ISLAMABAD: The government’s goal of a Digital Pakistan is coming to life, with the ministry playing a pro-active role in developing a conducive environment for ever-changing technological needs, Minister for Infor­mation Technology and Telecommuni­cation Syed Amin Ul Haque said on Thursday.

Speaking at the launch of the 2021 Tech Trend report, Mr Haque — who was the chief guest on the occasion — said the new “Right of Way” (ROW) policy for the telecom sector will help enhance the sector expand its outreach. The ROW policy will also help remove hurdles faced by telecom and internet service providers in the installation and maintenance of their equipment, he added.

Speaking virtually at the launch, Head of Telenor Research Bjørn Taale Sandberg noted that 2020 proved digitalisation was the key to tackling major societal issues.

“The pandemic has triggered us and nearly every industry around the globe to adapt at a rate once thought impossible,” he said. The year 2020 will go down in history as not only one of the most challenging of the century, but also as one of the most transformative, he added.

Meanwhile, Telenor Pakistan CEO Irfan Wahab Khan said innovative sol­utions to promote financial inclusion, propel mAgri initiatives and artificial intelligence were being developed for usage at the most personalised level.

The Tech Trends report — published annually by the Telenor Research — predicts that there will be more cybersecurity challenges in the current calendar year and due to this, greater im­­plementation of user-friendly security solutions is predicted in near future.

The publication says that 2021 will see eHealth actors developing and rolling out new sets of tools and services related to mental health, the trends also reflect on how governments will use the momentum of 2020 to pave the way for a green recovery in 2021, putting climate laws and climate plans into action, the report adds.

The year 2021 is expected to see an escalating number of new and creative methods of remote, digital learning to emerge from the rapidly advancing virtual learning sphere.

Published in Dawn, January 29th, 2021

Opinion

Editorial

Judicial infighting
03 Oct, 2024

Judicial infighting

As other state institutions grow more assertive, continued failure to present a united front will increasingly endanger SC's authority.
Iranian salvo
Updated 03 Oct, 2024

Iranian salvo

With the US and UK egging on Israel, instead of reining in their rabid ally, it is difficult to foresee a negotiated denouement of this conflict.
Chance to play well
03 Oct, 2024

Chance to play well

THE announcement came without warning very late on Tuesday night. Merely six months since his reappointment and 11...
Constitutional courts
Updated 02 Oct, 2024

Constitutional courts

How can the govt expect any court established by it to be seen as fair and impartial?
Lebanon invasion
Updated 02 Oct, 2024

Lebanon invasion

Hezbollah is at heart a guerrilla movement, and though it may be severely degraded, its cadres on the ground are not likely to be deterred.
Painful loop
02 Oct, 2024

Painful loop

PAKISTAN’S polio situation has drastically deteriorated with the country now reporting 24 cases this year — four...