ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has emerged as the world’s leading country in YouTube viewership, with 96 million users watching 560 million videos daily, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Chairman Hafeez Ur Rehman told a parliamentary committee on Tuesday.
Briefing the National Assembly Standing Committee on Information Technology, the PTA chairman shared figures highlighting the growing use of social media and messaging platforms in the country.
He said Pakistan had 96 million YouTube users, with 560 million videos viewed daily, placing the country at the top globally in terms of viewership.
PTA says Pakistanis watch around 560 million YouTube videos daily, with approximately 96 million users in the country. The chairman also reported around 100 million TikTok accounts and one billion WhatsApp calls every day. https://t.co/bJNbNzrYH4
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The PTA chief further disclosed that TikTok had 100 million registered accounts in Pakistan, while around 150 million Pakistanis watched videos on the platform.
WhatsApp had 100 million accounts in the country, with users making one billion calls and sending 12 billion messages daily, he added.
Separately, Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja told the committee that the growing use of social media and artificial intelligence (AI) had significantly increased data consumption.
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She said no spectrum auction had been held after former prime minister Nawaz Sharif left office, adding that his government had introduced 4G services, while the incumbent government had conducted a 5G spectrum auction.
The minister said 1.8 million people were using 5G services in Pakistan, with the technology being rolled out in 24 cities. She added that measures were being taken to improve service quality.
Shaza Fatima also identified several factors contributing to disruptions in telecommunications services, including the theft of entire mobile towers, diesel and generators. Such incidents were among the factors affecting the quality and continuity of telecom services, she added.
