I would like to thank the Pakistani leader who modernized Pak telecom in the 90's.

Mostar95 · April 30, 2008, 5:20am

Re: I would like to thank the Pakistani leader who modernized Pak telecom in the 90’s

**Dot Milestones **

Pakistan’s Internet Timeline

1991:

http://www.spider.tm/aug2003/images/1991.jpg

X.25 Packet Switched Public Data Network (PSPDN) introduced by PTCL. Tariffs are high, service is low, but in principle one can get connected to the young Internet.
1992:
Pakistan’s first email node established at HEJ, Research Institute of Chemistry, Karachi University.
1993:

Imran.Net starts offering its commercial e-mail service.
SDNPK, a UNDP project, starts the first reliable e-mail and news group service.
1994:
First DNOPs (Data Network Operators) licences issued by GoP.
1995:

.pk domain comes into existence.
Digicom offers first commercial Internet Service. A 64Kbps link. Rs100/hr.
1996:

PTCL starts its Internet service.
Pakistan Telecom Act Approved by Parliament & PTA formed.
ISP licenses issued by PTA.
PTCL signs for SMW-3 fiber optic cable spur touching Karachi.
LUMS becomes first educational institution in the country to have own Internet connectivity.
1998:

ISPs mushroom across the country, followed closely by cyber cafés.
PTCL introduces multimetering of Internet calls despite public outcry.
PTCL, under consumer and industry pressure, stops multi-metering of Internet calls.
Formation of Internet Service Provider’s Association of Pakistan (ISPAK).
1999:
Universal Internet Numbers (UIN) starting with digits 131 allotted to ISPs.
New tariffs for international bandwidths using fiber (SMW-3) bring shared IP international bandwidth to US$6000 per month, for 2 Mbps.
2000:

Pakistan’s first IT Policy formulated.
GoP’s Universal Internet Access scheme allows more than 1,000 cities, towns and villages to dial ISPs in the nearest city at the cost of local call.
SMW-3 fiber optic cable commissioned.
Broadband cable introduced by WorldCall in Lahore.
2001:
PTCL establishes new Internet bandwidth service through the newly introduced Pakistan Internet Exchange (PIE) with attractive price tags, but no quality of service guarantee.
2002:

PIE starts blocking Internet telephony and pornographic websites.
Government sets up Virtual University.
Pakistan Educational Network connects 56 national universities with a high speed optical fiber network.
PTA issues determination unblocking Net2Phone and other VoIP services.
2003:

Pakistan’s first geo-stationary satellite, PAKSAT-1, becomes operational.
PTCL Monopoly lapses on Jan 1.
PIE network goes down to crawling speeds 63 times in two months.
PIE blocks access to SA Tribune, a Washington based news website, critical of the GoP. Ministers deny the blocking.
PTCL bandwidth rates are dropped from US$ 6,000 per 2 Mbps to US$ 5,400 per 2 Mbps.
FLAG’s virtual pop activated.
PTCL signs 1st service level agreement with ISPs on FLAG circuits.

Internet subscribers hooked to about 45 ISPs in Karachi suffer owing to break in fibre cable of PTCL. Internet remains ‘down’ for 19 hours.
Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication announces the De- Regulation Policy for the Telecommunication Sector.
*]GoP announces plans to give away porn-blocking software.