Islamabad: The Universal Service Fund (USF) board approved the award of 10 contracts worth around Rs.21 billion for the underserved and underserved communities of Balochistan, Punjab, Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) provinces, an official statement said on Saturday.
The high-speed mobile broadband, trunk roads and highways, and fiber optic cable (OFC) projects will bring 4G LTE connectivity and backhaul connectivity to approximately 3.5 million people, connecting 187 Union Councils (UCs) with 1,554 km of OFC and a seamless Provide connectivity to 622km of unserviced stretches of road on the M-8 and N-35 motorways.
A decision to this effect was made at the 83rd USF Board of Directors meeting at the USF office.
The Additional Secretary (Incharge) for the Department of Information Technology (IT) and Telecommunications and Chairman of the USF Board Mohsin Mushtaq Chandna chaired the meeting.
While congratulating the USF Board on launching 10 projects, German Minister of IT and Telecom Syed Amin Ul Haque said in his message: “The Ministry of IT and Telecom has taken another concrete step through USF to achieve the vision realize by Digital Pakistan. We are on the path of the “Meaningful Connectivity and Smartphones for All” policy. These projects will improve social equity, employment opportunities and digital literacy for people in the unserved and underserved areas, and strengthen the foundations of our digital infrastructure. I am proud to say that we are at the forefront of creating information-rich communities and accelerating socio-economic growth in the country.”
Additional Secretary Mohsin Mushtaq Chandna said: “Headed by Federal Minister Syed Amin Ul Haque, the USF has produced a record productive performance over the last four years by signing 79 projects worth around Rs 62.7 billion in subsidies . This is a testament to our total commitment to improving the lives and livelihoods of Pakistan’s unserved and underserved communities.”
He also stressed the importance of infrastructure, affordability and accessibility of the internet and pledged to work with all stakeholders to realize Digital Pakistan’s vision.
USF Chief Executive Officer Haaris Mahmood Chaudhary updated board members on the progress of current projects and the restoration of the flood-hit USF network, saying, “These projects will empower approximately 3.3 million people living in far-flung and backward areas across Pakistan, giving them access to e-services in various areas, from financial services such as banking and credit to access to various government services and benefits.”
According to the details, the board approved the award of five high-speed mobile broadband contracts valued at over Rs 7.1 billion for the provision of 4G LTE services in the rural and remote districts of Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan.
These projects benefit the people living in 262 unserved Muazas of Dera Ghazi Khan, Layyah, Muzaffargarh, Multan and Rajanpur districts in Punjab; Jamshoro in Sindh; and Barkhan, Musakhel, Sherani and Sibi in Balochistan; thereby covering an approximate unserviced area of 12,784.91 square kilometers.
In addition, the Board approved the award of two high-speed mobile broadband projects for National Highways and Motorways worth Rs. 6 crore to provide commuter 4G LTE services on 622.68 km of unserviced stretches of road on the M-8 Motorway or the N-35 motorway. Likewise the USF
The Board also gave the go-ahead for three OFC projects worth Rs 7.7 billion to provide backhaul connectivity for 187 Union Councils (UCs) of Punjab and KPK. Through these projects, USF will provide a total of 1,554 km of OFC that will benefit over 3.3 million people in Attock, Sheikhupura and Nankana Sahib districts in Punjab and Bannu and Lakki Marwat in KPK.
These projects are expected to connect 684 educational institutions, 223 government offices and 268 healthcare facilities along with the mandatory connectivity of 408 BTS towers.
