Rs11.5bln IT projects sanctioned

ISLAMABAD: With an aim to digitally transform some of country’s top tourist resorts and other remote areas, the government has commissioned ten information technology (IT) projects costing around Rs11.5 billion, a statement said.

The Universal Service Fund (USF) Board announced contracting Jazz, Ufone, and Telenor for high-speed mobile broadband internet, and Pakistan Telecommunication Company Ltd (PTCL) for fibre optic cable cable projects.

These projects will serve at least 4.4 million residents of Kumrat Valley, Swat, and 19 unserved and underserved districts of Sindh, Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Punjab provinces. These approvals were advised by Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication, Syed Amin Ul Haque in the USF Board meeting.

Federal Secretary Ministry of IT and Telecommunication & Chairman of USF Board, Dr Muhammad Sohail Rajput chaired the 80th Board of Directors meeting of USF.

The meeting was attended by Member Telecom, Muhammad Omar Malik, Chairman PTA, Major General (Retd) Amir Azeem Bajwa, VP for Government Sales-Super Net Pvt Ltd, Imran Akhtar Shah, Chairman Consumer Association of Pakistan, Kaukab Iqbal and other officials.

While addressing the meeting, Rajput said, “USF was established 15 years ago but in the first 12 years the pace of implementation of projects was quite slow”.

In the last three years since the current government took charge, especially in the last two years, a record 37 projects worth over Rs31 billion had been contracted, IT secretary said.

“In FY2020 12 projects were contracted, in FY 2021 25 projects and in this fiscal year we plan to contract 28 projects, which reflects the exemplary leadership of Federal Minister for IT and Telecommunication, Syed Amin Ul Haque who is working day and night to fulfill the Prime Minister's Digital Pakistan vision and Connectivity for all policy, so, it is important that USF continues to bridge the digital divide and ensure timely completion of all projects going forward.”

The Board approved high-speed mobile broadband contracts to Jazz for the districts of Mianwali and Khushab in Punjab that will serve an unserved population of around 0.37 million in 186 unserved muazas and an approximate unserved area of 5,080 sq-km.

The Board also gave go-ahead to high-speed mobile broadband projects contracts to Jazz, covering districts of Mansehra, Abbottabad, Swat, and Upper Dir in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

These projects will provide access to 153.83 km unserved route length and an approximate unserved area of 65.51 sq-km.

The tourist projects in destinations like Janat Nazeer Wadi, Kumrat and others will strengthen the Prime Minister’s tourism programme and tourists and local citizenry will enjoy access to the fastest internet and network services. On the special directive of Federal Minister for IT and Telecommunication, Syed Amin Ul Haque, preliminary technical survey and design for these projects has been completed in record time while the projects will also be completed in minimum time.