The Special Communication Organisation (SCO) has earned Rs 1.54515 billion during the fiscal year 2004-05 which exceeds, by Rs 157.80 million, the revenue in the corresponding period of last year. SCO has also decided to expand its network in Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK) and Northern Areas (NAs) by launching new development projects.
The Organisation has decided to provide 80,000 new telephone connections along with Optical Fiber connectivity in Azad Jammu Kashmir from Mansehra to Muzaffarabad, said a report of the organisation issued here about performance of the SCO.
The report of SCO, a defence establishment responsible to provide telecommunication facilities in AJK and NAs, stated that during Rural Telecom Uplift Project (RTUP) Phase-II in AJK, the SCO would create various allied facilities for its consumers.
Through price negotiations of various contracts and sound planning of the project, additional number of switch lines, media ie OFC/ Micro wave, OSP and allied facilities are being created. All this would be provided and created within approved cost of the project.
The report stated that under RTUP Phase II, 58,372 existing lines would be expanded and 101,672 new lines were being installed. Further, 57 new digital exchanges and 57 microwave stations would also be set up and 331 km of Optical Fiber would be laid down, the source said.
It was stated in the report that five more development projects with the cost of Rs 3.298 billion would be launched. SCO also intends to begin five more developmental projects in future. Those include expansion and improvement of telecom facilities in Northern Areas (Phase-III), Optical Fiber Cable Connectivity to Neelum Valley, Rural Digital Communication Project in AJK (Phase-III). Other projects are laying of 50,000 lines OSP in AJK and cellular and mobile phone system in AJK and NAs (GSM) Phase-II with a total cost of Rs 3,298 million, the report reads.
"SCO has unique infra-structure at a very large scale to convey telecommunication facilities in the hilly areas of AJK and NAs. The SCO controls 133 telephone exchanges in AJK and 67 in northern areas. These 200 exchanges have total capacity of 128,699 fixed phones and 5,000 mobile phones, while, at present, 94,649 fixed telephones and 5,032 mobiles are working" the source added.
The source also said the Northern Areas Terrestrial Link Microwave Project is also being considered under which extension of terrestrial backbone from Gilgit to Rawalpindi, in addition to provide redundancy to Optical Fiber Transmission System between Mansehra and Gilgit, would be laid down.
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