Pakistan’s optical fiber cable network can become a global corridor that can reduce the latency, besides benefitting the country by millions of dollars, Caretaker Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Dr Umar Saif said on Wednesday.
The Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication has planned a digital corridor of connectivity for China, Russia and Central Asian States with the rest of the world. The implementation of the proposed project will benefit Pakistan by millions of dollars, said Dr Saif, while addressing a meeting of representatives of PTA, SCO, PTCL, Transworld, and Peace Cable.
“We often talk about the CPEC trade corridor, but an equally big opportunity is for Pakistan to become a digital corridor of connectivity for China, Russia and Central Asian States with the rest of the world. We now have fiber connectivity from Kashgar to Karachi and can offer low latency connectivity for China transit traffic with the evolving network of submarine cables connecting Africa and Europe. Our digital corridor can reduce the latency from 120 ms to just 20 ms”, the minister added.
We often talk about CPEC trade corridor, but equally big opportunity is for Pakistan to become a digital corridor of connectivity for China, Russia and Central Asian States with the rest of the world. We now have fiber connectivity from Kashgar to Karachi and can offer low… pic.twitter.com/1vdi5sDA2q
— Umar Saif (@umarsaif) November 22, 2023
He said this is a huge opportunity for Pakistan and we are all set to take this forward. Global traffic can be connected to the submarine cable with the optical fiber cable up to Khunjerab, Karachi and Gwadar. All resources and required facilities have been provided for the digital corridor, said Dr. Saif, adding that digital access to the Middle East, Central Asia, China, and Europe will be available at easy and affordable rates.
Some of the immense global digital traffic can be routed through this corridor, he said, adding that the platform of the Special Investment Facilitation Council can be a great help in this project. At present, there are about 180 thousand kilometers of fiber cable in the country and 6 thousand mobile towers are connected, said Dr Saif. A feasible plan has been made to install 3 lac kilometers of optical fiber cable and connect 20 thousand towers, he added.
By increasing the optical fiber cable, the connectivity will be faster, better internet facilities will be provided to the users, the minister said, adding that they are also in touch with international organizations including Google, Meta. Soon good news would be given about global networks, said the minister.
this is good news for us Pakistan I think
His statements make me laugh. This is daydreaming, mere statements for the sake of statements.
Please provide reliable internet to your countrymen first, then think of beyond borders. Even several areas of the small capital city Islamabad are not covered by reliable internet, not to talk of optic fibre.
Our problem is talk, talk, talk and do nothing.