Universal Service Fund Pakistan welcomed a delegation from GSMA and the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office for an engagement session on the fund’s rural connectivity and digital inclusion programs. The GSMA delegation included Jeanette Whyte and Saira Faisal Syed, while Heidi Carrubba represented the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
USF Chief Executive Officer presented an overview of the fund’s framework, ongoing programs, and the impact of extending telecom and broadband connectivity to Pakistan’s rural and underserved communities, along with the challenges encountered along the way. The session gave the visiting delegation direct insight into how USF approaches connectivity projects in difficult and underserved regions of the country.
The discussion also underscored USF’s commitment to digital gender inclusion and women’s empowerment, exemplified through the Jhuggiwala Project. The GSMA and FCDO delegation commended the initiative for its contribution to empowering women through community centered connectivity, echoing feedback the same pilot received during an earlier meeting between USF and the Asian Development Bank, which similarly flagged it as a model with strong potential for replication in other parts of Pakistan.
Discussions also covered provincial level collaboration, digital literacy scaling, financial impact assessment, and device affordability for women. USF said it remains committed to strengthening digital inclusion across Pakistan through strategic partnerships and community driven solutions, adding to a series of recent engagements the fund has held with international development partners focused on closing connectivity and gender gaps in the country’s most underserved regions.
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