Islamabad, Mar 14 2025: The Ministry of IT and Telecom has revealed that the Universal Service Fund (USF) has invested Rs. 9.5 billion over the past 3.5 fiscal years (2021-2025) to enhance Telecom Projects in KP.
In a written response to the Senate of Pakistan, Minister for IT and Telecom, Shaza Fatima, outlined the significant advancements made in digital connectivity through various initiatives.
These funds have been utilized to expand 2G, 3G, and 4G services across 1,600 mauzas, in addition to covering 37.43 kilometers of road networks.
Furthermore, 1,159 kilometers of optical fiber cable (OFC) have been deployed to connect 67 tehsil headquarters, union councils, and towns, improving internet accessibility in remote regions.
According to the ministry’s report, 18 telecom projects have been initiated across KP. Among the initiatives focused on 2G and 3G services, major allocations included Rs. 16.48 million for the Chitral Lot, Rs. 16.12 million for Kohistan.
Rs. 60.73 million for Khyber, Rs. 22.65 million for Mohmand, Rs. 62.27 million for D.I. Khan, and Rs. 83.87 million for Waziristan. Meanwhile, significant funding has been dedicated to 4G network expansion.
Including Rs. 1.09 billion for Chitral, Rs. 555 million for Swabi, Rs. 250.23 million for Swat, Rs. 251.03 million for Bannu, and Rs. 1.99 billion for Buner.
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In addition, USF allocated Rs. 196.87 million for the Tourist Destination-K1 project and Rs. 170.22 million for Tourist Destination-K2, both of which received mobilization advances.
Another Rs. 491.60 million was set aside for the National Highways & Motorways (NH&MW) Lot-9 (N-35), covering 37.43 kilometers of road connectivity. Fiber optic projects in the region also saw major investments.
Including Rs. 84.49 million for the FATA Package-1, which covered 132.99 kilometers of OFC deployment, connecting three tehsil headquarters. Meanwhile, Rs. 1.5 billion was allocated under the KPK (FATA) Package-2 to lay 742.54 kilometers of fiber optic cable, connecting 37 towns.
Further investments included Rs. 313.11 million for UC-KP-LOT-17 as a mobilization advance and Rs. 913.40 million for UC-KP-LOT-18, which facilitated the deployment of 283.11 kilometers of fiber optic cable across 27 union councils.
These projects were awarded through a transparent bidding process to licensed telecom providers, including Jazz, Ufone, Telenor, Zong, PTCL, Nayatel, Dancom, and another ISP.
The minister clarified that all USF projects are executed under a turnkey service model, where telecom companies handle network design, procurement, site acquisition, installation, and commissioning. The USF does not interfere in project execution but enforces compliance with contractual service requirements.
Once operational, the networks are made available for public use, with operators required to meet the standards set under the agreement. To maintain transparency, all contracts follow Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) guidelines.
Independent third-party audits are conducted before payments are issued to service providers. This ensures that all Telecom Projects in KP meet the required standards and contribute to enhancing digital connectivity across KP.
