KARACHI (September 07, 2026): Mian Zahid Hussain, President Pakistan Businessmen and Intellectuals Forum and All Karachi Industrial Alliance, Chairman National Business Group Pakistan, Chairman Policy Advisory Board FPCCI, and Former Provincial Minister Information Technology, has urged the government to complete satellite-internet regulations and establish a transparent licensing process with clear timelines. He said high-speed and reliable internet had become a fundamental requirement for exports, investment, education and healthcare diagnosis. Pakistan is emerging as an important information-technology export hub, with exports of telecommunications, computer and information services reaching $4.6 billion in FY2025–26, approximately 21 percent higher than $3.8 billion a year earlier. July 2026 receipts increased by around 18 percent to $417 million, compared with $354 million in July 2025. These achievements demonstrate the room for Pakistani IT companies, freelancers and educated youth to earn foreign exchange and generate employment.
Mian Zahid Hussain said reliable, high-speed internet was indispensable for sustaining this progress and taking the sector to the next level. Electricity load-shedding, slow internet and connectivity disruptions affect online meetings with international clients, software delivery, e-commerce, cloud services and digital transactions. Businesses consequently struggle to meet deadlines, while repeated delays damage their reputation and risk driving overseas customers towards countries with better internet services. The July 2026 fault in the SEA-ME-WE 5 submarine cable highlighted the vulnerability of Pakistan’s connectivity infrastructure. He said that internet usage among individuals aged ten and above stood at 57 percent nationally, compared with 69 percent in urban areas and 49 percent in rural areas—a gap of 20 percentage points. Household internet access stood at 70 percent nationally, but only 61 percent in rural areas against 82 percent in cities. He stressed that greater access must also translate into wider commercial and productive use, encouraging people to move beyond entertainment towards education, business and income-generating activities.
Mian Zahid Hussain said satellite internet should be developed as an additional source of connectivity alongside submarine cables, terrestrial networks and fibre-optic expansion. With coordinated planning and appropriate network arrangements, it could help maintain services during infrastructure failures. However, uninterrupted electricity was equally necessary. The government and service providers should keep consumers informed about restoration progress and diversify international connectivity routes. Satellite broadband could particularly benefit remote settlements where laying cables or fibre-optic networks was commercially unviable or geographically difficult. Beyond IT and e-commerce, reliable connectivity could help industry, agriculture, mining, tourism, educational institutions and healthcare facilities modernise their operations and improve service standards. Young people could participate in freelancing, online education and e-commerce without having to relocate simply to obtain a better internet connectivity.
Mian Zahid Hussain said artificial intelligence has further increased the importance of digital access. AI has made valuable contributions to early disease detection, clinical care and medical research. Internationally, connected healthcare facilities are enabling doctors to share scans and medical images with specialists, obtain expert opinions and use clinically validated technologies to assist accurate diagnosis, including cancer detection at its initial stage. He noted that NHS England reported the use of teledermatology—remote assessment through medical images—in 41 percent of skin-cancer referrals during the final quarter of FY2024–25. Pakistan could similarly connect healthcare centres with advanced international hospitals under specialist supervision to expand access to quality medical services. Online consultations with medical experts abroad, treatment planning and remote follow-up could reduce patients’ travel costs and difficulties, while preserving clinical oversight, patient privacy and access to necessary physical care.
Mian Zahid Hussain recommended coordination among authorities responsible for approvals, transparent and competitive opportunities for qualified satellite-internet operators, and a review of equipment duties and recurring charges. Affordable satellite terminals and shared connections could improve smaller businesses’ access to domestic and international markets. He urged the government to introduce pilot projects in less-developed districts, industrial centres and urban and rural healthcare facilities. Pakistan, he concluded, must develop and use its digital infrastructure to provide dependable connectivity, strengthen productive activity, create employment and deliver better public services.
