Islamabad: The Universal Service Fund (USF) awarded contracts worth approximately PKR 112 Million to Zong 4G for providing 4G network coverage in rural and remote areas of Sindh and Baluchistan. Federal Minister of IT and Telecommunication, Syed Amin Ul Haque inaugurated the projects at a ceremony held at Zong 4G Headquarters on Wednesday. The contracts were signed by Haaris Mahmood Chaudhary, CEO, USF with Wang Hua, Chairman and CEO, Zong 4G. The Federal Secretary for IT & Telecommunication Shoaib Ahmed Siddiqui and Chairman PTA, Major General (R) Amir Azeem Bajwa were also present at the ceremony.
Chief Guest of the ceremony, Federal Minister for IT and Telecommunication, Syed Amin Ul Haque said: “To achieve the Digital Pakistan vision, it is imperative that all areas and citizens of Pakistan have access to mobile phones and Broadband services. This will ensure that not only is the citizenry connected to the digital world but they will be in a position to benefit and use Information Communication Technology (ICT) facilities”. He informed that the Government is working arduously on mobile phone applications, web portals, e-commerce, e-government, online jobs, digital payments, establishment of IT parks and all other avenues which are related to the Digital Pakistan vision.
The Federal Minister congratulated Zong 4G and USF on the signing of the contracts and expressed the hope that this will ensure that residents living in remote areas of Baluchistan and rural pockets of Karachi will have better connectivity through Zong 4G’s superior technical expertise. He stated that USF is working on projects worth billions of rupees which include laying optical fiber, deploying telecommunication infrastructure and expanding networks. Furthermore, he announced that Ministry of IT and Telecommunication with USF’s support will be launching new development projects pertaining to network and Broadband expansion monthly.
While sharing his views at the ceremony, Zong 4G’s Chairman and CEO Wang Hua said: “Since its inception, Zong 4G has been at the forefront of digital transformation in Pakistan, striving to bring the unserved and underserved areas and masses under the folds of connectivity and digital inclusion. We thank USF for awarding us these projects and the government of Pakistan for supporting us in pursuing our passion for an empowered and Digital Pakistan. We stay committed to our mission of serving the Pakistani people in all possible ways and a project like this simply fuels that passion of ours.”
Also, sharing his thoughts at the ceremony, CEO USF, Haaris Mahmood Chaudhary said: “These projects will benefit an unserved population of 0.5 million in 263 unserved Mauzas, thereby covering an unserved area of 4,121 sq.km. Of Nasirabad, Jaffarabad, Sohbatpur, Karachi West & Malir districts. As advised by the Federal Minister for IT and Telecommunication, USF is actively working to provide robust connectivity in unserved and underserved areas of Pakistan. We are committed to playing our role in making Digital Pakistan vision a reality and bridging the digital divide.”
Senior officials of the Ministry of IT and Telecommunication, USF and Zong 4G were also present at the ceremony.