The National Assembly’s Standing Committee on IT and Telecommunications has expressed serious concern over the slow internet services being experienced across the country. During its meeting on Tuesday, the committee criticised the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) for failing to address the issue effectively.

The meeting was chaired by Syed Amin-ul-Haque, who directed the PTA to immediately conduct a nationwide survey to evaluate the quality of internet services. The committee asked the authority to present a detailed report on its findings in the next session.

PTA officials briefed the committee that the current 273 MHz spectrum available in Pakistan is not enough to meet the rapidly increasing demand for internet services. They added that the government is preparing to auction an additional 600 MHz spectrum soon, which will also help in the introduction of 5G technology in the country.

During the meeting, the committee also reviewed progress on major IT development projects. Regarding the Islamabad IT Park, the committee instructed authorities to ensure that the project is completed by the Prime Minister’s deadline of December 31, 2025, without any delay.

Officials also updated the committee on the Karachi IT Park project, which is still in its early stages. A South Korean delegation is expected to visit Pakistan on December 2 to finalize the contract, after which work on the project is likely to begin soon.

The committee praised the performance of the National Telecommunication Corporation (NTC) and advised the organisation to follow a policy of “rightsizing” instead of “downsizing,” to make sure that no employee loses their job. The NTC also announced the establishment of new data centres in Karachi and Quetta.

The meeting also noted that the “Prevention of Obscenity in Digital Media Bill (2025)” had to be deferred because the lawmaker who introduced the bill was not present. The committee decided to take up the bill again in a future meeting.