PITB sources say the board hasn’t paid dues amounting to Rs150 million to PTCL. PHOTO: FILE
The Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) had been providing free WiFi facility at public places for the last two years. The free of charge project was started by PITB in 2017, providing the facility at over 200 points in Lahore, Multan, Faisalabad, Bahawalpur and Rawalpindi. The facility covered public places including railway station, metro station, airport, colleges and universities.
According to PITB sources, the WiFi facility was being provided by Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL), but the board has not paid dues amounting to Rs150 million. They said that PITB needed Rs190 million to ensure continuity of the service, however, the provincial government, considering it a burden on its budget, halted the service.
Five major cities in Punjab now have internet on the go
The new budget did not have any allocation for the project, sources said, adding that employees working on the project have also been suspended.
The suspension of the facility has caused a lot of difficulties for citizens, especially university and college students who had been benefitting from the facility on daily basis.
The facility was also available to the journalists at the Lahore Press Club.
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