Google, Youtube explore Pak IT market ....(Issue # 50)

STAFF REPORT ISLAMABAD: The Internet connectivity in Pakistan is quite low with an estimated penetration rate of 10 percent but opportunities for growth are evident as a matter of fact broadband costs are quite cheap compared to other parts of the world—around $13/month.

“It’s hard to imagine a country more at the nexus of geo-politics today than Pakistan, and our team has learned a lot about the state of the Pakistani technology, media and non-profit sectors,” commented a team of experts from Google and YouTube, who has recently visited Pakistan in order to explore business and content opportunities.

The visit was conducted for following up on Google’s Clinton Global Initiative commitment to Pakistan and to sponsor and participate in the country’s first International Youth Conference and Festival.

During the visit, they held a series of meetings with IT and Telecom sector professionals including Jaha Ara, President P@SHA. According to the observation of the delegation, the smartphone’s usage in Pakistan is also on the rise, and there are a growing number of Pakistani developers who are creating mobile applications for sale both in Pakistan and abroad. Around 60% of Pakistanis have a mobile phone, and their average bill is around $3/month. Not surprisingly, SMS is one of the primary means of communication in Pakistan.

They said that one of the keys to bringing more Pakistanis online is the amount of local Pakistani content available on the Internet.

http://www.technologytimes.pk/mag/2010/dec10/issue04/google_youtube_explore_pak.php