Aitizaz Hassan

The use of the mobile phone has increased the access of people to financial services in Pakistan and improved their living standards, WealthPK reports.

According to a survey, recently conducted by Telenor Asia, 90% of people in Pakistan believe that the use of mobile phone has increased their access to financial services. The biggest perceived benefit of mobile connectivity is financial inclusion. Sustainable living through the use of mobile technology was also high on the agenda for three among four persons interviewed for the survey.

The survey report titled “Digital Lives Decoded” was released on the occasion of Telenor’s 25th anniversary in Asia. During the survey, more than 8,000 mobile internet users across eight countries in South and Southeast Asia including Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam were interviewed.

The report says that mobile connectivity enriches relationships, delivers convenience and makes it easier for people to participate in the digital economy.

It says that most users, about 94%, especially women, across Asia believe that mobile connectivity has significantly improved their lives while 53% of the women surveyed in Pakistan believe that mobile phones have considerably improved the quality of their lives as compared to 40% of men.

According to the report, 73% of Pakistanis believe that their quality of life has improved with greater connectivity with friends and family while 68% believe they have struck the perfect technological balance.

It says that 82% of people think that the greatest impact of mobile technology on improving quality of life has been through communication via calls or emails, 80% use it for search engines, 84% for work and 86% for e-learning.

The use of mobile phones continues to accelerate at a rapid pace with women leading the way as 92% of them carry their mobile phones with them for approximately half the day, 42% for 90% of the day and 23% are never without their mobile phones. Nine out of 10 respondents believe that mobile connectivity improves financial, healthcare and education access.

The survey says that the surge in digital adoption shows no signs of slowing down as three out of four people expect its increase, with Thai respondents leading this trend.

Looking ahead, 70% of Pakistanis expect to spend even more time with their mobile phones, with 32% expecting a significant increase. However, the survey has found a disparity of 10% between urban and rural respondents regarding the use of mobile phones.

It is expected that the use of mobile phones in Pakistan will increase by 86% for work, 75% for online services and 74% for social interaction.

The report, available with WealthPK, shows that 97% of Pakistanis are confident about their digital skills and 96% are concerned about keeping pace with future advancements in technology.

Credit : Independent News Pakistan-WealthPk