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Looking for fast internet in Pakistan? Well, you may just have to travel a little further afield than you think.
- According to a recent report by Net Index, Goth Fazal, a little outside of the Sindh city of Nawabshah and near the Pakistan-India border, boasts the fastest download speeds in Pakistan, edging out major cities such as Lahore and Karachi on the list.
- Net Index is owned by Ookla, a broadband testing and web-based network diagnostic applications company.
- According to the data, which was compiled from 1,535 unique IPs in the region, Goth Fazal offers download speed of 2.96 Megabits per second (Mbps), while the national average is 2.31 Mbps, which puts Pakistan at a ranking of 172 out of 186 internationally.
- It must be noted though that IPs do not always correspond with their exact location in Pakistan.
- Pakistan though fares better than some countries in terms of average internet speeds including Egypt, Cuba, Afghanistan and Equatorial Guinea. However, it pales in comparison to regional countries like India, ranked 130, and Bangladesh, ranked 166.
- The top three countries are Hong Kong, South Korea and Singapore, who boast download speeds of 58.57 Mbps, 40.43 Mbps and 37.52 Mbps respectively.
- In the uploading speed index there was better news as Pakistan fares slightly better with a rank of 162 and an average upload speed of 1.10 Mbps.
- For the quality index, there was insufficient data and Pakistan, among many other countries, was not included in the list.
- Methodology
- The report is compiled from millions of internet speed tests and for Pakistan alone, tests from 1,812,486 unique IPs were taken.
- Internet users
- During his keynote address at Connect Asia Pacific Summit 2013 in Bangkok earlier this month, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif stated that Pakistan’s telecom infrastructure comprises 9.8 million internet users, 15.7 million mobile internet users and 2.8 million broadband subscribers.
- He also spoke of the government’s commitment to accelerate digitisation of the country. This in turn would enable socio-economic development, create a knowledge-based economy and promote economic growth, he said.
- The Chief Minister Pervez Khattak has called upon the authorities to accelerate work on setting solar power houses in the province as it consumed comparatively less time and resources and produce cheaper electricity for good that he said also served the purpose of the energy emergency declared by K-P govt soon after coming at the helm of affairs.
- He was chairing a meeting about establishment of solar power houses in various parts of the province at Conference Room of CM Sectt Peshawar. Besides the Senior Minister for Energy & Power Sikandar Sherpao Khan, Chairman Standing Committee in K-P Assembly Mian Khaliqur Rehman, Additional Chief Secretary Khalid Pervez, Secretary Finance Syed Said Badshah Buhari, Secretary Energy & Power Sahibzada Saeed, the meeting was specially attended by a delegation of Chinese Government state owned company CCS (China Com Service) led by its CEO Mr. Yuan Qiang.
- On this occasion the company offered to CM installing 50 MW Solar Power Plants at three different places in Swabi, Nowshera and Charsadda or wherever his govt suggested with a bulk investment of 120 million dollars. The CEO while giving a formal invitation of China visit to CM to see such power houses and explore numerous alternate energy options there as well as assured that more power houses would be set up in DIK, Lakki Marwat and other southern districts after success of this project entailing billions of investment. He told that CCS was scheduling a Solar Energy Program for K-P on subsidized terms for improving local energy conditions and meeting its crash energy plan. The experts told that one mega watt (MW) solar electricity will cost approx Rs 200 million to be a onetime big expenditure and it will require two acre plot for installation.
- Pervez Khattak said that his govt was already working on setting 12 MW solar power house at Gadoon Swabi with cost of $40 million that was announced in our 1st budget to deal with the energy issue prevalent in the country and that was badly affecting economy of our province. The authorities told the meeting that following directives of the CM, implementation process on the declared energy emergency has been expedited to overcome the crippling load shedding and power crises. In this regard 2 hydel power houses of Machai and Ranolia would start functioning in next couple of weeks producing 20 MW electricity. Similarly work on 4 major power stations with 457 MW power capacity has also been started including 150 MW Sharmai, 144 MW shahshkai, 132 MW Shogosan and 31 MW koto hydel projects. Survey for 200 mw thermal power house near the gas reservoirs of Kohat and Karak is also underway. Additionally, a 12MW MSW2E Program is being set up in Rashakai using a 9,500 sq km area of waste collection in alliance with UNHABITAT. Similarly alternate renewable energy sources are being explored. A comprehensive plan is being chalked out to exploit wind power for electricity wherein it is decided to launch a pilot 10 mw wind power project in the province. A report on 2 mw pilot biogas mass power plant by disposing the garbage and solid waste of cities is also being actively reviewed. A model Jetropha Farm is being established to estimate the biodiesel production capacity of the province. A model oil refinery is being established at Kohat that will yield 40 thousands barrel oil products daily. A documentary agreement with PSO has been signed for the purpose. Similarly a plan is evolved to electrify 100 villages having no access to national grid that would be linked with solar system.
- Green Secretariat plan is also being launched to minimize power usage in govt offices. For the purpose the Civil Sectt Peshawar will be shifted to solar energy after proper energy audit. Likewise all the street lights are being converted into solar system under joint collaboration of Energy and Local Govt departments to save heavy expenditures and avoid PESCO disconnections. Under a special initiative to meet energy emergency, BoK will release soft loans to local manufacturers and importers of solar panels/ equipment to promote its production and business in the province.
- The Chief Minister made it clear that though the provincial govt was in hurry to launch and complete energy projects to overcome the problem and cater power supply needs of people but would take every step carefully rather than wasting the precious resources. He said that KP govt besides the friendly countries has openly invited all the federal and provincial govts of Punjab, Sindh, Baluchistan as well as overseas Pakistanis to invest here in energy sector whereas a secure and congenial atmosphere would be provided for the purpose, he concluded.
PAKISTAN TEHREEK-E-INSAF
Central Media Cell
- Press Release: Central Secretary Information PTI, Shireen Mazari, today expressed grave concern over the plight of people stranded on both sides of the Lawari Tunnel with its closure on 5th November. Given the exorbitant PIA fares for Chitral, with the imposition of a 60 % tax.
- The result is the people of the area have no option but to use the road route. That is why on acute humanitarian grounds the Lawari Tunnel should immediately be opened for at least four hours daily to allow people to get to hospitals and to acquire other emergency necessities and return home before the onset of severe winter snows.
- We also demand the early completion of the work on the Lawari Tunnel which, Mazari pointed out, the previous government stopped for 3 years and led to escalating costs and further delays.
- Mazari said, it is unacceptable to punish the local people for these errors of governments and we demand an immediate end to the plight of the people stranded on either side of the Lawari Tunnel.
- Central Media Cell.
