Pakistan possesses all essential infrastructure required to accommodate China’s internet traffic: Minister

ISLAMABAD,  : Caretaker Minister for Information Technology and Telcom Dr Umar Saif Friday affirmed the country’s preparedness to accommodate China’s internet traffic, asserting that Pakistan possesses all the essential infrastructure required for this purpose.

While talking to representatives of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), Special Communication Organization (SCO) and various telecom operators to discuss the proposed project he said, the project is aimed at creating a corridor that will allow China to connect to Europe via Pakistan, presenting an opportunity for substantial economic benefits for the country.

One of the key aspects of this project involves combining the existing optical fiber cable network, which stretches from Khunjerab to Karachi, with a submarine cable for China’s traffic. This promises to optimize internet traffic flow and further strengthen connectivity, the minister added.

Dr. Saif emphasized the potential economic benefits of this project, projecting multi-million-dollar opportunities for Pakistan.

He also highlighted the crucial role of the Special Investment Facilitation Council Forum in spearheading revolutionary initiatives within the IT and Telecom sector.

The minister said the project is primarily focused on the expansion of Pakistan’s optical fiber cable network. Currently, the country boasts approximately 180,000 kilometers of fiber cable and 6,000 mobile towers.

The minister has set his sights on expanding optical fiber cable network to 300,000 kilometers and establishing 20,000 towers, a move that promises to greatly enhance connectivity and improve the overall telecom infrastructure.

The IT minister has taken notice of the challenges faced by telecom operators under the Right of Way policy and directed the authorities to swiftly resolve these issues, ensuring a seamless rollout of the policy and enhanced connectivity.