between 2018 to 2019. ‘Fast delivery’ searches increased by 1300% and online grocery delivery searches increased by 300% when the pandemic began.

Pakistani student spends 'golden, happy' days in China amid pandemic

2. Towards sustainability and conscious consumption

A combination of the state of the world and an overall rise in awareness has seen the rise of the environmentally conscious consumer. Over a one year period these searches have risen sharply across Pakistan: “climate change” by 1.5X, “electric cars” by 1.5X, “reusable” by 1.3X, and “cimate change” by 1.5X. Users were also curious about the visible impact on air quality and pollution levels, with searches for ‘clear skies’ increasing by 300%; ‘clean air’ by 225%; and ‘clear water’ by 217%.

3. Digital video continues to boom

Video streaming and sharing platforms are where Pakistanis get their fix of information, entertainment, news, and sports. The primary drivers are a combination of affordable data combined with the proliferation of devices and now platforms. 7 in 10 Pakistanis use YouTube every month, with searches related to “with me” increasing 150%, “teeli” by 108% and “vilage food secrets” by 168%.

4. The healthy lifestyle choice

While Pakistan has a rich and diverse culinary tradition, there has been a rise in searches for alternate diets and meal plans predicated around well-being. Searches for “daily exercise” are up 1.6X. Searches for “vegetarian cuisine”, “healthy supplements” and “intermittent fasting” have risen 1.5X. Meanwhile searches for “super food” are up by a whopping 767% and “HIIT” by 600%.

5. COVID-19 implications

With COVID-19 restricting the movement of people outdoors, Pakistanis have started looking for ways to start (or continue) their usual physical routines indoors with ‘HIIT workout’ YouTube searches growing by 600%, ‘gym at home’ by 125%, and ‘home workouts’ by 80%. With more people confined indoors, interest in mental health and well-being has also become an important factor for Pakistanis, with a surge in searches for ‘meditation’ (+56%) in March this year.
Riaz Haq said…
#5G to boost #Pakistan's economic growth: Shift to #cloud, IoT, and better integration of #AI into the public #health response and use of #technology for smart service #delivery. #Covid_19 #Lockdown #education #WorkFromHome #ecommerce https://tribune.com.pk/story/2254455/5g-ecosystem-will-boost-growth-in-pakistan

We foresee our 5G ecosystem to serve as the bedrock of sustainable socio-economic development in Pakistan, said Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Chairman Amir Azeem Bajwa.

Addressing the SAMENA Telecommunications Council Leaders’ Summit, he said that deployment of this transformative technology should be precisely timed, supported by intelligent regulatory initiatives, enabled by adequate spectrum resources, under favourable market conditions, and with consensus of all stakeholders.

“I believe that readiness of our telecom infrastructure will be sufficient to support 5G networks and services across the country.”

Telecommunications leaders and experts from Pakistan and across the world recently gathered at the summit to review plans for unleashing the potential of 5G networks to boost economies and societies in a post Covid-19 environment.

The event, held virtually for the first time, was hosted by Huawei for the seventh successive year.

Also speaking on the occasion, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Digital Pakistan Tania Aidrus said, “We have to really think of the internet as one of the most democratising forces. How do we ensure that we are helping young people come out, apply their skills, apply their knowledge, and apply their creativity to innovate for the country? And really, a government’s job here is to clear the path.”

Meanwhile, Huawei Middle East President Charles Yang said that the outbreak has led to increased demand for ICT solutions specifically in areas like 5G amid a boost in network usage and 5G 2B innovations.

“Meeting that demand will require new forms of public-private partnerships based on open collaboration, supporting strong industry policies that will enable social value, economic development, and provide enhanced service experiences to consumers across the region,” he added.

The summit was held under the theme ‘5G+X: Harnessing 5G across industries for investment revival’ and highlighted how technology and ICT infrastructure play a significant role in our societies and economies.

The Covid-19 pandemic demonstrated the need to strengthen digital infrastructure to better prepare societies for future crises and to make systems more resilient and sustainable, guaranteeing a better and more effective outcome.

A shift to cloud, IoT, and better integration of AI into the public health response was also spotlighted, in addition to harnessing of other technologies for smart service delivery, which should be a key priority moving forward.
Riaz Haq said…
#Pakistan Central Bank (SBP) okays pilot operation of PayFast #ecommerce gateway. Large number of Pakistanis switched to #internet and #mobile banking & other #payments platforms since the start of #COVID19 pandemic. #DigitalPakistan | The Express Tribune https://tribune.com.pk//story/2255403/sbp-okays-pilot-operation-of-e-commerce-gateway

The State Bank of Pakistan has granted approval to the pilot operation of an e-commerce payment gateway.

PayFast aims to capitalise on over 80 million 3G/4G subscribers in Pakistan citing massive potential of e-commerce in the country.

The approval comes on back of a boom in online payments in the midst of Covid-19 pandemic as customer’s preferences shifted from cash to cashless means.

Nevertheless cash still remains dominant in the economy with over 90% of online transactions being conducted on cash on delivery mode, the company said.

In a statement on Friday, CEO of the platform Syed Adnan Ali said digitalisation is an indispensable need of the society particularly after the Covid-19 pandemic.

Detailing about the platform, he said it aimed at providing intuitive, reliable and a high standard solution to consumers while also contributing to the economy.

He voiced hope that the platform will act as a catalyst to digitalise the economy and promote a cashless economy in Pakistan.

He added that company’s portfolio included 12 major banks of Pakistan.

However, the company added that it has low number of merchants primarily due to dearth of cost effective, robust and secure online payment solutions compatible with multiple modes of integration such as Open APIs, plugins etc.

Last year, the central bank began implementation of digital micro-payment infrastructure system which allowed transfer of funds in almost real time aimed at bringing a rapid surge in online payments in public and private sectors.

After outbreak of Covid-19 in Pakistan, a huge number of Pakistanis switched to internet and mobile banking and other payment platforms in a bid to adopt precautionary measures against the pandemic.
Riaz Haq said…
#Pakistan #ecommerce: 10.6% shopped online for the first time during #lockdown; 18.7% said they're ordering more online now; 16.8% said they regularly used e-commerce channels even before the #lockdown. 53.4% still buy groceries offline at physical stores. https://aurora.dawn.com/news/1143792


https://aurora.dawn.com/news/1143780/consumer-behaviour-in-covid-19

Covid-19 has changed most aspects of our lives and caused upheaval in every business imaginable – and consumer spending, one of the most important driving forces for economic growth, has been no exception. The pandemic has not only impacted some important factors that determine consumer spending, such as employment, cost of living and consumer confidence, it has also changed how consumers are spending their incomes.

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Surprisingly, while the rest of the world saw a spike in online shopping during the lockdown (groceries mainly), in Pakistan 53.4% still purchased groceries from physical stores. Only 10.6% used an online channel to buy an item for the first time although 18.7% said they are ordering more online now; 16.8% said they regularly used e-commerce channels for their purchases even before the lockdown. Nearly 12% said they were willing to try online shopping for the first time but had not done it yet. (7.5% said they did not have the option to shop online in their respective cities or areas). The most common items purchased online include clothes (9.8%), hand sanitizers (9.3%), masks (7.9%), electronic appliances (6.2%), meat/poultry (6%) and gloves (5%).

While the lockdown has seen a surge in internet banking globally, in Pakistan only 5.9% downloaded banking apps or used online banking services for the first time during the lockdown; 22.5% said they are not using online banking channels while 4.7% said they would like to try in the near future. Nearly 66% respondents who said they use online banking channels stated that they had been doing so even before the lockdown.
Riaz Haq said…
Remote working and ecommerce could take 14 mln cars off US roads | World Economic Forum


https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/08/remote-working-online-shopping-millions-cars-off-us-roads/

The total number likely to stay at home is still only an estimate. But KPMG thinks it could be between 13 million and 27 million staff – or 10% to 20% of the US workforce.

In March, 74% of respondents to a Gartner survey of more than 300 CFOs and heads-of-finance said they were shifting at least 5% of office staff to remote working.

There were around 273.6 million vehicles registered in the US in 2018. KPMG says that’s an average of 1.97 cars per household, which it anticipates could drop to 1.87 if its forecasts are correct. The cumulative effect of people driving less is that the equivalent of 14 million fewer cars will be needed. But this won’t automatically lead to the disappearance of that many automobiles from US highways. Instead, KPMG thinks there may be a gradual phasing out of second-car households, as the need for more than one vehicle becomes less pressing, which may in turn impact the vehicle sales sector and the wider automotive

Riaz Haq said…
About 43% of #Pakistani consumers responding to the #Visa survey confirmed that they had not been visiting physical store locations to do their shopping or at least not as much as before the #coronavirus #pandemic began. #ecommerce #onlinebusiness https://www.crowdfundinsider.com/2020/09/166970-majority-of-pakistani-consumers-to-make-digital-payments-for-online-purchases-instead-of-visiting-physical-stores-even-after-covid-survey/

Visa’s Stay Secure website has many useful tips and educational videos about how to conduct safe and secure digital payments.

About 43% of Pakistani consumers responding to the survey confirmed that they had not been visiting physical store locations to do their shopping or at least not as much as before the pandemic began. Over 50% of respondents said that when they do shop at physical stores, they prefer to use cash less often or try to avoid it. Many consumers also claim they are trying to make contactless or digital payments.

There are not too many QR payment users in Pakistan, but those that do use the payment method said they’re using it more than before the COVID-19 outbreak. Chip and PIN users also reported that they were using these payment methods a lot more now. More than 50% of people responding to the survey also said that they’re paying for items with their cards instead of cash on delivery or COD. The majority or 65% of survey respondents said they trust QR payments.

If and when COVID is over, 55% of online shoppers surveyed in Pakistan claimed that they’ll keep making more purchases via online stores, instead of visiting physical locations. Almost 50% said they will continue to pay with their cards and not COD, which is still the most widely-used payment option right now in Pakistan, even during COVID.

Kamil Khan, Country Manager for Pakistan, Visa, stated:

“The study shows that consumer behavior changes due to the pandemic – such as shifting online and increasing the use of digital payments, are likely to continue even after the pandemic – an important take-away for businesses developing strategies for the post-COVID-19 consumer and market overall. We are excited to launch the Visa ’Stay Secure’ campaign to educate consumers about protecting themselves and to offer merchants important insights for navigating the new normal of cashless commerce.”

Digital wallet provider EasyPaisa recently partnered with Fintech firm PayFast to accelerate virtual payments adoption in Pakistan.

Trulioo, an on-demand global identity verification company, has confirmed that it will expand its ID verification capabilities to Pakistan. Alibaba Group’s e-commerce site Daraz in Pakistan will be encouraging consumers to perform digital payments by offering a 10% discount on Mondays on purchases made with Visa cards.
Riaz Haq said…
#Pakistan in #4G download speed 51% faster than #India's. Both showed a growth in #internet download speeds over last year, with India growing by nearly 12% and Pakistan's download speed grew 24%. #mobile #Broadband #telecoms https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/technology/india-trails-pakistan-in-4g-download-speed-report-says/article32982144.ece

India came second to Pakistan in terms of mean download speed over a mobile phone in the July to September period of 2020.

Pakistan showed nearly 40% faster mobile download speed than India last quarter, according to Internet access analytics firm Ookla.

In terms of mean upload speed, India stood last among the South Asian countries at nearly 4 Mbps. Bangladesh stood third for download speed and second for upload speed.

Both India and Pakistan showed a growth in internet download speeds over the year, with India growing by nearly 12% compared with the same period last year. Pakistan's download speed grew 24% this quarter compared with last year.

In terms of 4G LTE performance, Pakistan outperformed India with its mean download speed over 4G being 51% faster than India's.

India's mobile data speeds is said to be one of the slowest in the world, trailing Pakistan, Nepal, South Korea and Sri Lanka, according to Ookla's Speedtest Global Index. Ookla ranked 138 countries based on internet speeds and India ranked 131st.

India is one of the largest markets in the world for smartphones. It also has access to the one of the cheapest data rates around the globe. The findings also come at a time when operators worldwide compete to roll out the fastest internet service there could be - 5G.
Riaz Haq said…
Ookla Speed Test Rankings:

Pakistan (18.8 megabits/sec) ranks 106th and India (12.34 megabits/sec) 131st among 139 nations.

https://www.speedtest.net/global-index

Bangladesh (10.26 megabits/sec) stands 135th among 139 nations.





Riaz Haq said…
#Pakistan joins #Saudi-sponsored #MiddleEast Digital Cooperation Organization. The group of 7 nations includes #SaudiArabia , #Bahrain , #UAE, #Egypt , #Jordan and #Kuwait. #DigitalPakistan #DigitalTransformation

https://www.reuters.com/article/jordan-gulf-pakistan-tech/saudi-launches-digital-cooperation-organization-with-middle-east-neighbours-pakistan-idUSD5N2G102C

Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and a group of Middle Eastern countries have launched a new organization to accelerate the growth of the digital economy, a statement from the Saudi communications ministry said on Thursday.

The group, to be known as the Digital Cooperation Organization, also includes Bahrain, Jordan and Kuwait, the statement said.
Riaz Haq said…
Five nations unite to launch the Digital Cooperation Organization to Realize a Digital Future for All
https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&newsid=2161875

Senior government officials from several nations patronized the launch of the Digital Cooperation Organization (DCO) Thursday – a global organization aimed at strengthening cooperation across all innovation driven areas and accelerating growth of the digital economy. The event was attended by H.E. Houlin Zhao ITU Secretary General and H.E Borge Brende, President, World Economic Forum.
Founded by Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Pakistan, and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the DCO is driven by a vision to realize a digital future for all by empowering women, youth and entrepreneurs, growing the digital economy, and leapfrogging with innovation.
“We are joining hands together towards a commitment to drive consensus on digital cooperation to make sure that we seize an opportunity for our youth, our women and our entrepreneurs with the ambition to grow our combined digital economy to one trillion dollars in the next 3-5 years,” said H.E. Abdullah Amer Al-Swaha, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Communications and Information Technology. “Our future prosperity will depend on the digital economy. But it can only reach its full potential if we are able to make governments work together collectively with businesses, and entrepreneurs so they can survive and thrive, expand their depth into current markets and open doors for everyone into new ones.”
The launch of the DCO follows the conclusion of Saudi Arabia’s G20 Presidency to maintain the Kingdom's momentum on accelerating the growth of the digital economy across the region and the globe, as nations everywhere increase their adoption of remote learning, telemedicine and contact-less economic systems to survive and thrive beyond the social and economic impact of COVID-19.
‘’This is a critical step towards ensuring that our digital economies are innovative and future-proof,’’ H.E. Ahmad Hanandeh, Jordan’s Minister of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship, said. ‘’To create sustainable change, we cannot work in silos; this is a collective and global collaboration. This is where our digital journeys intersect and we can learn from and support one another, which will in turn open doors for our youth and sectors to benefit from these efforts.’’
Based on its digitally-focused charter, the DCO welcomes participation and guidance from the private sector, international organizations, non-government organizations and the academic world.
“The Kingdom of Bahrain is pleased to be part of such a dynamic initiative and a founding member of the Digital Cooperation Organization (DCO). We thank the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for this initiative and are confident that the DCO will enable members to respond and adapt in an agile and swift manner to the ever-changing digital scene. As we have taken steps at a national level to leverage ICT technologies to enhance government efficiency and processes, the Kingdom of Bahrain also believes that fostering regional and international collaboration is a valuable extension to our national efforts,” H.E. Kamal bin Ahmed Mohammed, Bahrain’s Minister of Transportation and Telecommunications said.
The founding members of the DCO have joined forces to establish the organization motivated by their shared interests concerning the digital economy that can only be realized through collaboration.
“We believe that the DCO will offer Kuwait a great opportunity to further develop its national digital agenda as well as to further progress the global digital agenda,” H.E. Salim Al-Ozainah, Chairman and CEO of Kuwait’s Communication and Information Technology Regulatory Authority, said.
Pakistan’s Foreign Minister, H.E. Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi added: “Pakistan is privileged to be a founding member of the Digital Cooperation Organization...
Riaz Haq said…
Pakistan joins Saudi-led initiative for digital cooperation

https://www.dawn.com/news/1592638

“Pakistan has joined the Digital Cooperation Organisation (DCO) as a founding member,” the Foreign Office said as Saudi Arabia launched the new organisation at a virtual event. A video statement of Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi was also played at the event.

Besides Saudi Arabia and Pakis­tan, other members of the DCO are Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait and the UAE. Mr Qureshi, in his statement, said the creation of the DCO would cater to the growing need of international cooperation and collaboration in the digital domain.

Shah Mahmood Qureshi's Tweet:

"Digital Diplomacy is an integral part of my Public Diplomacy Initiative under #VisionFO: today, i am pleased to announce 🇵🇰 joins multilat Digital Cooperation Organisation as Founding Member, ushering in new era of #digitaldiplomacy w/ long term opp to shape global digital agenda"

https://twitter.com/SMQureshiPTI/status/1331968865786540038?s=20

“DCO would offer a platform to promote the global digital agenda in the scientific, health, educational, commercial, social, agricultural, investment and security spheres,” he said.

The FO’s statement noted that digital diplomacy had been a core component of the foreign minister’s public diplomacy initiative that aimed at bringing innovation and enhancing Pakistan’s digital diplomacy footprint.

“The information revolution presents a unique opportunity to leapfrog the development deficit. Pakistan’s membership of DCO would contribute to the attainment of that objective,” it added.

Riaz Haq said…
#Pakistan's National Carrier PTCL Integrates Avaya With Online #Digital #Education Platform, QTaleem for 53 million students. It is is enabling school administrators, teachers and students to deliver a 360-degree digital education experience. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/pakistans-national-carrier-ptcl-integrates-131900878.html?soc_src=social-sh&soc_trk=tw&tsrc=twtr via @Yahoo

Launching nationwide, PTCL QTaleem delivers a 360-degree digital education experience, enabling school administrators, teachers and students to be as productive online as they are on-campus. Being fully cloud-based, it delivers an end-to-end school management system, offering multitenancy, regional language support, quick installation and onboarding, and the ability to host live and recorded video classes.

Hosted on the secure PTCL TIA942 Rated-3 Data Center, PTCL QTaleem enables the delivery of an entire educational experience, from online training to support for boarding and operations, through a single window. The application-based platform will help to make learning more engaging, creating a holistic learning experience.

Speaking on the partnership, Zarrar Hasham Khan, Chief Business Services Officer, PTCL, said, "As a national carrier, PTCL is enabling an online education framework that has the potential to help more than 53 million students across the country. With this strategic partnership, we are able to address the current challenges facing the education sector in the country by bringing transformational change to delivering education, which is in line with Digital Pakistan."

Speaking on the occasion, Nour El Atassi, Director, Service Providers – APAC, Middle East and Africa, Avaya, said, "Our partnership with PTCL brings a video collaboration solution to schools across Pakistan, enabling learning to take place anytime and anywhere. The current scenario has proved that the dissemination of knowledge is not dependent on a physical campus or traditional classroom. We look forward to supporting the country as it massively expands its reach of knowledge across the board."

Avaya Spaces, the all-in-one video collaboration app for the digital workplace, integrates with PTCL's QTaleem and enables the delivery of seamless video classes. This integration brings a campus-like experience to virtual classes, leveraging Avaya Spaces' ability to centralize voice, video, messaging, chat and task management into a single application accessible through a desktop or mobile. This solution will facilitate educational institutions, both on- and off-campus, as they move towards blended education models.
Riaz Haq said…
#Grocery stores go online to survive #COVID19 in #Pakistan where grocery retail space, estimated by #tech industry insiders to be worth over $50 billion annually, is dominated by ‘karyana’ stores, often like a hole in the wall. #ecommerce
https://aje.io/rhncx via @AJEnglish

https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2020/12/25/to-survive-pakistans-covid-pandemic-grocery-stores-go-online

Pakistan’s traditional grocery stores survived COVID by quickly recognising the changing needs of their customers, while app-based grocers have seen spectacular growth.

“Lahore went into lockdown on March 23. For March, April and May our business jumped by 50 to 70 percent month on month,” says Ahmad Saeed, CEO and co-founder of GrocerApp, which delivers products to the eastern city of Lahore and to Islamabad.

Before the pandemic, Saeed says, the app’s orders were growing at a steady 20 percent per month.

“I think the pandemic has pushed e-commerce years ahead – the shift that was going to take millions of dollars by investors, the pandemic has pushed it a lot,” he says.

At first, as lockdowns came into effect often with little warning, Saeed says his business struggled to meet demand.

“We realised that to cater to this demand we need to cut back to the basics of our offerings,” he says. “We realised that in the pandemic, people would realise it was okay if we didn’t have all the varieties of different products, but we needed to make sure that we do not run out of the basics.”

GrocerApp also limited the size of orders of basics like flour, rice and other necessities to prevent possible hoarding by customers.

Today, the app is back at full strength, having grown its operations to keep up with the rising demand. It now offers more than 4,000 products in Lahore. The firm expanded to cater to Islamabad in September, and Saeed says it has seen strong growth there, too.

“We launched Islamabad on September 1, and in three months, Islamabad has scaled to a point that it took Lahore two and a half years to get to,” he says.

Jarrar Shah, CEO and founder of 24Seven, a rival to GrocerApp that also serves Lahore, said his business saw similar challenges in the early days of the pandemic.

To take advantage of the spike in demand, and to ensure his company met all its orders, he changed its business model from being a digital marketplace for other stores to opening its own warehouse and fulfilling almost all its orders itself.

“When [the Lahore lockdown] happened, we started this warehouse in two weeks flat,” he says. “The lockdown was very strict initially, police were everywhere, they wouldn’t even let us deliver.”

The pandemic and lockdowns saw demand “shoot up”, and the business had to adapt, he says.

“When COVID happened, our baselines kind of shifted. Where we thought it would take the country or ecosystem three or four years to get to where people were using online and adopting it, COVID kind of brought that three-year thing overnight.”

‘With their own hands’
But not everyone is convinced Pakistan’s e-grocery boom is here to stay.

Javed Anwar is the manager at Sauda Sulf, one of the largest grocery stores in the F-11 neighbourhood of Islamabad, and says while the company’s decision to launch a website and Whatsapp-based grocery delivery service helped it survive, he is unconvinced it will lead to substantive changes in customer behaviour.

“People in Pakistan, they want to shop for themselves,” he says, sitting at a till in the store. “This trend [of online shopping] is not here in Pakistan yet. [For] groceries, customers have a mentality that they want to buy it themselves, with their own hands.”

Anwar says Sauda Sulf saw a peak of up to 250 orders a month through its website during the lockdown, but as restrictions eased over the summer, those orders dropped, too.

“In that time, [the apps] were very useful. When there was an emergency, to get those services [that you needed],” he says. “[But] there is an interaction [with the customer], and you cannot have that interaction online.”
Riaz Haq said…
Telecom Sector Contributed Rs. 278 Billion to National Exchequer in 2020: PTA Annual Report

https://propakistani.pk/2021/01/15/telecom-sector-contributed-rs-278-billion-to-national-exchequer-in-2020-pta-annual-report/


The telecom sector has emerged as a prominent contributor to Pakistan’s economy and its contribution to the national exchequer has shown an increase of 129 percent in 2020 as compared to 2019 despite the economy being under pressure due to the effects of the pandemic.

As per the Pakistan Telecom Authority (PTA) Annual Report 2020 released here today, the sector contributed Rs. 278 billion (including the PTA’s deposits to the national exchequer) in the FY 2020 as compared to Rs. 121 billion in the FY 2019 registering a Year-on-Year growth of 129 percent.

A surge in the demand for telecom services due to the lockdown had resulted in significant growth not only in the subscriber base but also in the usage of telecom services.

Today, data usage stands at 4,498 Peta Bytes (FY2020) as compared to 2,545 Peta Bytes (FY 2019), showing a growth of over 77 percent. This substantial growth would not have been possible if the networks had not been upgraded. The country currently has international bandwidth connectivity of 3.1 TeraBytes and around 47,000 cell sites, of which 90 percent are 4G-enabled sites.


According to the PTA’s Annual Report, the total broadband subscriptions in the country grew by 175 percent over the last five years. Today, broadband subscribers have crossed 90 million, showing a growth of around 8 percent in the FY 2020. Additionally, Pakistan had a total broadband penetration of 42.2 percent in the FY 2020.


The telecom networks are currently available for 87 percent of the population and PTA is working with operators to increase their network coverage for the remaining 13 percent of the unserved people in Pakistan. The total teledensity now stands at 82 percent with over 172 million Mobile subscribers and 2.2 million fixed-line subscribers.

In 2020, although the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) across the economy had been affected by the global lockdowns, the telecom sector made an iconic share of 25 percent (USD 623 million) in the total FDI made in the country. The total investment made by the local operators grew by 14.25 percent, and a total of USD 734 million were invested locally.

The total revenues of the sector reached Rs. 537 billion in the FY 2020, which had mainly been generated by the mobile sector. The financial gains have been enjoyed equally by telecom consumers, the affordability of telecom services in Pakistan has improved over the years, and the per GB broadband prices are currently as low as USD 0.20, which is among the lowest in the region.

Similarly, due to the Device Identification & Registration System (DIRBS), the introduction of government revenues increased manifold with the collection of taxes on the import of handsets. The local manufacturing of handsets has enlivened the telecom ecosystem with growth in local 4G device manufacturing crossing 34 percent.

PTA Renews PTCL License for 25 Years

Pakistan also underwent trials of 5G services which were one of the few firsts in South Asia. The PTA is aiming for a spectrum auction of LTE and VoLTE services in 2021 as a precursor to 5G. It is also gearing up for an auction of a spectrum for high-speed broadband services in Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.

The PTA Annual Report highlights that this year, the regulator awarded 110 licenses for numerous telecom services and issued 91 certificates for the commencement of service to operators.

The PTA conducted QoS surveys across Pakistan for data, voice, and SMS services, and the operators were directed to take corrective measures where they had underperformed. It also conducted a number of successful raids against illegal VoIP setups this year to curb grey telephony.
Riaz Haq said…
#Zoom Videoconferencing Filters Playing Tricks: #ZoomCat filter lawyer passes torch to upside-down congressman. Rep. Tom Emmer of Minnesota appeared as an upside-down floating head in a committee meeting. #COVID19 #lockdown https://cnet.co/3d6KnEm via @CNET

Technology for virtual meetings is having its revenge on humans. A day after attorney Rod Ponton went viral for getting stuck with a kitten filter on during a Zoom hearing, we got a new tech fumble. In a meeting of the House Financial Services Committee on Wednesday, Minnesota Republican Rep. Tom Emmer, showed up as an upside-down floating head.

"I don't know what happened," Emmer said when Waters asked if he was OK. "It just came out this way. I turned it off and turned it back on and I'm still..."

The kitten incident was obviously still fresh in viewers minds, as numerous lawmakers shouted variations on "at least he's not a cat." Said one, "You're going viral, Tom."

Emmer was able to fix his flipped image and continue speaking. He later tweeted a photo of his upside-down face with the knowing caption "I am not a cat."

One Twitter user responded, "Sounds exactly like what a cat would say."

----------

Viral Zoom cat filter: How to copy that lawyer and turn yourself into a cat, too
Feeling inspired by the lawyer who accidentally appeared as a kitten in a Zoom legal proceeding? We'll show you how to spice up your next video call, too.

If you've been anywhere near the internet this week, you've probably seen the viral video of a virtual legal proceeding in Texas that wouldn't have been very noteworthy -- except for the fact that a lawyer accidentally switched on a filter that turned his face into an adorable kitten, and couldn't figure out how to turn it off.

"I'm here live. I'm not a cat," the lawyer said, identified on his Zoom screen as Rod Ponton. "I can see that," the judge responds before trying to walk the lawyer through fixing the filter issue.
Riaz Haq said…
#Unilever’s #Pakistan #Delivery Service Partner blueEX Plans #IPO on #KSE to Expand Network. #Karachi-based courier service plans to sell new shares equal to 25% of the company within the next two months. #ecommerce #economy #tech https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-02-19/unilever-s-pakistan-delivery-partner-plans-ipo-to-expand-network

Universal Network System Ltd., a Pakistan courier service that counts the local units of Unilever Plc and Nestle SA as clients, is planning an initial public offering to expand its network and bolster its technology backbone.

The Karachi-based company, which operates the blueEX courier service, plans to sell new shares equal to 25% of the company within the next two months, said Chief Executive Officer Imran Baxamoosa. He didn’t disclose financial details.

The initial share sale will make it the first logistics company to list in Pakistan and lure investors to a business that’s crucial for the nation’s booming e-commerce industry, according to Topline Securities Pakistan Ltd., financial adviser for the IPO.

“There is some crazy exponential growth that is being foreseen right now,” Baxamoosa said in a phone interview. “We have grown organically so far but now it’s about time that we get aggressive.”


The courier company that started by handling cargo in 2005 entered the e-commerce business six years later by going door-to-door and convincing companies to start online sales. It even made websites, back-end software and set up a call center for its clients.

It now has about 1,000 employees and over 350 vehicles. The company will use the proceeds to boost its network fourfold. It will also add servers and other IT equipment.

The nation’s e-commerce industry is in its infancy but is growing rapidly as internet and smartphone penetration jump, according to Ruchir Desai, fund manager at Hong Kong-based Asia Frontier Capital Ltd. The pandemic could be a big trigger for the market, he said.

The company handled 2.1 million shipments and 4.5 billion rupees in cash deliveries in the year ended June. It has grown annually by about 70% on average since 2012. The company forecasts revenue will rise more than three times to 4.3 billion rupees in fiscal 2023, according to Baxamoosa.

Riaz Haq said…
Smartphone manufacturing get a boost

https://www.brecorder.com/news/40076064


Smartphone manufacturing policy was unveiled in March 2020. And by now there are commitments from a few players to assemble 1.5 million units a month – 18 million units per annum in a year’s time. Last week, Airlink did a launching ceremony of its factory situated in Lahore. The factory is following international standards and has a capacity to produce 500,000 units a month with a plan to ramp up the assembly to make 800,000 units each month by April 2021 in full three shifts. Based on seasonality and other demand factors, the company is geared up to produce 6 million units a year.

Apart of Airlink, another factory in Karachi has a capacity to produce 6 million units a year. These two factories are functional. Airlink was into the mobile phone distribution business and is now vertically integrated from assembling to retailing. The other company - Transsion Tecno has a long experience of manufacturing in automobile parts. Another player, Vivo has also bought land for factory in Faisalabad and is panning to produce 300,000 units a month. Yet another company Inovi Telecom’s claim is to assemble 200,000 units a month.

Combining all these, around 18 million units a year (1.5mn units a month) will be produced in Pakistan by 2022. Right now, the market size of smartphone is around 36 million units a year – mainly relying on imports. This market size has a potential to grow as a good chunk of consumers are on feature phones and these may slowly transit to smartphones. Plus, every year, there are around 2 million youth coming of age for smartphone use.

That is why Samsung and other players are thinking about starting to assemble in Pakistan. Samsung is big in Pakistan and is catering to high, middle, and low-end smartphones. In the low and medium size, the company must come in local assembling to remain viable – as per new policy, the smartphones under $200 price would not be viable to sell as imported units.

The existing two players (Airlink and Tecno) are contract manufacturers. Samsung is eying a partnership with a contract manufacturer in Pakistan. It is in talks with a few select groups in Pakistan for partnership including biggies like Nishat and Lucky. Samsung is also considering Airlink for partnership – the edge Airlink would have is its expertise in selling.

Smartphone assembling is a low capex and high working capital business. Airlink’s capex is around Rs600-700 million; but its working capital requirement is much bigger. If it sells at an average price of $60 per unit, for 500,000 units, it will be selling around Rs5 billion worth of phones a month. The WC need would be somewhere around Rs20 billion (considering three cycles a year). The company has arranged the working capital from bank credit lines; but is also planning to list on the stock exchange. This will be first of its kind listing on the PSX.

Riaz Haq said…
India has the highest percentage of smartphone users, at 69 percent, followed by Sri Lanka with 60 percent, Nepal 53 percent and Pakistan 51 percent.

https://www.thedailystar.net/backpage/news/bangladesh-behind-nepal-pakistan-smartphone-use-2069457


The report was unveiled at a virtual roundtable organised jointly by GSMA (Groupe Spécial Mobile Association) and the Association of Mobile Telecom Operators of Bangladesh (AMTOB).

The report, titled "Achieving mobile-enabled digital inclusion in Bangladesh", said 4G network now covered 95 per cent of the population. Yet, there was still a significant usage gap of 67 per cent as only 28 per cent of the population had 4G connections.

"This suggests a lag between 4G coverage rollout and usage of 4G services. This lag in usage is largely explained by issues related to the affordability of devices, low levels of knowledge and digital skills, a perceived lack of relevance, as well as safety and security concerns."


High sector-specific taxes, a fragmented licensing regime, as well as issues with the pricing and usage restrictions on spectrum have been identified as barriers to expanding coverage.

Bangladesh, however, fares better compared to Nepal and Sri Lanka in terms of 4G connections. Only 17 per cent of the population has 4G connections in Nepal, and 18 per cent in Sri Lanka, according to the report.

India has the highest 4G connections at 63 percent of the population followed by Pakistan.

Bangladesh has 17 crore mobile connections. Of them, nine crore are unique subscribers, giving a penetration rate of 54 percent as of December 2020.

Some 47 percent of subscribers use 2G connections and 25 per cent 3G connections.

The report said internet and digital technology played a key role in helping drive economic growth and societal development in Bangladesh.

Digital technologies, mobile in particular, will be crucial to implementing the government's 2041 Perspective Plan, achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, and recovering economically in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, the report said.


Riaz Haq said…
Tech in the Post-Pandemic World
Assessing its future, both the bad and the good.

Kara Swisher
By Kara Swisher
Ms. Swisher covers technology and is a contributing opinion writer.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/20/opinion/tech-covid-future.html


The freaky video of the New York Police Department’s robot dog owned the internet earlier this month. The minute that DigiDog creepily trotted out of a public housing building, many people decided that the “Terminator” future had arrived — and that humanity was doomed.

Humanity is not doomed. But the hubbub got me thinking about how to assess the future of tech, both the bad and the good, in the wake of the pandemic.

Much like the major changes that raced through American society after the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic (also after World War I), this will be a jarring time. Here’s my take on five of the key arenas we need to be thinking about post-pandemic.

Telecommuting. Work, and specifically its shift from the office to the home, has been one of the most significant changes of the past year. Of course many jobs still require physical presence, but the number of workers who do not have to be analog is vast and growing.

These so-called knowledge workers have realized — even with all the griping about being on Zoom all the time — that it can be both cheaper and more productive to have a work force that is more flexible in terms of place and time.

----------

Telehealth. Health care is another area that was ripe for disruption prepandemic, as the industry had resisted tech for many years. A number of giant companies like Microsoft and Google have tried to streamline the consumer health experience, while many others have been part of digitizing the back end, but it’s still a miasma of confusion. The pandemic only underscored the poor state of the country’s health services.

-----------------

Retail. Physical retail — including restaurants and bars — has been under enormous pressure for years, as tech companies have increasingly placed themselves between the goods and customers. All the while, tech companies have been building one moat after the next to solidify their strength by providing better service, streamlining delivery logistics and offering better prices.

----------------

Tele-education. Online education has not worked out so well in the past year. A reliance on virtual education has taken a toll on our mental health and revealed inequities in internet access. It’s still a problematic experience for most users. Everyone I talk with agrees that it’s been a failure for most students.

--------------

Innovation. The most important thing to come out of the pandemic could be a flowering of innovation, across a wide variety of sectors. After the 1918 pandemic, the 1920s saw a burst of aggressive ideas, most especially with the introduction of the television.

While I can’t predict what the 2020s equivalent of that will be, if I had to guess, I would say we’ll see new breakthroughs related to the messenger RNA technology used to develop several Covid vaccines. Such a thing would be both ironic and fitting, and in keeping with how innovation works: Out of the ashes of great distress comes a major discovery. And the rest is, as they say, history.
Riaz Haq said…
Pakis­tan’s imports of cellphones swelled by 56.74 per cent to $1.54 billion in the first nine months of 2020-21 compared to $979.965 million over the corresponding period last year.

https://twitter.com/bilalgilani/status/1385728340229767170?s=20
Riaz Haq said…
Thinking Inside the ‘Box’: #Pakistan Turns to #Education TV During #COVID19 #Pandemic. It has been made available as on demand content on program websites, YouTube channels, and mobile apps. Viewership of these 2 initiatives was high during first 6 months https://reliefweb.int/report/pakistan/thinking-inside-box-pakistan-turns-education-tv-during-covid-19?utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=shared&utm_source=twitter.com

Story Highlights

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Pakistan quickly deployed the federal program TeleSchool for Pakistani students, and the provincial program Taleem Ghar for students in Punjab.

Viewership of these two initiatives was high during the first six months due to leveraged resources and stakeholders and a phased roll out approach, although awareness and use decreased right after.

Key challenges include improving student engagement, enhancing lesson content, increasing viewership, and leveraging TV lessons beyond the pandemic as part of blended learning.

Education TV as a remote learning tool during a pandemic

School closures as a result of the pandemic affected more than 30 million children in Pakistan, including approximately 12 million children in Punjab. According to the World Bank, at least one million children would drop out of primary and secondary school as a consequence. To ensure the continuity of learning, the country turned to educational technology (EdTech) tools like TV, radio, and mobile phones. Almost all of Pakistan (95 percent) and Punjab (90 percent) had access to TV, so this became the most viable option for remote learning for students and for teacher training.

Pakistan's Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training (MoFEPT) and the School Education Department (SED) of the province of Punjab, Pakistan went into emergency education planning mode. In April 2020, Punjab rolled out the education TV program Taleem Ghar to support remote learning for its students. This was immediately followed by a roll-out of the federal education TV program TeleSchool across Pakistan.

As a response, the World Bank produced pragmatic guides called 'Knowledge Packs' to support policymakers in making quick yet informed decisions as they work with education ministries. For example, the Education TV Knowledge Pack includes case studies such as Pakistan's to support with just-in-time pragmatic learnings from successful TV programing across countries; evidence of its effectiveness; steps and costs to start and enhance programing; and how to navigate the decision-making process. This initiative is part of the global program for Continuous and Accelerated Learning in response to COVID-19 supported with funding from the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), and implemented with UNESCO and UNICEF. Two World Bank projects have been providing financing: 'Pandemic Response Effectiveness in Pakistan (PREP)' provides funding for TeleSchool, and 'Third Punjab Education Sector Project (PESP III)' provides funding for Taleem Ghar.

Increasing student access and engagement, and the critical role of teachers

Education TV in Pakistan has been made available as on demand content on program websites, YouTube channels, and mobile apps. Punjab developed animated teacher characters for TV lessons (Miss DNA, Mr. Khawarizmi, and Miss Curie). "The biggest challenge was the disengagement of children from academic learning... The biggest question was---'how will the children learn'? We started looking at what existed and what we could start immediately," stated Umbreen Arif, Technical Advisor to the Pakistan Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training, who led TeleSchool.

Public school teachers, subject experts, and timetabling specialists were leveraged to develop TV lessons and scripts for broadcasting aligned to the national and provincial curricula, and to curate existing educational content. Teachers also supported mass communication campaigns by appearing on TV network morning shows.
Riaz Haq said…
#Netflix cuts prices in #Pakistan to grow #streaming business. The Standard plan now costs Rs 800 per month whereas the Premium plan is now priced at Rs 1,100. The plans were earlier, Rs 1500 and Rs 1200 respectively. #entertainment #movies #online https://tribune.com.pk/story/2324797/netflix-lowers-prices-in-pakistan


While Netflix recently hiked prices in NZ, Netherlands as well as Spain, the company has reduced prices in Pakistan

Last month Netflix announced it is launching a free mobile plan in Kenya as the global streaming giant hopes to bank on the 20 million internet users the country offers. The plan will allow users to sign up free of cost and includes ads.

Netflix has experimented with a different price offerings in different countries to attract customers, esp in developing nations. The mobile plans offered in India and Pakistan are one such example.


Riaz Haq said…
(UNICEF) report titled ‘COVID-19 and School Closures: One year of education disruption’ stated that amongst the south Asian countries, internet access is available to 74.6 per cent students in Sri Lanka, 69.7 per cent students in Bangladesh, 36.6 per cent in Nepal, 9.1 per cent in Pakistan, 8.5 per cent in India, and 0.9 per cent in Afghanistan.

The report stated that pandemic, lockdowns, and the subsequent closure of schools impacted 201 million students worldwide. Out of these, 170 million students had no access to education for the past one year.


https://en.gaonconnection.com/digital-education-lok-sabha-online-access-schools-remote-learning-aser/

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/350496735_COVID-19_and_School_Closures_One_year_of_education_disruption
Riaz Haq said…
‘Pakistan fastest growing market for YouTube’

https://www.dawn.com/news/1723154

“Pakistan is one of the fastest growing markets for YouTube globally,” said Marc Lefkowitz, company’s director of partner development and management for Asia Pacific.


-------

KARACHI: YouTube Pakistan brought out the big guns on Thursday evening for its maiden Brandcast — a loud show of song and dance with hundreds of young content creators gathered under one roof to dazzle the deep-pocketed advertisers of the country’s “No. 1 online video and music platform”.

Beginning with a short concert and effusive presentations by popular YouTubers, the event featured what seemed like sales pitches to advertisers by top YouTube officials.

“Pakistan is one of the fastest growing markets for YouTube globally,” said Marc Lefkowitz, company’s director of partner development and management for Asia Pacific.

As many as 62 per cent of online Pakistanis between the ages of 18 and 24 reported watching YouTube at least once a month, he said. Citing a study conducted by parent company Google and research firm Kantar, he said 78pc of internet users in Pakistan said YouTube was the video platform they went to when they wanted to watch shows and online content.

The same study showed 76pc of internet users believed YouTube helped them “learn something new”. Three-quarters of internet users claimed the video platform carried content that helped them “dig deeper into their interests”.

In a separate interaction with reporters after the event, Mr Lefkowitz said the number of YouTube channels making Rs1 million or more in revenue has gone up 110pc on a year-on-year basis. There’re currently more than 5,400 YouTube channels with more than 100,000 subscribers in Pakistan, up 35pc on an annual basis. More than 350 of these channels have more than a million subscribers.

In his presentation and subsequent talk with the press, Google Country Director Farhan Siddique Qureshi said YouTube has become the centre of modern life as it fulfils educational, professional and entertainment needs of ordinary people, he said.

He urged businesses to capitalise on the “deep connections” that YouTube users have built on the platform to remain at the “top of (their) minds” for achieving a “greater sales uplift”.

A case study shared with the press showed Nestle Fruita Vitals was experiencing low sales in a few cities. It decided to test which advertising channel — TV or YouTube — would yield “efficient results”. YouTube surpassed TV’s reach on the third day, the case study showed. The on-target reach of YouTube versus the TV campaign was three times higher while its cost was 70pc lower, it said.

PR minders of the firm kept hovering over the YouTube representatives during the press briefing in an apparent attempt to stop them from oversharing. Mr Qureshi didn’t state any numbers with respect to the size of YouTube’s business in Pakistan, its earnings, payments to local content creators or taxes.

In response to a question about the perception that local content creators don’t make as much money as their counterparts from other parts of the world, Mr Qureshi said advertising rates are auction-based, not fixed.
Riaz Haq said…
Pakistan’s ‘largest’ OTT platform streams original content from Hollywood, other studios

https://www.arabnews.pk/node/2273296/pakistan


Titled SHOQ, the streaming app allows registration of up to five devices with two concurrent sessions
Pakistani Internet users can opt from various packages ranging from Rs8 per day to Rs120-299 a month
KARACHI: Pakistan’s “largest” Over-The-Top platform, SHOQ, offers an interesting lineup of original local and international shows, a Pakistani telecom official said, describing the platform as the country’s “ultimate entertainment solution.”

SHOQ is a subscription-based streaming app that works on the Bring-Your-Own-Device (BYOD) model and PTCL-provided TV dongles, enabling users to avail multi-screen services from any place, anytime through smartphones, tablets, laptops, Android Smart TVs and Android TV Boxes.

The Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL), a subsidiary of e& that was formerly known as the Etisalat Group, officially launched the platform in late January, aiming to provide a “superior” and “immersive” viewing experience to all data users in Pakistan.

SHOQ allows registration of up to five devices with two concurrent sessions at a time. It is available for all Pakistani data users on “customer-friendly” daily, weekly, and monthly bases, according to Pasha. Customers can opt from various packages ranging from Rs8 per day to Rs120-299 a month.

“We have original content with rights from Hollywood studios like Warner, Sony, etc. The content ranges from blockbuster movies to highly rated and acclaimed series,” Amir Pasha, a PTCL group director, told Arab News on Tuesday.

“We believe that SHOQ has what it takes to be the country’s ultimate entertainment solution.”

Pasha said they believed a high-quality local OTT entertainment service was much needed that was not only affordable but also customized to local tastes and preferences, given the increasing Internet penetration in Pakistan.

While the platform does not offer Indian content, the official said it did have a wide range of local and international content that was liked by the subscribers.

“Content acquisition is a continuous process to add value to the platform and for customer retention. We will continue R&D (research and development) and will bring in more content that matches the customer requirements and entertainment needs,” Pasha said.

“We are focusing on local content in addition to international content that will allow SHOQ to gain more market [share]. SHOQ penetration is on the positive growth trajectory and we believe it will take some time to strengthen our footprint across the country.”

SHOQ also hosts one hundred most-watched local and international live TV channels, Pakistani movies and originals to cater to the entertainment needs of the entire family, according to a PTCL statement.

“We are pleased to support the development of Pakistan’s largest OTT platform, powered by PTCL,” Khalifa Al-Shamsi, the CEO of e& life, said at the launch of SHOQ in January.

“We are confident that this new service will add great value to the people of Pakistan. e& will continue to support the PTCL Group, especially in its new chapter of creating a digital future that empowers every person in society to create innovative digital services and tap into new customer segments, building success upon success.”

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