The Shahbaz Sharif administration has done well by introducing various IT-enabled governance solutions in Punjab. That owes as much to the CMs trusted advisors as his own predisposition towards IT-promotion. Last week the younger Sharif, who is about the only serving CM actively seen on social media, launched a free Wi-Fi service programme, initially for cities of Rawalpindi, Lahore and Multan.
Whats not to like about the initiative, other than its political name, "Khadim-e-Punjab Metro Wi-Fi Network Programme"? Reportedly, the public Wi-Fi will be available in dense locations such as educational institutes, airports, railway platforms, hospitals, metro bus routes, bus stands etc. The Wi-Fi will be free of charge, thus allowing people to freely browse infotainment content and use mobile apps like Skype and Viber.
Moreover, if the project succeeds and expands into other cities, it will help local internet population rise above the current, estimated 30 million users. A higher user-base, in turn, will make Pakistan an attractive market for emerging business segments like e-commerce and mobile payments. The downside, of course, will be more smartphone zombies roaming the streets, but thankfully they won bite.
That said; there are reasons to be skeptical here. The announcement last week was without specifics. For instance, how many Wi-Fi hotspots will eventually be installed in the three cities? How much is infrastructure going to cost the Punjab government? Is the Wi-Fi service going to pay for itself (e.g. through ad-space sale)? Will the service remain free forever or just for a limited time? When will the service reach other cities?
Additionally, who will be the operator(s) rolling out these hotspots? Which technology(s) will they use? What will be cost-sharing mechanism between Punjab government and the operator(s)?
One hopes the details would come out soon, and with them the Wi-Fi rollouts. But one might add here that there is a need to route more of these hotspots towards rural areas, where high-speed internet connectivity is needed the most. Urban internet connectivity is improving thanks to 3G and 4G/LTE subscriptions gathering steam. Cities also have comparatively better fixed and wireless broadband coverage.
On the other hand, it will be years before 3G reaches areas that are truly rural in character. What to talk of 3G (mobile broadband) even fixed broadband is unavailable in much of rural - thanks to fiber optic glut in a few cities. In that context, the "free" public Wi-Fi project is more germane for rural than urban Punjab.
However, taking free Wi-Fi to rural will be difficult, because it means bringing fiber-optic to rural areas. That will require heavy investment and a lot more time. The Khadim probably wants something glossy now and the operators would be happy to oblige, after all they get to utilize their existing fiber optic network. So rural Wi-Fi will likely remain off the table, thus enlarging the digital divide.
On a lighter note, Shahbazs IT-activism, in particular, makes rest of the CMs look bad. It is, therefore, suggested that the federal government must step in. Thats what neighbouring Indias central government did earlier this year, as it announced setting up 60,000 Wi-Fi hotspots in 2,500 cities and towns within three years, through state-controlled carrier, BSNL, at a cost exceeding $1 billion.
The federal government can encourage and provide resources to the rest of provinces through channels like USF so the latter can implement similar projects in their geographies. Plus, it is only the federal government that can create a concerted push for fiber optic expansion to rural areas - a prerequisite for fast internet connectivity. But for that, the senior Sharif may have to provide leadership. Will he?
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