induction of 3g technologies

7/31/2019 Induction of 3G Technologies

1/3

Home Articles and Letters - Articles

User Rating: / 0

Rate

| Print |

Induction of 3-G technologies: Why change-over is importantENGINEER TAHIR BASHARAT CHEEMA

ARTICLE (December 03, 2010) : Technology has always played a big role in our lives. Besides, it

also places the users of new technologies on a vantage point. Access to the latest ensures strong,

viable and vibrant economies. It is because of this very fact that 3-G technologies for the cellular

world are being touted as the next tomorrow and a clear-cut change from today.

Similarly, as the dividends are expected to be huge, the license of 3-G systems in India mopped-up

over Rs 67,000 crores or Rs 670 billion for the state. Imagine, the dividends in case the latest is

adopted in more than one or in all of the sectors.

In Pakistan, most of the sectors have stagnated and can only thrive on new technologies and

nothing else. These would be the water and power, petroleum and natural resources, science and

technology (the name itself leads us to the realm of technologies), health, agriculture, environment,

defence, housing, the Planning Commission, industries and production, communications and a few

others, including textiles etc.

However, even a little insight would reveal that the current technologies being employed in these

sectors, barring a few, are unfortunately first generation and the ones introduced as way back as in

the sixties. And the sad part is that conversion to the latest is not being contemplated, at least, in the

immediate future.

Communications, and especially cellular telephony, is an exception, as even the 1-G technology in

vogue looks futuristic for Pakistan. As to what would happen at the availability of 3-G technology is

for the seers to project.

Explaining the issue, we see that the water and power sectors are using what was the best in the

1960s and at the best 1970s, where after it seems to have stagnated. Consequently, these sectors

are inefficient and cost ineffective. Visit an oil or a gas well in Pakistan and you would be

immediately transported to the 1900s US oil industry.

This is the reason, why the gas production is plummeting and oil suppliers are not increasing; gas

utilities are beset with UFG issues and compressors that are unable to supply gas at the right

pressure. Science and technology activity depends upon labs and facilities for continuing R&D. Both

are missing in Pakistan. Go to any health facility and it soon dawns upon you that the best of the

research and ensuing fruits simply allude us. Imagine, local research on cheap drug for hepatitis

being ignored, while the poor cannot pay for the expensive imports.

In agriculture, Bt seeds are just begging to find favour, while 40-55% of precious water is being lost

Page 1 of 3Articles and Letters - Articles - Induction of 3-G technologies: Why change-over is impor...

1/20/2011http://www.brecorder.com/news/articles-and-letters/articles/1129986:induction-of-3-g-tech...


2/3

before it reaches the crops. And the yields have stagnated around the levels achieved nearly half a

century ago (the reason why 1960s is considered as a golden era). Environment is in a sorry state

and the carbon footprint increases by the day and may even surpass that of the developed world for

bigger of the cities. Unfortunately, none of the clean technologies have been introduced in Pakistan.

Coming over to defence, there seems to be some exception in defence production, while 3-G

technologies in defence systems are far away. R&D, on the other hand, does not form a part of our

psyche and copying or reverse engineering is considered to be the best we could do. Housing, on

the other hand, is as rudimentary as ever. The style and designs being adopted are not suited for us

and are a source for great losses in the shape of very high power requirements. As the cost of

construction materials is increasing day by day, non-use of new and third generation technologies is

bound to make housing in the country cost prohibitive. It may also result in us not being able to meet

with the basic needs of the people.

Industrial sector: It is in a bad shape with trite and old shop floors, machines that are a relic of the

yesteryears and those which are gas guzzlers - producing just one unit where the shop floors in the

developed countries would quadruple.

According to experts, our industries use up to 38% extra power in comparison to the latest models

and consequently has made our industry incompatible. Communications, on the other hand, are a

mix of the best and the worst. It would have been the same as other sectors, but for the fact that

cellular technology, like water, made its own way and also ensured sustainability due to extremely

less operating expenses for mobile technology. The profits are so much in this sector that the pay

back for the equipment/infrastructure is a mere one year or so.

The world has changed and new cutting edge technologies have simply broken all barriers in

improved efficiency and productivity. Ten times production has taken place of the earlier slowbehemoths and so on. Clean technologies arrange for the smallest of the carbon footprints and a

sustainable future, which unfortunately is missing in Pakistan. And the additional advantage of all

these cutting edge technologies is that a regular R&D activity works concurrently. In other words,

the available prowess at the disposal of the developed world will get multiplied each year, thus

taking it far away from the less developed areas of the world. And consequently, the less developed

world would need much effort and time to just catch up, what to speak about going any further.

Because new technologies arrange for increased productivity and much less cost of doing business

for the sector concerned, it can safely be concluded that in the absence of any worthwhile effort to

access the same, a country like Pakistan can never compete and nor be able to take care of theneeds of its population. By and by, it would be marginalized and become a near basket case. The

national advantage it has in the shape of agricultural productivity, on account of the Indus basin and

the 150-year-old biggest canal system of the world, would disappear. Incidentally, had the British

not set up the colony districts and the canal system is place during the late 19th and the early 20th

centuries - a technological marvel then, the advantage we have now would never have been

available. Similarly, as no new mega dams and allied reservoirs are available to the country after

Tarbela's commissioning in 1976, the advantage of Mangla and the Tarbela mega reservoirs is also

diminishing at a fast pace. All in all, absence of 3-G technologies would render us incompetitive.


1/20/2011http://www.brecorder.com/news/articles-and-letters/articles/1129986:induction-of-3-g-tech...


3/3

In view of the foregoing, Pakistan as a considered public policy should attract the latest in

technology from all over the world. It can take the leaf out of the Indian and Israeli experiences.

While China till recently has been content to be the factory of the world, both India and Israel are the

laboratories churning out new patents at a great speed. Organisations, like the National Productivity

Organisation (NPO) the Engineering Development Board (EDB), Enercon, Ministry of S&T, Planning

Commission, Defence Production Division of the MoD, Wapda, PAEC, MoI, Ministry of Textiles,

Ministry of Water and Power, Minfa, Ministry of Information Technology, and the Ministry of

Communications will have to change and also attract professionals/sectoral experts in quest of new

and the much needed technologies under a sustainable programme. We would have to leap frog

and quickly access 3-G technologies in all fields. And we must understand that the age of the

generalist is long gone and the super specialist would have to be given his due. In case, the change

is not made, Pakistan's economy cannot keep pace with the requirements.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2010


1/20/2011http://www brecorder com/news/articles-and-letters/articles/1129986:induction-of-3-g-tech

induction of 3g technologies

Documents