NTC launches cloud system

ISLAMABAD: Establishment of National Data Centre (NDC) is a step towards achievement of accelerated digitization, said state minister for information technology Anusha Rehman Khan.

“In pursuance of the vision of digital Pakistan of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, National Telecommunication Corporation (NTC) under the guidance of ministry of IT and telecom has established a cloud-based NDC for the government and public sector entities,” the minister Khan said, addressing the participants of the inaugural ceremony of NDC.

“It’s a historic occasion for the government and NTC for achieving yet another milestone committed by our government.”

The NDC is meant to assist the government entities to host their data and applications in a secure environment. The centre is a state-of-the-art modular, which is scalable and highly secure.

This data centre is designed to meet tier-III standards and will provide services like software as a service, platform as a service and infrastructure as a service. It will help government in facilitating e- governance, e-commerce and e-health. 

“We have witnessed a dynamic revolution in the sphere of IT and telecom sector; our broadband penetration which was merely less than three percent in 2013 has crossed 24 percent now,” the minister said. “We are already working to provide ICT services and to connect the unconnected in whole of Pakistan with a special focus on un-served and underserved areas of the country and there will be a complete roll out by December 2018.”

Under the ICT for girls programme, around 100 girls’ schools in rural areas will be equipped with technical training.  She further said the objective of the prevention of electronic crimes law is to provide secure online usage to the people.

Brig (R) Viqar Rashid Khan, chairman of NTC, said the corporation has made record growth and expansion in the development of its network and infrastructure during the last two years.

Khan said NTC expanded its presence from 54 districts in 2013 to 84 cities and sites in 2016. Around 36 percent growth was observed in broadband connections.

NTC has reorganised itself according to the demands of the market and public sector entities and became profitable.