Focusing purely on technology limits the understanding of Internet resilience, by Nowmay Opalinski

In this episode of PING, Nowmay Opalinski, PhD student in l’IFG and research fellow at GEODE, delves into his research on the resilience—or rather, the vulnerability—of the Internet in Pakistan.

Drawing on insights from his blog post, Nowmay and his colleagues at GEODE, and LUMS University in Pakistan, combined technical data from sources like RIPE Atlas, using a methodology developed by the GEODE project, with interviews conducted in Pakistan. Their approach merges technical analysis and social-science perspectives, incorporating both quantitative measurements and qualitative interviews to examine the root causes of Pakistan’s digital fragility, particularly in relation to undersea fibre optic cables.

Despite its strategic location at the head of the Arabian Sea, Pakistan has only two main global Internet connectivity points and has experienced over 22 disruptions in the past two decades. In this episode, Nowmay also highlights that, while fibre connections to India near Lahore could provide an alternative, political factors have hindered their development.

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