ISLAMABAD: Half of new telecommunication pro­­jects executed by Uni­versal Service Fund (USF) across the country have been stalled due to recent floods.

USF is a development fund raised from the mandatory deposits by the four mobile telecom companies. Its main function is to provide telecommunication services in unserved and underserved areas where the companies do not invest as it is not commercially viable.

Out of 1,400 telecom sites in country, work has slowed or halted at 720 sites, with majority of them in 250 cell sites of Balochistan, followed by 190 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 140 in Punjab and 100 in Sindh.

“Large tracts of land came under water due to the flash floods, and it was all in remote areas, which were mostly close to the hill ranges,” said a Fund’s official. “The USF projects were launched in these areas because investing there was not commercially viable for the companies.”

Published in Dawn, October 15th, 2022