Internet crawls as service restored after global outcry
KARACHI: Despite the government’s claim of restoring mobile broadband across the country on Friday, the users faced difficulty in accessing social media platforms, including YouTube, Twitter and Facebook. The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority had taken down the service on Tuesday night for security reasons after violent protests erupted following the arrest of PTI Chairman Imran Khan. The shutdown resulted in a loss of economic productivity and digital service s, including digital payments. Owing to the suspension of the internet services, the telecommunication companies in Pakistan witnessed a loss of Rs2.46 billion in revenue, which also means a decrease of Rs861 million in tax revenue for the government as well. According to an official of a telecom company, the mobile broadband service s constitute around 60% of their total revenues. Therefore, on a daily-basis, they earn approximately Rs820 million. Additionally, the government receives around 35% of the revenue. T...