Till date, Balochistan remains to be the province of untapped potential when it comes to IT or telecoms, however, companies have started to eye business opportunities in the province. Due to the lack of tele-density, telecom and mobile phone services companies have started looking into providing several districts of Balochistan with these services as the security situation is getting better and the development in those areas is increasing day by day due to CPEC.
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The Universal Services Fund (USF) has officially given a nod to two cellular companies for expansion in seven districts of Balochistan. The companies are set to make inroads in the areas where the security situation and “militancy threat” kept telecom services, mainly mobile phone facility, at distance for more than two decades after it was launched in the country.
An official speaking about the expansion plan said,
“In Awaran, Lasbela, Khuzdar, Chagai, Kalat and Sibi districts, Ufone is going to expand services under the USF’s sustainable development projects for Balochistan. In Zhob, Telenor will launch a similar project.”
He also said that the projects will include voice service and all other value-added services under the 3G licenses. These areas were considered among the remotest districts of the country where the key cellular service was not available so far.
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The law and order situation has significantly improved in these areas and therefore telecom companies have gotten the green flag to go ahead and start operation in these districts. Also according to officials, development of information and communication technology-enabled infrastructure in underserved areas and those without such services would support the mega projects of the CPEC in future.
Ufone has been awarded to install 383 base transceiver stations, generally called mobile phone towers in six different districts to provide mobile broadband internet and other 3G related services.
