Broadband projects approved for tourist areas

The Universal Service Fund (USF) Board has approved 10 projects worth approximately Rs11.5 billion to provide high-speed internet service, and optical fiber projects for top tourist destination areas, ARY News reported.

The tourist destinations include Kumrat Valley, Swat, 19 un-served and under-served districts of Sindh, Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab provinces.

Advised by the Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication, Syed Amin Ul Haque, the USF board approved award of high-speed mobile broadband contracts to cellular companies while the optic fiber cable projects contract was awarded to PTCL.

According to the details, the board approved has award of high-speed mobile broadband contracts to Jazz for 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.

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The board also approved award of high-speed mobile broadband projects in tourist destination 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 program.

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