SCO Seeks an LDI License from PTA

The Special Communications Organization (SCO) has approached Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) for getting Long Distance International (LDI) service license as required for operation on the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), it is learnt.

SCO had established International Gateway Exchange (IGWE) through Public Sector Development Program (PSDP) funding in 2005.

At present, SCO LDI license is restricted to Azad Jammu Kashmir (AJK) and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) and it isn’t operable in other regions of Pakistan, due to which it is unable to exploit full business potential.

SCO is pleading that LDI license be granted to it in view of its role/operation on CPEC. Case in this regard fulfilling all pre-requisites is under consideration with PTA.

Also Read: Govt to Auction 3G/4G Licenses in AJK Later this Year

It must be noted that Pakistan and China are working on Fibre-Optic cable from the Chinese border to Rawalpindi. This $44 million fiber optic cable is being laid between Pakistan and China and it will become another high-speed international connection to cater to the rapidly growing Internet traffic needs of Pakistan.

When completed, this back-haul fiber optic cable will provide Pakistan with a direct telecom access to China, Central Asian States and from there to Europe and to and from the United States.

The optic fiber will be laid between Rawalpindi and Khunjrab, covering a distance of 820 Kilometers.

Pakistan is currently connected with the world through four undersea fiber optic cables, while another four are being built and will be operational in the next couple of years.

Pakistan’s current international links and bandwidth capacity include:

  • TW1 with design capacity of 1.28Tbps
  • Sea-Me-We-3 with 480 Gbps with two fibre pairs
  • Sea-Me-We-4 with design capacity of 1.28Tbps
  • I-ME-WE with Design Capacity of 3.86Tbps

Following international links with landing points in Pakistan are under construction:

  • AAE-1 with design capacity of 40Tbps
  • Sea-Me-We-5 with design capacity of 24Tbps
  • Silk Road Gateway-1 (With landing points in Karachi and Gwadar)
  • Pakistan-China Fiber Optic Back-Haul

Also Read: SCO Given the Approval for Upgradation of its GSM Network



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