The Ministry of Information Technology and Telecom wants to put out 5G in 2023, as the telecom industry’s market size has increased to $16.9 billion after garnering $1.2 billion in foreign direct investments in the last three years.
The ministry highlighted in a recent presentation on the sector’s performance to Prime Minister Imran Khan that projects have been launched for “deep fabrication” by the Universal Service Fund (USF) to expand telecom services and internet even in remote and backward areas in order to meet future digitization requirements across the country and the launch of future technological needs such as 5G.
Over 10,000 kilometers of optical fiber cable will be constructed across the country between 2018 and 22 to provide high-speed internet to 1,175 municipalities and union councils. According to the ministry, USF projects have covered nearly 1,800 kilometers of unimproved road network in Balochistan, including highways and motorways.
Minister for IT and Telecom Syed Amin ul Haq said the government was betting heavily on boosting IT service exports to $5 billion by the end of 2022-23, while remarking on the project’s importance.
“We will provide affordable and high-speed internet to people in tiny villages, and I am confident that even girls from KP and GB would succeed as freelancers while working from home,” the minister stated.
