Staff Reporter
Islamabad
The Board of Universal Service Fund (USF) on Monday approved award of contracts to PMTL (Ufone) for Next Generation Broadband for Sustainable Development Projects in Balochistan worth Rs 518 million.
Federal Secretary Ministry of IT & Telecom Shoaib Ahmad Siddiqui chaired 72nd Board of Directors meeting of the USF. Chairman PTA Maj. Gen (R) Amir Azeem Bajwa also attended the meeting through video conferencing, said a press release issued here .
The projects comprise Bolan Lot (Kacchi Bolan and Jhal Magsi districts) and Gwadar district.
The Hi-speed mobile Broadband services in Bolan lot will benefit an unserved population of around 440,293 people thereby covering 582 unserved mauzas and an approximate unserved area of 11,344 sq. km.
Similarly, an unserved population of 2,760 will gain advantage from Hi-speed mobile Broadband services in 09 unserved mauzas of Gwadar district.
The Secretary IT, Shoaib Ahmad Siddiqui put lot of emphasis on the evolving need for having access to hi-speed mobile Broadband due to spread of coronavirus to facilitate the people.
He said that the connectivity in far-flung areas during the pandemic would enable the people to make use of government facilities.
He added that these projects would help the people to seek online medical consultations, enable the students to take online classes and to run businesses digitally.
