In the 52nd Board of Directors meeting, Universal Service Fund Company (USF Co) discussed and gave a go-ahead to the auction of 3 significant broadband connections. According to a press release statement, the permission has been granted for sustainable development projects.
The meeting took place on Thursday, at the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecom, Islamabad. Chaired by USF Co Board Chairperson and the Minister of State for IT and Telecom, Anusha Rehman Khan, the meeting included several other key members including Secretary IT, Rizwan Bashir Khan; Member Telecom, Mudassar Hussain; CEO Jazz, Aamir Ibrahim; VP ISPS, Azfar Manzoor; and Kaukab Iqbal, Chairman. The consumers association and the USF Co’s senior management were also part of the meeting.
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Minutes of the meeting
The Board of Directors permitted three important broadband connections for sustainable development projects namely:
- Khyber Lot
- Mohmand Lot
- Small Lot-II
Besides approving broadband connections, the board also approved the contract for Phase I of the formation of computer labs in Government Girls School. The idea is to establish the laboratories in the rural regions of Islamabad Capital Territory. In addition, the board also gave a green signal to the Phase II of the ICT for Girls project of setting up computer labs. Furthermore, the board also furnished clearance to computer skills training programme in 119 girl’s institutions of ICT.
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The board also considered the itinerary relating to the provision of ICT to micro and SMEs in Pakistan. The micro and SMEs in the country can be labelled as the backbone of the economy; since they establish 80% of the enterprises in Pakistan.
Around 65 million people are currently enrolled with these enterprises in Pakistan. The board also discussed about providing access to digital platform and carrying micro and SMEs online. Subsequently, the board asked the management of USF to conduct a market research to comprehend the landscape of different issues besides getting the recommendations prepared.
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