[Islamabad, Pakistan] – The Internet Society, in partnership with the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority, will host INET Islamabad, 16-18 November 2015. Bringing together more than 250 participants representing government, Internet service providers, mobile operators, academia, financial institutions, ICT entrepreneurs and the general public, the forum will lay out Pakistan’s Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) agenda as a way of accelerating the development of the country’s digital economy and advancing sustainable development.
INET Islamabad reinforces Pakistan’s Vision 2025—a set of policy reforms which has recognized the role of ICTs in modernizing the public sector, and in expanding and expediting the delivery of public services to its citizens. “Pakistan has recently shown tremendous growth potential in broadband services, and the economy is starting to see the benefits of this growth. This interactive forum will acquaint the local community with Internet challenges and how to engage in addressing these concerns,” said Dr. Syed Ismail Shah, Chairman of the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority.
Pakistan has been making headway particularly in financial inclusion through digital means, launching its first dedicated strategy in May following the success of mobile banking programs like EasyPaisa. It also recently joined the United Nations-based Better Than Cash Alliance.
Rajnesh Singh, Regional Bureau Director for Asia-Pacific at the Internet Society, explained: “Pakistan now stands at the cusp of breaking into a digital economy and needs to make informed choices in fostering an environment that can use the Internet and Internet-based technologies to help drive economic and social development. We hope that forums such as INET Islamabad will contribute to this progress.”
The two-day conference will feature both international and national subject matter experts with broad experience, globally and nationally, in ICT policymaking and development. Some of the key topics that will be discussed are: infrastructure and connectivity for sustainable development; e-Gov architecture, standards, interoperability and implementation; building trust in cyberspace; growth of the ICT industry; and digital financial inclusion.
To view the complete list of sessions, speakers and panelists, please follow this link. You may also view the live webcast and follow INET Islamabad on social media using the Twitter hashtag #INETISB.
About the Internet Society
The Internet Society, www.internetsociety.org, is the trusted independent source for Internet information and thought leadership from around the world. It is also the organizational home for the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF). With its principled vision and substantial technological foundation, the Internet Society promotes open dialogue on Internet policy, technology, and future development among users, companies, governments, and other organizations. Working with its members and Chapters around the world, the Internet Society enables the continued evolution and growth of the Internet for everyone.
About PTA
Established in 1996, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority is an independent government agency responsible for the establishment, operation and maintenance of telecommunications in Pakistan. PTA has its headquarters at Islamabad and zonal offices located at Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, Quetta, Rawalpindi and Muzaffarabad.
Media Contact: Noelle de Guzman, [email protected], +65 6407 1470