ISLAMABAD:Over seventy connectivity projects worth Rs 65 billion under Universal Service Fund (USF) to connect the far-flung areas would be completed by June next year. “28 million people would get broadband facilities after completion of these connectivity projects,” an official of the Ministry of IT told on Monday.
He said, since its inception, the USF has awarded 123 projects worth approximately Rs. 124.8 billion in subsidy under its flagship programs and empowered more than 26 million people living in over 12,000 mauzas, thereby covering over 120 districts across Pakistan.
The USF has also successfully laid more than 12,000 km of Optical Fiber which has connected more than 600 Tehsil Headquarters (THQs), Union Councils (UCs) and major towns of Pakistan and is paving the way for 5G technology.
He said that all these projects of USF were playing a vital role in gender empowerment and accelerating the accessibility for e-suite services that include e-education, e-health, e-agriculture, e-finance and e-commerce and bridging the digital divide in Pakistan.