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Aftab Maken
The Chairman of PTA informed the Senate Committee on IT on Thursday that VPN licensing would commence on January 1, asserting that it would address certain issues. However, he clarified that VPNs are not the cause of slow internet.
Minister of State for IT, Shiza Fatima, stated that there is no policy to deliberately slow down the internet and added that Starlink would soon begin operations in Pakistan.
The Senate Standing Committee on IT and Telecom meeting, chaired by Senator Palwasha Khan, took place in Islamabad also expressed concerns regarding the slow internet speed in the country.
During the meeting, PASHA Chairman Sajjad Mustafa voiced significant concerns about the VPN policy.
Senator Palwasha Khan criticized the Ministry of IT for shifting responsibility to the Ministry of Interior, questioning, “Why do we even have an IT Ministry?”
Officials from the Ministry of IT explained that they aim to balance national security requirements while minimizing the impact on the IT industry.
The PTA Chairman reiterated that VPN licensing would start on January 1 but dismissed the notion that VPNs are causing slow internet speeds.
Several committee members expressed their concerns about slow internet. Senator Afnanullah Khan suggested that poor firewall management could be contributing to the issue.
The IT Secretary informed the committee that the IT industry has been complaining about slow internet and noted that internet services are suspended during national security concerns.
Senator Kamran raised the question of whether national security concerns are exclusive to Pakistan, comparing the situation to India.
Senator Anusha Rahman highlighted that VPNs were registered in 2018 without any adverse effect on internet speed. She mentioned previous measures such as whitelisting and blocking grey traffic, which did not negatively impact internet performance.
PTI Senator Humayun Mohmand Khan alleged that internet services were suspended due to activities by PTI “terrorists.”
The PASHA Chairman acknowledged slight improvements in internet speed during the past week but described the service as inconsistent, hindering commercial operations.
Senator Afnanullah reiterated that poor firewall management might be a significant factor affecting internet speed.
Minister of State Shiza Fatima, in her briefing, stated that amendments to PECA laws are under consideration, emphasizing the importance of regulating fake news. She reaffirmed that IT remains a priority.
She also pointed out technical reasons for slow internet, including increased usage, and noted the lack of IT investment over the past three years. She announced that the 5G spectrum auction would be held in April.
The PTA Chairman again denied any policy causing slow internet.
Officials from the Ministry of Interior informed the committee that they had only requested the PTA to block illegal VPNs without issuing strict directives.
Senator Afnanullah countered, arguing that the Ministry of Interior does not have the legal authority to direct the PTA. However, Interior Ministry officials maintained that illegal VPNs could be blocked under PECA.
Senator Afnanullah also inquired about the progress of Starlink, a topic discussed two years ago. Minister Shiza Fatima assured that Starlink’s launch is imminent.
A curious incident occurred during the meeting when the internet service unexpectedly went down. Members showed Minister Shiza Fatima their mobile signal statuses. She assured them that the service would be restored shortly, which it was after a brief 4-5 minute outage.
