The Universal Service Fund (USF) and Jazz have officially signed contracts for four landmark Next Generation-Broadband for Sustainable Development (NGBSD) projects, valued at Rs. 1.16 billion, aimed at expanding high-speed internet access across nine districts in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The signing ceremony took place at the USF Head Office and was attended by Federal Minister for IT Shaza Fatima Khawaja as the chief guest.
The agreements were formalized by Chaudhry Mudassar Naveed, CEO of USF, and Aamir Ibrahim, CEO of Jazz. Under these projects, high-speed broadband services will be provided to districts including Chiniot, Abbottabad, Attock, Sargodha, Khushab, Bahawalnagar, Faisalabad, Sheikhupura, and Hafizabad. The initiative is expected to directly benefit approximately 533,000 residents across 203 rural Mauzas, with execution timelines set between six to 18 months.
In her keynote address, Minister Khawaja emphasized that these projects go beyond contract signing and are part of building the digital foundation for a “Digital Nation.” She highlighted recent achievements, including a surge in IT exports, growing international ICT partnerships, and ongoing spectrum auction and 5G launch plans. The minister also noted that USF has approved projects worth over Rs. 20.54 billion in the past six months, with additional initiatives planned in Sindh and Balochistan.
Chaudhry Mudassar Naveed stressed the importance of bridging the digital divide for Pakistan’s 61.6 percent rural population. He said that under the Prime Minister’s Digital Pakistan vision, USF has accelerated execution without political or regional bias, investing a total of Rs. 136.7 billion to date, including Rs. 95.27 billion for 107 broadband projects connecting 39.4 million people, and Rs. 41.43 billion for 19,169 kilometers of optical fiber cable.
CEO Jazz Aamir Ibrahim expressed gratitude to the government, emphasizing the public-private partnership’s role in empowering rural communities and ensuring equitable access to technology.
The signing ceremony concluded with reaffirmation from the Minister that the government is committed to nationwide digital inclusion, enabling youth and communities to benefit from technological innovation. Senior officials from the Ministry of IT & Telecom, USF, Jazz, and other ICT sector stakeholders also attended the event.
Follow the PakBanker Whatsapp Channel for updates across Pakistan’s banking ecosystem.