The government is making all out efforts to ensure nation-wide teledensity up to 85 percent by 2010, an official of Ministry of Telecommunications said on Wednesday. The official said under the first phase, the top priority is being given to rural areas that have been neglected in the past.
He said, "The main telecommunication challenge in Pakistan is to multiply the number of lines, increased telephony penetration and geographic coverage, leading to a more balanced distribution of the essential benefits of the services."
Multibillion Universal Service Fund (USF) will greatly help extend telecom services across the country. People living in far-flung areas are being provided landline and telecom services with the help of mobile phone operators, he said.
USF has been instituted within the ministry through annual contributions received from the telecom operators. Auctioning of funds is being provided to existing cellular companies.
The first phase of the programme initiated by the ministry to provide telecom services in six under-served areas is fast nearing completion. Under the programme, telecom services are being extended to six designated areas including Malakand, Sukker, Sibbi, Chaghi, D G Khan and Attock.
Telenor Pakistan had won the final stage of technical and financial bidding for USF. Telecommunication services play a key role in the growth of economy, facilitating efficiency and growth across the wide range of user's industry in any country.
The level of telecommunication development is a determining factor for economy, social and cultural development of a country. Pakistan has a constant growth in telecom density over the past years. It has increased from 1.85 in 1996 to 3.4 by the end of year 2004 showing an improvement by 83 percent.