Dr. Umar Saif, Caretaker Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunications, stated on Friday that Pakistan is ready to accept China’s internet traffic, claiming that the country had all of the necessary infrastructure for this purpose.
IT Minister Meeting With Telecom Operators
While meeting with representatives of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), Special Communication Organization (SCO), and various telecom operators to discuss the proposed project, he stated that the project aims to create a corridor that will allow China to connect to Europe via Pakistan, presenting a significant economic benefit to the country.
One of the most important components of this project is the integration of the current optical fiber cable network, which runs from Khunjerab to Karachi, with a submarine cable for Chinese traffic.
According to the minister, this will improve internet traffic flow and boost connectivity.
Dr. Saif stressed the project’s potential economic benefits, estimating multimillion-dollar opportunities for Pakistan.
Special Investment Facilitation Council Forum’s Critical Role
He also emphasized the Special Investment Facilitation Council Forum’s critical role in leading revolutionary efforts in the IT and telecom sectors.
According to the minister, the project’s primary goal is to expand Pakistan’s optical fiber cable network. The country currently has around 180,000 kilometers of fiber cable and 6,000 mobile towers.
The minister has set a goal of increasing the optical fiber cable network to 300,000 kilometers and installing 20,000 towers, which will considerably boost connectivity and the whole telecom infrastructure.
The IT minister has taken note of the obstacles faced by telecom operators under the Right of Way policy and has instructed authorities to rectify these concerns as soon as possible, guaranteeing a smooth implementation of the policy and improved connectivity.
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