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Pakistan is a global leader in the production of freelancing software. CEO of Telenor
Telenor Pakistan CEO Irfan Khan expressed excitement about the country's digital ambitions while praising the country's talent in an online debate. “There are 100 million people aged under 30 years old, a highly educated population and the nation is a leader in freelance software development.”, he said.
However, he said that Pakistan has yet to recognize the spectrum as a ‘lifeline' for the government's Digital Pakistan plan, while praising an impending auction as a positive move.
Pakistan now possesses a third of Thailand and Malaysia's spectrum, as well as a quarter of New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, and the United States.
Khan admitted that Pakistan is one of the most heavily taxed countries for communications services, but said that Telenor has been guaranteed that incentives will be included in a financial bill set to be tabled next week to restart the industry.
Due to a lack of permanent infrastructure, more than 90% of individuals access the internet via a mobile device. “That is not going to change, which puts a huge responsibility on the shoulders” of operators, he added.
