LirneAsia, a think-tank based in Sri Lanka that carries out research on information communication technology recently conducted a survey of 2,000 households in Pakistan. The survey revealed that around 69% Pakistani users between the ages of 15 and 65 do not know what the internet is.
According to the think-tank, the sampling methodology was designed to ensure representation of 98% of the target population aged 15 to 65 at a national level. The survey was conducted between October-December 2017.
In the report, CEO LirneAsia Helani Galpaya states “The 152 million active cellular subscribers mentioned on Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) website, despite a good SIM registration system, tell nothing about the subscribers – whether they are men and women, rich or poor and does not really help understand access and usage gaps.”
Moreover, the report points out that lack of internet awareness as a considerable problem across Asian countries, including Pakistan where just 30% of the population in the age group of 15-65 is aware of the internet. The key reason for not using the internet was lack of awareness about it.
However, among the internet users, the urban-rural gap in Pakistan was relatively small i.e. 13%, in fact the lowest seen in the Asian survey countries. The report shows that Pakistani women were 43% less likely to use the internet than men, though this was smaller than the Indian and Bangladeshi internet gender gap which was 57% and 62%.
According to the report, the main limiting factor given by the internet users (49%) was a lack of time or relevance to use it, 18% complained of high data costs and 22% indicated that there was no limitation on their internet use.
The report also shed light on the ‘pretty’ low i.e. 22% users of smart mobile phones together with the 25% who have feature phones with internet capability.
Helani Galpaya emphasizes in the survey, “The rest of the 53pc have no internet capability on their phones. It is time to get smartphones into the hands of the people and basic phones out.”
At the launch she said that while many did not see the relevance of smartphones, another 25% could not afford it. It is to be noted that cellular mobile operators have, in the past, shared similar concerns of excessive import duties on smart handsets that deprive many subscribers access to better and newer technologies. Furthermore, the report also describes Pakistan better than its peer countries in Asia where 57% Pakistanis in the target age group of 15-65 have a mobile phone of some kind.
The findings of the report contradict the claims of PTA regarding maximum tele-density in the country. PTA maintains that the survey by the private organization presents a dismal picture of the tele-density in Pakistan.
Reference links: www.dawn.com
