Editor
ISLAMABAD:
The nation’s telecom regulator has lastly admitted to putting in a National Firewall System (NFS) to handle social media content material however insists that latest web service disruptions are as a consequence of a fault within the submarine cable.
Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Chairman Major General (retired) Hafeez Ur Rehman appeared earlier than the National Assembly Standing Committee on IT and Telecom on Wednesday amid rising issues over persistent web disruptions in Pakistan.
Responding to the committee’s queries, Rehman acknowledged that an NFS had been put in as a part of a authorities determination from the PTI period. However, he attributed the latest disruptions to a fault within the submarine communication cablea cable laid on the seabed between land-based stations to hold telecommunication alerts throughout stretches of ocean and sea.
“We have acquired a letter stating that the fault will probably be cleared by August 27,” he added.
When requested in regards to the losses attributable to these disruptions, he acknowledged that the telecom sector incurred a lack of Rs300 million, excluding the undocumented losses within the IT sector.
The PTA chairman stated the firewall is being upgraded for the third time within the nation, with approval granted in October 2020 throughout the PTI’s rule. However, as a consequence of monetary points, the challenge was not undertaken at the moment.
Committee members expressed issues in regards to the nationwide firewall, which is being put in as a part of an aggressive net administration technique to manage social media content material.
PTI’s Omar Ayub advised that the firewall is likely to be inflicting the web slowdown, sparking a debate with different officers who insisted that the firewall had not but been totally deployed and due to this fact was not accountable for the present disruptions.
The PTA chairman reassured the committee that the firewall’s set up is consistent with directives from the federal cupboard to manage social media and improve nationwide safety.
Ayub questioned the potential affect of such a system on digital freedom within the nation, stressing that any actions taken must be clear and accountable to parliament.
The assembly additionally addressed issues in regards to the potential for presidency companies to intercept non-public communications, with Omar Ayub questioning the extent of their capabilities.
The committee reiterated its opposition to any restrictions that may hinder progress and known as for readability on the affect of firewalls on residents’ lives.
The PTA chairman clarified that the net administration system had been upgraded twice earlier than, and the choice to improve it in March 2019 led to the introduction of the National Firewall System. He acknowledged that the present authorities is continuous the earlier administration’s selections and that the PTA is sure to implement cupboard directives.
During the assembly, a heated trade occurred between Omar Ayub and PML-N member Zulfiqar Bhatti, with Bhatti accusing Ayub of blaming companies for actions licensed by his personal authorities. Ayub emphasised the significance of strengthening parliament, stating, “If parliament is robust, we’re robust.”
Members additionally famous that some areas have been with out web service for the final three years, and cellular alerts stay weak in inside Sindh. The committee expressed dissatisfaction with the PTA’s responses, questioning whether or not residents in these areas are being handled equally.
The committee known as for an in depth report on the injury attributable to these web points and urged the PTA to enhance its high quality of service.
The PTA chairman responded {that a} quality-of-service mechanism is already in place and that corporations are fined when service falls brief. “The PTA conducts common surveys, and every cellular operator is required to put in 455 new towers yearly to reinforce protection,” he added.
Meanwhile, the PTA knowledgeable the Lahore High Court (LHC) that there have been 4 causes for the latest web service disruptions. It claimed that whereas the web pace was affected by a fault within the submarine cable, a mistake by an web firm on July 31 additionally brought on a discount in pace.
The PTA famous that on August 15, a cyberattack occurred on Indian National Day, which additional slowed down the web. “The extreme use of VPNs additionally impacts web pace,” it added. The LHC is at the moment listening to a petition filed towards unannounced web service disruptions.
