Pakistan to Indianize 10 million houses

Pakistan, long criticized for poor public service delivery, now sees a rare opportunity to leapfrog modern governance through technology. But its fight for a digitally enabled future depends on whether it can overcome deep connectivity gaps, high infrastructure costs and sluggish fiber-to-the-home penetration as the government rolls out an ambitious National Fiberisation Plan aimed at bringing high-speed broadband to 10 million households by 2029.

While the initiative promises stable 100Mbps internet for every user and aims to propel the country into the top 50 global speed rankings, experts warn that fragmented networks, limited fiber density, spectrum inefficiencies and cyber vulnerabilities could stall progress unless policy, investment and execution align at scale.

The country also aims to visualize 80% of mobile towers to improve network capacity and reliability and improve Pakistan’s position in the top 50 countries in Ookla’s global speed ranking.

The initiative is being implemented by the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunications (MoITT) in collaboration with the World Bank, under the Digital Economy Enhancement Project (DEEP). The main objective of the program is to strengthen the government’s ability to provide digitally enabled public services for citizens and businesses.

To achieve its goals, the ministry is currently seeking to engage a consultancy firm to develop a roadmap for attracting investment within the existing policy framework.

The plan will also explore how Administrative Incentive Pricing (AIP) can be used as a complementary policy tool to promote efficient spectrum use and incentivize the deployment of fiber for backhaul and middle-mile connectivity, particularly to support 4G density and 5G readiness. It will also clarify the complementary roles of fiber (long haul, middle mile and deep access) and spectrum (wireless last mile), ensuring that the AIP discourages spectrum hoarding while encouraging sustainable, long-term investment in fiber-based infrastructure.

Syed Muhammad Taha Owais, an expert in optical fiber infrastructure, said the demand for high-speed internet is rising sharply in urban areas for both commercial and residential use, which could boost business productivity and output.

“Pakistan ranks among the lowest globally for internet speeds due to outdated infrastructure and slow adoption of new technologies, particularly FTTH (fibre-to-the-home),” he said. All stakeholders, including government and the private sector, should accelerate the deployment of fiber optic nationwide to improve connectivity and support the digitization of business and governance systems.

Owais, a senior official of Optix Pakistan, highlighted the importance of high-speed internet, adding that fiber deployment in commercial areas and luxury locations has increased internet uptake and boosted business performance.

Currently, Pakistan has over 211,000 kilometers of deployed optical fiber, including 75,967 kilometers of long distance and 135,506 kilometers of metro.

“For a technical entrepreneur, fiber is not infrastructure, it’s oxygen and digital power,” he said. This fiber design is the launch pad of Pakistan. Every startup, every smart city, every digital service depends on it.

If Pakistan wants to make leaps and bounds, not just catch up, then fiber to every home is non-negotiable, said Dr Noman A Said, an IT exporter. Pakistan cannot build an AI-driven, cloud-powered, data-centric future without deep fiber. “If we deliver this development on time, we unlock a digital economy that goes beyond our region; if we delay, we stifle innovation before it starts,” he added.

Said commented that the key challenges facing Pakistan are fragmented infrastructure and high capital costs, limited FTTH adoption, spectrum inefficiencies and above all, a deep sea fiber to meet the requirements and cyber security as a non-negotiable.

Saad Shah, an IT exporter, said that the availability of internet speed through a modern and hi-tech infrastructure could not only improve the country’s digitization but also improve the country’s global image as a reliable outsourcing country.

Pakistan could achieve its national goals of digitization and export growth through fast, uninterrupted and reliable Internet services at an affordable cost, he added. The government has achieved several milestones recently, including resolving the right-of-way issue, which will help the country achieve the smooth rollout of high-speed internet.