This is an initiative to develop and test an end-end solution that can deliver a high level of network resilience and security to services that are critical to society and require 24/7 availability. This includes banking, payment and emergency services.

Overview

Pakistan sits in a region where security threats are faced on a regular basis, and telecommunication operators are frequently asked to shut down communications – whether that’s mobile networks in specific areas, Internet access, or particular mobile applications.

Temporary Internet disruptions have a major impact on business. In 2020 alone there were at least 155 internet shutdown incidents around the world, in 29 countries (Source: Access Now and the #KeepItOn Coalition), and the negative impact of shutdowns was deepened during the COVID-19 pandemic. The effect on a country’s economy can be as much as $23.6million per 10 million population per day (Source: Deloitte), and in some markets a reduction of up to 3 days of monthly data revenue.

The ‘Always-on’ Network Service in Pakistan is an industry-wide initiative, supported by the GSMA Foundry, to deliver “Always-on” accessibility for business-critical applications (such as mobile, financial / banking applications) and emergency services (ambulance / medical / rescue services) in data-restricted geographical areas.