AsiaNet-Pakistan Premier Editorial Content and Press Release Distribution Service
Islamabad, June 14, 2012 (PPI-OT): Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani has said that Pakistan was observing a rapid growth for Broadband adoption with over 120% growth rate during past 3 years. He said that the number of Broadband Internet users have surpassed 7 million mark. This growth, he said, was expected to continue in future as more individuals would join cyber world.
The Prime Minister expressed these views while talking to Mr. Eric Emerson Schmidt, Executive Chairman of Google Inc. at his Parliament House Chamber today.
The Prime Minister said that Pakistan possessed a diverse market for broadband technologies encapsulating DSL, Cable, Fiber, WiMAX and EvDo. The introduction of 3-G mobile broadband services would provide a further boost to the accessibility, he added.
The Prime Minister maintained that we deeply acknowledged and recognized the efforts being carried out by Google for undertaking various community-based projects in the country.
The Prime Minister said that the government was doing everything to facilitate ICT sector for effective delivery of ICT enabled services. He said that we were making efforts for establishment of an information-based society in the country where true potential of such massive ICT infrastructure could be utilized. We
The Prime Minister said that the government had rolled out several projects for promotion of higher education in ICT by establishing several ICT campuses and IT blocs. He asked Google Inc. to provide support in this regard.
The Prime Minister said that he recently announced a Venture Capital Fund of US $ 10 Million and would like Google Inc. to also contribute to it besides its Social Innovation Fund.
“I have, recently, directed the establishment of Universal Service Centers at Union Council level across Pakistan. The aim of these centres is to provide Government to Citizen and Government to Business services acting as an IT Hub in rural areas. I would also like your support to make these centres successful,” the Prime Minister added.
The Prime Minister said that the government was determined to set-up IT Centres in every Union Council as a measure for job creation as well as for promotion of IT-related knowledgeable in the far-flung areas of the country.
The Prime Minister said that the government has spent billions of rupees to provide broadband internet connections in Balochistan, Khyber Pukhtunkhwa and in rural areas for the sake of providing state of the art facilities. We are working on latest 3-G technology, he said.
The Prime Minister underscored the need of utilizing technology for electronic compilation of data about cross-border movement between Pakistan and Afghanistan, which would help track down the terrorists. He said that over 40,000 people crossed the hundreds of kilometres long border on daily basis and it was virtually impossible to keep a physical check at some points of the terrain despite presence of Pakistani check posts.
Speaking on the occasion, Eric Emerson Schmidt, Executive Chairman of Google Inc. said that demographic composition of Pakistani population was a great national asset and the Pakistani youth was talented and eager to get acquainted with the information technology.
He assured the Prime Minister that his company was willing to help Pakistan to spread the information technology throughout the country. He said that connectivity offered the best choices to the youth to get themselves gainfully engaged, which in turn was critical to combat the extremist tendencies.
The Chief Executive said that the building up and maintenance of database through use of information technology was crucial to deal with security issues as well as law and order situation. He said that it was also important for formulating the economic development strategy.
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