Contract awarded for mobile broadband service in Chitral
ISLAMABAD: The Universal Service Fund (USF) has awarded contracts worth Rs1.37 billion to Telenor for providing high speed mobile broadband services in Chitral, Upper Dir and Lower Dir districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
Federal Minister for IT and Telecommunication Syed Aminul Haque and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) for Overseas Pakistanis Syed Zulfiqar Abbas Bukhari witnessed the contract signing ceremony held at the USF office Islamabad on Wednesday.
The contracts were signed by Haaris Mahmood Chaudhary, CEO USF and Irfan Wahab Khan, CEO Telenor.
The minister said: “With the help of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), districts of Chitral, Upper Dir and Lower Dir can achieve better visibility, communication and integration into economic and tourism flows. High speed mobile broadband services will enhance tourism and attract tourists, thus creating jobs. The ministry of IT will continue close cooperation to support the tourism industry of Pakistan and provide the basis for achieving sustainable rural development”.
Zulfi Bukhari said the use of ICT in tourism is a welcoming step for the residents of Chitral, Upper Dir and Lower Dir districts. High speed internet connectivity will expedite activity in the region and make the travel process efficient and pleasant”.
Sharing his views on the development, CEO Telenor Pakistan, Irfan Wahab Khan said: “We are committed to ensure the basic right of connectivity to the people of Pakistan. At Telenor Pakistan, we are driven to continue empowering the country by bridging the digital divide, creating access to opportunities and uplifting the lives of millions. We stand firm in our commitment of connecting people to what matters most to them and aim to continue providing opportunities in the future.”
Haaris Mahmood Chaudhary said: “This project will benefit an unserved population of 0.7 million in 648 unserved areas, thereby covering an unserved area of 18,212 sq. km. of Chitral, Upper Dir and Lower Dir districts.”
What good news. Knowing that it is not commercially viable this is a real social service to the people of this area. In Chitral the education level of the population is above the national average. Yet there are no jobs. Through this intervention the educated youth of Chitral will find themselves employment from within the four walls of their homes. Well done PTI govt.