Chinese to invest $2b in telecom sector
A senior govt official said the spectrum strategy would provide a roadmap to the operators and manufacturers for investment in the telecom sector. PHOTO: FILE
Chinese multinational enterprise, Sunwalk Group, has announced plans to invest $2 billion in Pakistan’s telecom sector, with a focus on deploying optical fibre cable (OFC). The company has already invested $5 million and plans to deploy 5000 km of OFC as the next step.
The announcement was made during a meeting between a high-level delegation from Sunwalk Group, led by its Chairman Hou Xingwang, and Federal Minister for IT and Telecommunication, Syed Aminul Haque, in Islamabad on Tuesday. During the meeting, the delegation informed the federal minister that Sunwalk Group aims to deploy OFC over an area of 100,000 km in Pakistan over time. Sunwalk (Pvt) Ltd, a Chinese telecom and technology-based company, has already acquired a Telecommunication Infrastructure Provider (TIP) license in Pakistan and has developed multiple communication infrastructure projects in China.
The delegation discussed the matter of the Right of Way (RoW) for OFC laying with the minister, who informed them that consultations with the Ministry of Railways and Highways Authority were ongoing. He assured the delegation that all obstacles to OFC laying would be removed soon..
The announcement of this investment is significant for Pakistan’s telecom sector, which is currently undergoing rapid development. The ITT minister’s consultation with the Ministry of Railways and Highways Authority is expected to pave the way for further investment.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 15th, 2023.
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