Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and PITB have joined hands to launch Lahore Internet Exchange Point (IXP) to boost the local ICT infrastructure and digital connectivity across Pakistan.
The inauguration ceremony was held today at Arfa Software Technology Park (ASTP) to mark the historic milestone. The ceremony was presided by Chairman PTA Major General (R ) Hafeez Ur Rehman along with Chairman PITB Faisal Yousaf.
Key stakeholders including government officials, industry leaders and prominent Internet Service Providers (ISPs) were among the attendees. International stakeholders namely Asia Pacific Network Information Centre (APNIC), Japan Registry Services (JPRS) and Internet Society (ISOC) attended the event through online presence.
PITB Chief Information Officer Sajjad Ghani, Director General (CVD) PTA Dr Mukaram Khan, Regional Director ISOC Naveed Haq, Director General APNIC Paul Wilson, General Manager JPRS Kazuhiro Kitamura and IXP Specialist ISOC Aftab Siddequi were also among the key speakers.
Senior officials from PITB including Director Generals Waqar Naeem Qureshi and Sajid Latif, Chief Technology Officer Adil Iqbal Khan, Additional Director Generals Nisar Ahmed and Syed Qasim Ifzal, Directors Aquil Khan, Badar Munir, Ata Ur Rehman, Hasnain Iqbal, Rana Abid Mehmood, Omar Salman and Hammad Hasan Hamdani were also present.
With multifaceted benefits, the core purpose the IXP is to reduce dependency on international data routes. It would also help in cost saving, ensure reliable and robust internet connectivity, drastically reduce latency, enhance data speed and improve the overall digital experience for the citizens, businesses and government agencies.