ISLAMABAD: The Internet Governance Conference on Tuesday discussed critical concerns in Internet governance and resource allocation within the Asia-Pacific region.
The conference brought together industry leaders, experts, government officials, and national and international stakeholders from the telecommunications and information technology sector.
Distinguished speakers included Sylvia Cadena, CEO of the Asia-Pacific Network Information Centre (APNIC) Foundation. Cadena spotlighted the Foundation’s particular focus on Pakistan for social sector projects. Additionally, Paul Wilson, the Director General of APNIC, shared insights among other notable contributions.
Caretaker Federal Minister for IT & Telecom, Dr. Umar Saif, shared his perspectives and vision for the future of Internet governance during the event. He lauded the efforts of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and other stakeholders, particularly APNIC, for their contributions to this vital domain.
Dr. Umar Saif stressed the urgency of addressing challenges in Internet Governance, emphasizing that overcoming these obstacles is vital for fostering a conducive environment for businesses to thrive. He further highlighted the immense potential of 5G and the Internet of Things (IoT) in Pakistan, emphasizing the need to adapt the Internet architecture to meet the demands of the contemporary era, thus enabling Pakistanis to become top-tier Internet users.
PTA Efforts in Resolving Internet Governance Issues
Chairman PTA, Major General (R) Hafeez Ur Rehman, expressed the authority’s commitment to resolving Internet Governance issues through collaboration with stakeholders in Pakistan. PTA is actively engaged with various organizations, including APNIC, ISOC, and ICANN, to enhance capacity building, establish Internet Exchange Points (IXPs), facilitate the transition to IPv6, and promote community engagement.
Furthermore, Chairman PTA highlighted PTA’s active involvement in addressing issues related to the .pk domain and its pursuit of introducing an Urdu version of the domain (dot Pakistan). This initiative aims to enable the Pakistani community to have domains in local languages, thus enhancing accessibility.
The conference underlined the significance of transitioning to IPv6 as a means to boost broadband penetration in Pakistan. The conference featured a comprehensive agenda, spanning discussions on regional and global Internet governance, strategies for enhancing Internet Exchange Points (IXP), the role of Content Delivery Networks (CDNs), the transition to IPv6, and capacity-building initiatives to empower network operators and stakeholders.
