ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunications (MoIT) has directed all telecom operators to install state of the art equipment in the proposed 500 telecentres to be established throughout the country.

Telecentres are public places where people can access computers, internet and other technologies enabling them to learn and communicate with others while developing their computer skills.

“The aim of these centres is to provide quality e-services in health, education and agriculture to facilitate people in underserved areas of the country,” said State Minister MoIT Anusha Rehman.

She was presiding over a consultative session on Thursday regarding the establishment of telecentres all over Pakistan, including Islamabad, the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) and other provinces.

Telecom operators also participated in the session as the minister took up different matters regarding the establishment of universal telecentres. In this regard, the number of telecentres is being increased from the current 35 to 500 within one year.

Ms Rehman informed the participants that the federal government had initiated the project of setting up the 500 telecentres to minimise the digital divide between rural and urban areas.

“These will act as a resource centre and will provide access to IT services primarily for people living in far flung rural or semi-urban areas of Pakistan,” the state minister said.

She said the telecentres would focus on providing services at the grass root levels and would be monitored by District Coordination Officers (DCOs) to ensure proper and smooth functioning within their respective jurisdictions.

Furthermore, Anusha Rahman said the telecentres would be established keeping in mind the international standard model, and the project would become a ‘success’ story in the IT sector. She said these telecentres will be located at accessible locations and will provide space to Nadra to register identity cards and offer e-services. Similarly, she said the project would help mobile phone operators, service providers and government agencies provide e-services to the public.