Monday, February 17, 2025

Freelancers Call for Immediate Restoration of Internet Services

-

Freelancers across Pakistan are experiencing significant challenges due to ongoing internet disruptions, prompting the Pakistan Freelancers Association (PAFLA) to call for immediate action.

The association is urging authorities to swiftly address these issues, which are critically affecting the livelihoods of millions of freelancers nationwide.

The Pakistan Freelancers Association (PAFLA), a national body representing freelancers, has requested that relevant authorities urgently address the ongoing internet issues and restore services to full capacity.

In a statement, PAFLA President and CEO Tufail Ahmed Khan highlighted that freelancers have been struggling with slow internet speeds and frequent outages for the past three weeks.

“These challenges have made it difficult to meet project deadlines, onboard new clients, and secure future business, leading to significant revenue losses,” he said.

PAFLA emphasized that a stable and reliable internet connection is essential for freelancers to perform their work efficiently and continue contributing to the country’s foreign exchange reserves.

“Pakistan is the fourth-largest freelancing market globally, with over 2.3 million full-time and part-time freelancers,” Tufail Ahmed Khan noted.

He warned that if these issues continue, online freelancing platforms might downgrade Pakistan’s standing, further harming the industry.

PAFLA also pointed out that, in addition to full-time freelancers, thousands of students rely on freelancing to fund their education, and many educated housewives take on freelance work to support their families during these difficult economic times.

Tufail Ahmed Khan further stated that, according to the Economic Survey of Pakistan, the country’s freelancers generated $350 million in FY 2023-24, marking a 40 percent year-on-year increase.

“This highlights the industry’s rapid growth, potential, and significance to the national economy,” he added.

Earlier, Federal Minister of State for Information Technology, Shaza Fatima Khawaja, addressed the issue of slow internet in Pakistan, attributing it to the excessive use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs).

Speaking at a press conference in Islamabad, she clarified that the internet has not been blocked or intentionally slowed down, but the increased usage of VPNs has impacted internet speeds.

She explained that when certain apps were blocked, people turned to VPNs, which bypass local internet services and cause slowdowns, including on mobile networks.

She assured that the government is working to resolve these issues and improve internet services across the country.

Additionally, she announced the establishment of a Digitization Commission to advance the digital economy and noted that IT exports have been on the rise due to initiatives taken by the Special Investment Facilitation Council.

The Minister of State also dismissed reports suggesting that the government had intentionally slowed or blocked internet services, clarifying that the slowdown was due to the increased burden on internet traffic.


LATEST POSTS

AI Tool That Rates Roti Roundness

Roti roundness has officially entered the tech spotlight with a new AI tool that’s sparking both laughter and controversy....

US Launches Probe into DeepSeek’s Use of Restricted AI Chips

The battle for AI dominance just heated up. The United States Commerce Department has initiated an investigation into whether...

DeepSeek vs. ChatGPT-The Battle for AI Supremacy Heats Up

Launched just a week ago, DeepSeek has already become the most downloaded free app in the US, a testament...

Most Popular