ISLAMABAD: To provide high-speed internet service in a region of the erstwhile Federally Administered Tribal Areas, the Universal Service Fund (USF) has awarded a Rs92 million contract for developing broadband in Kurram district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The contract has been awarded to Jazz to develop next generation broadband for a sustainable development project in Kurram, including the tehsils of FR Kurram, Lower Kurram and Upper Kurram.

Through the project, broadband coverage will be provided to 224 mauzas in Kurram district, covering an un-served area of about 2,980 square kilometres.

The project was inaugurated by Information Technology Secretary Shoaib Ahmad Siddiqui and the contract was signed by CEO of the USF Haaris Mahmood Chaudhry and Chief Corporate and Regulatory Affairs at Jazz Syed Fakhar Ahmed.

The secretary said that the focus of the USF to bridge the digital divide had brought about a “technological revolution” in the country.

“The project has special significance for us and in due time over 0.44 million residents of these areas will have access to the country’s fastest mobile broadband,” he said.

“During the current times of the coronavirus pandemic, the Ministry of IT and Telecom is ensuring that broadband connectivity plays an optimum role in dealing with this crisis,” he said.

“We will be adopting an aggressive approach through future projects of the USF to provide high-speed broadband in un-served areas.”

It was the need of the hour that all stakeholders worked together to fight Covid-19 by facilitating the people, he said.

The secretary said that with the Digital Pakistan vision set in motion, the strategic role of the USF in providing connectivity to all Pakistanis became more significant than before.

During the outbreak of Covid-19 in Pakistan, he said, the USF was ensuring that connectivity enabled people to continue carrying out their day-to-day activities.

The USF has been established by the government to spread the benefits of telecom revolution throughout the country. It consists of contributions to the tune of 1.5 per cent of adjusted revenues of each telecom operator with no government funding involved.

The main objective of the fund is to improve the broadband penetration in the country and bring significant advances towards enhancement of e-services, both in rural and urban areas. Projects to expand internet and telecom services to the remote areas are advertised by the USF. The lowest bidder is awarded the contract to execute the project.

Published in Dawn, April 22nd, 2020