ISLAMABAD: The Universal Service Fund (USF) has approved nine new telecom projects worth Rs13.05 billion to expand broadband and optical-fibre connectivity to 5.55 million people in unserved and underserved rural areas across 11 districts. The projects were cleared in the 101st meeting of the USF Board and cover 178 towns and union councils, as well as 753 mauzas nationwide.
USF said the new investment would extend high-speed internet and voice services to communities long excluded from digital infrastructure. The work will be carried out by service providers selected through what the fund described as a transparent bidding process based on the lowest compliant offers. The projects include six Next-Generation Broadband for Sustainable Development (NGBSD) schemes and three optical-fibre network (OFC) expansion initiatives.
Under the broadband projects, Rs914.6 million has been earmarked for Umerkot (Sindh) to serve 243,695 people across 142 mauzas. Gujranwala and Mandi Bahauddin (Punjab) will receive Rs737.3 million to connect 234,573 residents in 160 mauzas, while Rs359.3 million has been approved for Kohat (KP) to serve 41,404 people in 24 mauzas. In Balochistan, Khuzdar will receive Rs2.94 billion to provide broadband to 75,637 residents in 144 mauzas. Muzaffargarh (Punjab) will receive Rs1.50 billion for 498,927 people in 138 mauzas, and Mansehra (KP) will receive Rs1.36 billion to serve 172,989 people across 145 mauzas. In total, the broadband projects will cover 1.26 million people in seven districts.
The OFC initiatives will lay 1,428 kilometres of new fibre to improve network backhaul for 4.29 million people. In Sialkot (Punjab), Rs1.64 billion will be spent to deploy 488 kilometres of fibre across 75 UCs, benefitting 2.29 million people. Narowal (Punjab) will see Rs1.51 billion invested in 447 kilometres of fibre to serve 1.14 million residents in 66 UCs. The Quetta–Ziarat project in Balochistan will receive Rs2.06 billion to lay 493 kilometres of OFC, enabling connectivity for 858,783 residents across 37 UCs.
Chairman USF Board and IT secretary Zarrar Hasham Khan said the government aims to accelerate fibre deployment to mobile towers and base stations to reduce the urban–rural digital divide. He added that USF’s projects have so far enabled broadband and voice access for 39.4 million rural citizens. CEO USF Ch. Mudassar Naveed briefed the board on the bidding process and the expected impact of the newly approved schemes.
