ARBITRARY network shutdowns and slow internet speeds have been the defining feature of 2024. The ever-revolving circle on the screen harks back to the dial-up days, where one would hear a cacophony of sound while waiting to connect to the internet. Sudden disconnections often took place when someone picked up the receiver of the landline. 2024 was all about someone constantly picking up the receiver of the landline, without warning, frequently and deliberately, and leaving it off the hook, again and again and again.

Instead of refraining from shutdowns and disruptions, the government, reportedly, has come up with a novel idea to exempt special technology zones and incubation centres. Uninterrupted supply will only be available in these zones and centres, much like if you reside on the same street as someone “important” and there is no load-shedding. Is the expectation for companies and individuals — who have either established set-ups or are freelancers and work remotely — to relocate to these zones and centres? Like the VPN registration regime, this approach also presumes that only some people require access, not everyone. And the only kind of access permissible is under government scrutiny, with red tape and additional costs.

Report upon report quotes losses in the billions as a result of network disruptions. People have lost clients, companies are relocating or setting up back offices, Pakistan is suffering from reputational damage with reluctance to outsource work due to the uncertainty. Yet, supposedly we are on our way to becoming a digital nation. This week, the Digital Nation........

© Dawn