Muhammad Saleem

High-speed internet is critical for the growth of Pakistan’s freelancing industry, which has been hit by internet outages, resulting in the loss of clientele and foreign exchange. Dr Sohail, an economics teacher at a state-run university, talking to WealthPK, said that Pakistan earns precious foreign exchange through freelancers, who offer digital services. “However, these services depend heavily on high-speed internet as a major portion of the freelancing industry operates online,” he noted.  He explained that freelancing was a very competitive market that demands immediate response to clients’ queries.

He said because of this competition, high-speed internet was essential. “A freelancer will not be in a position to deliver a project timely due to slow or unreliable internet.” “Pakistan’s economy needs a substantial influx of foreign exchange, but interrupted internet service is leading to a loss of clients. In economic terms, high-speed internet is a guarantee of boosted productivity in the freelancing sector,” Sohail noted. He said freelancers mostly earned from international clients who expected high-quality results and timely delivery.

“With their skills, freelancers can produce quality results. But what can they do if internet speed fluctuates?” “We have to enhance our internet speed and avoid its fluctuation to establish our reputation internationally. Only skills and reputation can help freelancers secure more projects to strengthen the national economy,” he added. Sohail explained that freelancers used different online resources, tools and platforms to secure projects. “The majority of these platforms need high-speed internet.

For instance, a graphic designer needs to download or upload high-resolution images frequently. Similarly, people need software updates to meet emerging requirements.” Rizwan Ahmed, a freelance graphic designer, told WealthPK that he earned a significant amount of money from international clients. “However, in recent months, my income has declined due to slow internet speed and outages.” He said that business rivals of Pakistan were facilitating the freelancing economy with multiple measures, including offering high-speed internet at affordable rates.

“However, in Pakistan, we are doing otherwise and toying with the internet rather than ensuring its smooth supply so that freelancers can bring in much-needed foreign exchange,” he said. “Our challenges are multifold. Slow internet speed makes it difficult for us to conduct video conferences with our clients to ascertain their requirements, provide updates, and receive feedback in real-time. Similarly, the fluctuating speed is also hampering our work as we cannot upload projects like designs and videos for our clients,” Ahmed explained.

“Slow internet speed often disrupts our communications, leading to misunderstandings and dissatisfaction of clients,” he said. Ahmed said like graphic designers, video editors also found it difficult to upload high-quality videos timely. He said such hiccups led to delays in project completion and affect their relationships with clients. “Freelancing is a stressful job where you have to compete with freelancers all over the globe. Slow internet speed aggravates this stress, giving rivals opportunities to grab clients,” he said.

Credit: INP-WealthPk