Pakistan conducts first symmetric 50G-PON fiber-optic internet trial

Morning! Next week is July, marking the halfway point of the year.

This means that today might be the last time you think about your New Year’s resolutions before you reach the end of 2024 and tell yourself that next year will definitely be the year you start working out, cut down on takeout, launch your business, or become brave enough to start investing your money instead of letting it rot away in your bank (if you earn in PKR, RIP @ your money ⚰️).

In this week’s edition:

💧 Thirst trap (and not the good kind)

👎 The new budget has no fans

🚕 Air taxis might be the new cool thing

📶 Pak is finally part of a the-next-big-thing

- The Itla Squad 💼

Business

Global 🌎️

Thirst trap (but not the good kind) 

Water and economy are related and moody is telling how.

Moody's Ratings recently pointed out that India is facing a serious water crisis because people are using a lot of water as the economy grows fast and natural disasters are happening more often. The problem got worse in 2023 because a long heatwave made water shortages even worse in cities like Delhi and Bengaluru.

Key takeaways:

• Every summer, millions of Indians face water scarcity, especially in urban areas and sectors like agriculture, offices, and homes.

• Moody's cautioned that India's sovereign credit and industries such as coal and steel, which heavily rely on water, are at risk.

• India's per person water availability could drop to 1,367 cubic meters by 2031 from 1,486 cubic meters in 2021, worsening an already stressed situation (whereas Pakistan’s is 1,000 cubic meters per person).

Moving ahead: While India’s economy is growing, Moody's warns that these challenges could make India's economic growth less stable. Investing in better water management is crucial to reduce future risks from water shortages.

TLDR: Moody's Ratings highlighted India's worsening water crisis due to rapid economic growth and more frequent natural disasters. Moody's also warned that industries like coal and steel, which need a lot of water, could face problems. It's crucial for India to invest in better water management to avoid future risks and keep its economy stable.

What else is new in news

✶Amazon is stopping the use of those cute-puffy-plastic-air-pillows in their delivery boxes, as they aren’t so cute for the environment. This means that now, the world will see around 15 billion less of these pillows every year.

Local 🇵🇰

You aren’t the only one fueled up by rage

Are you fueled up by rage because of the new budget? Like you, the auto sector isn't hitting the brakes on criticism (we’ll stop now).

Auto sector analysts have criticized the 2024-2025 federal budget, calling it a mistake, and urged the government to make a stable plan for the next 24 years. They want this plan to involve the cabinet, political parties, and business leaders to make sure things stay consistent and stable.

Key takeaways:

• Current policy changes often happen suddenly, making it risky for businesses to invest and plan.

• The analyst suggests changing to a system where taxes are based on the price of products to encourage competition in the market.

• They also suggest easing restrictions on imports of parts and components to help the industry recover and give consumers more choices.

Moving ahead: The government might be coming for EVs by removing incentives for electric vehicles and hybrids, and analysts aren’t happy. They are concerned that this could slow down technological progress.

TLDR: In response to the 2024-2025 federal budget, auto sector analysts say to make a stable 24-year industrial strategy that includes all sectors, particularly automotive. The analysts propose a shift to a price-based taxation system to encourage market competitiveness.

News Flash

✶Starting July 1, if you find your milk a bit too watery (even those fancy packages ones), blame the government.

Packaged milk prices are expected to rise by Rs55 per litre due to an 18% General Sales Tax (GST). This tax hike is likely to increase inflation, especially impacting residents of major cities and towns with higher grocery bills.

Tech

Global 🌎️

You don’t wanna read this if you have fear of flying

Those hyper-futuristic images where you could see glass-like UFOs in the sky on top of bustling cities? Soon they won’t be hyper-futuristic anymore - thanks to air taxis (yes, that’s what the tech bros are calling it).

Joby Aviation, a pioneer in electric air taxi development, has received approval from the FAA to bring on-demand air taxi services to cities. With their new software, developed after acquiring Uber Elevate, air travel could soon be as easy as booking an Uber.

• Joby Aviation’s system - ElevateOS - helps manage pilot tasks, match passengers with flights, and handle flight scheduling and logistics.

• ElevateOS includes a mobile app for passengers, tools for pilots, and software to manage operations. It also has a smart system to match passengers with available aircraft.

• Joby is partnering with Delta Air Lines and Uber Technologies to integrate its software into existing transportation networks. Joby also has an exclusive agreement to provide flying taxi services in Dubai and plans to extend its services globally.

Looking ahead: By 2025, Joby plans to start offering air taxi services using its electric aircraft, which can carry a pilot and four passengers at speeds up to 200 mph with planned operations in New York City and Los Angeles.

TLDR: Joby Aviation, a company leading in electric air taxis, has received approval from the FAA to start on-demand air taxi services in cities. They bought Uber Elevate in 2021, which helped them create ElevateOS, a system that manages flights, pilots, and passenger bookings. This system includes a mobile app for passengers and tools for pilots. 

What else is new in news

✶Apple could be fined billions of euros because the European Union says it's breaking rules with its App Store - suggesting that Apple's App Store rules prevent app developers from directing consumers to alternative platforms for offers and content.

Local 🇵🇰 

Pak is finally part of a the-next-big-thing

Pakistan Telecommunication Company Ltd (PTCL), working with Huawei, has successfully tested the country's first Symmetric 50G-PON technology (which the International Telecommunication Union (ITU-T) sees as the next big thing in broadband technology). This tech is set to bring faster and better fiber-optic broadband services to Pakistan, changing the way people connect and use the internet.

Key takeaways:

• Symmetric 50G-PON technology is a new type of internet technology that can provide 50 Gbps speeds for both downloading and uploading at the same time. This is better than the older Asymmetric 50G-PON, which only provides 50 Gbps for downloading (PTCL also introduced Asymmetric 50G-PON earlier this year).

• Fiber-optic broadband uses thin strands of glass or plastic (called fibers) to transmit data as light signals. This allows for much faster internet speeds compared to traditional cables.

• One great feature of 50G-PON is that it can work with existing GPON and XG(S)-PON networks. This means PTCL can easily offer faster broadband speeds to customers when they need it.

Moving ahead: This technology will support new applications like Holographic Technologies, XR-based Metaverse integration, Smart Manufacturing using 3D Machine Vision, Remote Surgery and Medical Clinics, and High-Performance Gaming which will be pretty great for Pakistan’s digital sector.

TLDR: Pakistan Telecommunication Company Ltd (PTCL), in collaboration with Huawei, has successfully tested Pakistan's first Symmetric 50G-PON technology. This new tech can provide 50 Gbps speeds for both downloading and uploading, outperforming the older Asymmetric 50G-PON that only offers 50 Gbps for downloading. This advancement will support applications such as XR-based Metaverse integration, and High-Performance Gaming, significantly enhancing Pakistan's digital sector.

Tech tour of news

✶Each of Pakistan's four provinces—Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), and Balochistan—has appointed a specific department to act as its own team to respond to computer emergencies and cybersecurity threats. Once formed, these teams will collaborate to address cybersecurity issues nationwide.

More interesting Itla (اطلاع) we consumed:

🔮 Leopold Aschenbrenner, who used to work at OpenAI's Superalignment team and now runs an investment firm focused on AI, wrote an essay about the future of artificial intelligence (AI). His essay, "Situational Awareness: The Decade Ahead," looks at what might happen with AI in the next ten years. Some key takeaways from the essay:

1. AI progress won't stop at human-level intelligence and could quickly reach superintelligence by 2030.

2. AI products could become major revenue drivers for large corporations, possibly leading to the first $10 trillion company.

3. Superintelligence will become the United States' most crucial defense project.

4. Few people currently understand the imminent and dramatic changes AI will bring.