According to the report published by Statista, Pakistan was classified among the top ten countries with the largest share of internet users in Asia 2020.
But research firms Counterpoint and Canalys, which released data on Thursday, pegged Huawei at number six, marking the first time in years that it has fallen out of the top five in their rankings.
China’s Xiaomi Corp, the number three seller, saw its shipments skyrocket 32pc while shipments for fourth-ranked Oppo climbed 10.7pc, according to IDC.
The audience’s geographical research found that, as of May 2020, China accounted for 37.1 percent of Internet users in Asia, led by India with 24.3 percent. Pakistan, with 3.1% of internet users, ranked sixth on the list.
According to a Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) press release, the rise can be attributed to increased online activities by educational institutions and companies and the ‘work from home’ strategy embraced by individuals and organizations.
Pakistan has also begun its journey to make the most advanced 5G internet commercially accessible to customers in 2022-23, which will accelerate the download speed to one gigabit per second (Gbps) 10 fold and greatly expand the country’s economic activities.
Despite the rising number of internet users and the demand for high-speed internet however, there is still an enormous distance between urban and rural areas in Pakistan and their access to the internet due to low connectivity and global outreach to job opportunities in these areas, leading to slow socio-economic growth.
