Internet Slowdowns in Pakistan: A Problem for Freelancers

These internet disruptions mean something more than just a disruption for the growing freelance workforce in Pakistan; they are a threat to income sources. One of the freelance workers who was willing to be interviewed but preferred to remain anonymous said: ‘We all are facing some different issues and many people in the freelancing community lost their potential long-term clients,’ We were not able to send files or download ones sent to us over WhatsApp.’

The participants from the industry demanded that specific strategies should be used to address out these challenges. Shamim Rajani stated that there needed to be dedicated Software Technology Zones that would offer safe and convenient business spaces. It is possible to have such zones providing direct Internet connections – with satellites as backup – while still enabling the needed monitoring.

These problems wrestled with make the future of Pakistan’s digital economy hang by a thread. The livelihoods of thousands of freelancers, and the country’s dream of becoming a regional tech powerhouse, are at stake right now. It is high time for the government and the stakeholders of the industry to take necessary actions to prevent these challenges to ensure that Pakistan stays competitive in the global digital economy.