PM Ashraf for reducing rural-urban digital gap

3643 villages, 260 towns served telecom and broadband services. 4217 kms of optical fibre cable laid in the country.

ISLAMABAD: The Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf has directed the Universal Service Fund to further accelerate the pace of providing digital services in the un-served and under-served areas of the country to reduce the gap in digital services in rural and urban areas, Radio Pakistan reported on Thursday.

Presiding over the 29th Board of Director's meeting of USF in Islamabad on Thursday ‚ Ashraf said that the Rural Telecom Broadband and Optic Fibre Connectivity Programmes launched by USF were playing an important role in spreading these technologies in the lesser developed areas of the country. He said these programmes will promote entrepreneurship and create jobs and new vistas at Tehsil and union council levels.

The Prime Minister was apprised that under the Rural Telecom Programme‚ almost 3643 previously unserved villages have been provided telecom services throughout the country. Under the Broadband Programme‚ 260 previously unserved towns now have about 412073 USF funded broadband connections.

In Optic Fibre Connectivity Programme‚ more than 4217 kms of optical fibre cable have been laid connecting 102 unserved tehsils in the country.

The Prime Minister was also informed that after the completion of USF Pilot Project‚ tele-medicine centers will be set up around large cities like Karachi‚ Rawalpindi and Multan. Nishtar Medical College Multan and Holy Family Hospital Rawalpindi have been connected with 12 remote sites to set up three tele-medicines networks.