Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication (MoITT), through Universal Service Fund (USF) has awarded the contract of laying fiber optic cable network in interior Sindh to Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL). President Dr. Arif Alvi along with Syed Aminul Haq witnessed the signing of contract by Chief Executive Officer of USF, Haris Mehmood Chaudhry and Group Chief Finance Officer PTCL Mohammad Nadeem Khan.
Under the Rs 2.1 billion contract PTCL will lay a network of fiber optic cables in Naushero Feroze, Shaheed Benazirabad and Khairpur to increase smooth and high speed internet connectivity in the region. Under this project, a total of 101 towns and Union Councils will be connected through 709.5 km of optic fiber cable, benefiting a population of 2.8 million residents of these areas.
Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication (MoIT) Syed Aminul Haq while speaking on the occasion said that the government is spending around Rs 31 billion for providing broadband Internet facility to the far-flung and under-developed areas of the country. He pointed out that over 80 percent of work had already been completed on OFC installation and infrastructure development in Dadu and Jamshoro.
During the last three years, the Ministry has worked on nine different projects worth Rs. 8.48 billion for the provision of mobile broadband services and installation of fiber optical network in Sindh. Through this, 3,227 muazas from 26 districts and 230 union councils, via 1,900km of fiber optic cable, have helped connect a population of 17.5 million to the digital world. Furthermore work is underway for the establishment of IT Park in Karachi near the Karachi Airport. The government is also planning to launch 5G Internet facility in Pakistan by December 2022.
