Telenor has been given a contract of approximately Rs. 555 million by the Universal Service Fund (USF) to provide High-Speed Mobile Broadband services in the districts of Nowshera, Mardan, Swabi, and Charsadda in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
Syed Amin ul Haque, Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunications, and Pervez Khattak, Federal Minister for Defense, were present at the contract signing ceremony at the USF Head Office on Thursday. Haaris Mahmood Chaudhary, CEO of USF, and Irfan Wahab Khan, CEO of Telenor Pakistan, inked the contract.
The Federal Secretary for IT & Telecommunication and Chairman USF Board, Dr. Muhammad Sohail Rajput, and Member Telecom, Muhammad Omar Malik, and Senior Officials were also present at the ceremony. Chief Guest of the ceremony, Syed Amin Ul Haque, Federal Minister for IT and Telecommunication, said,
“We have not made claims or promises, but have accomplished what the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunications could never have anticipated. We have contracted 25 projects for over PKR 31 billion in the last financial year for the provision of high-speed broadband services and the deployment of optical fibre cable in unserved and underserved areas of the country. While the number of projects has been expanded to 30 in the current fiscal year, the performance of all institutions under the Ministry of IT and Telecommunication in achieving the Digital Pakistan goal is becoming an example with each passing day.”
Syed Amin Ul Haque said, Mobile operators provide networking and broadband services in cities, but it is difficult for them to operate in sparsely populated areas from a business standpoint. The Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunications, through USF, not only selects such regions, but also pays a subsidy that covers 80 to 90% of the project expenditures. We believe that residents in rural areas, like city dwellers, have a right to high-speed mobile internet.
Moreover, he congratulated the residents of Charsadda, Swabi, Nowshera, Mardan and said that they would soon have the best mobile network and fastest internet service to connect themselves to the digital world. He also added that the project will be completed within the stipulated time.
Irfan Wahab Khan, CEO of Telenor Pakistan, shared,
We try to offer connectivity to every Pakistani’s life because it has quickly become a vital need in today’s digital world. Telenor Pakistan has inked a contract with USF to offer high-speed mobile internet to the underserved districts of Nowshera, Mardan, Charsada, and Swabi. He continued, “As a nation on the edge of digitalization, we are delighted to play our role in offering opportunities that connect and empower our people while breaking socio-economic barriers through mobile technology,” while speaking about empowering communities across the country.
Earlier
We strive to provide internet access to every Pakistani because it has fast become a necessity in today’s digital world. Telenor Pakistan has signed a deal with USF to provide high-speed mobile internet to Nowshera, Mardan, Charsada, and Swabi, which are currently underserved.
While speaking about empowering communities around the country, he stated,
“As a nation on the cusp of digitalization, we are happy to play our role in delivering opportunities that connect and empower our people while breaking socio-economic boundaries through mobile technology.”
Federal Minister for Defense Pervez Khattak, an elected member of the PTI from NA-25, Nowshera, spoke at the occasion, saying that the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa districts have the same potential as any other large metropolis. High-speed mobile broadband services in Charsadda, Swabi, Mardan, and Nowshera will aid the youth of these districts in their educational pursuits while also serving the country and the nation. He also stated that the role of the
