Minister for Information and Telecommunication, in her written reply in the Parliament, telecom sector investments, including proceeds from Spectrum auction and further investments in telecom infrastructure, have crossed US$ 2.668 billion.
“World Bank studies indicate that 10 percent increase in high-speed internet connections boosted annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth by 1.38% point. According to these estimates, and considering the exponential rise in mobile broadband users (3G/4G) it is expected that the introduction of this technology will have a very positive impact on economic growth in the country”, the minister stated.
The minister stated that IT exports had risen by 41% in 2014-15 as compared to previous
year; content and software development was also gaining significant momentum and soon will get status of sub-sector within IT sector.
The connectivity of broadband through 3G/4G services has resulted in expansion of financial services web and e-commerce related activities particularly in relation to women which constitutes 51% of the population, according to the minister.
