China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, ICTs, and Digital Economy: A Cross-District Analysis of Baseline Data for Gilgit-Baltistan

Abstract

In the fast digitizing world, the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is pivotal for providing greater, efficient, and easier access to many basic services in the everyday life. In the era of globalization, ICT also provides opportunities for self-employment and income generation. It has the potential to pull many isolated regions out of poverty and it provides opportunities. In regard, the purpose of the research is to highlight the current status of ICT usage and infrastructure across various districts in Gilgit-Baltistan. It is anticipated that the installation of fiber optic cable from China to Pakistan along the CPEC route will connect Gilgit-Baltistan to the rest of the world by high speed internet. Using the baseline information, we explore the current ICT related challenges and opportunities, which will help developing an ICT framework for Gilgit-Baltistan in order to take advantage of the opportunities that CPEC promises.