USF BoD Meeting. Rural Telephony and e-Services Projects reviewed

ISLAMABAD ( BMZ REPORT )

Universal Service Fund Company (USF Co.) 39th Board of Directors Meeting was convened on Tuesday June 09th, 2015 in the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecom, Islamabad.

The Minister of State for IT & Telecom; Mrs. Anusha Rahman Khan chaired the meeting in which an overview was taken of the current development projects in un-served and under-served areas by USF company.

The status of two Rural Telephony and e-Services Projects namely Shangla and Zhob was reviewed. Shangla project is expected to benefit an un-served population of about 810,685, covering 154 unserved Mauzas and an unserved area of 6,344 sq kms. Whereas Zhob project is expected to benefit an un-served population of about 415,691, covering 330 unserved Mauzas and an unserved area of 21,979 sq kms.

The board also deliberated on project using ICTs to empower women & girls particularly from under privileged segments of the society and how to make them ICT literate and to train them with Computer Programming so that such technical trainings could make them economically empowered. The board accordingly directed USFco to work on a proposal.

Secretary IT Mr. Azmat Ali Ranjha & other Board members including the Member Telecom; Mr.Mudassar Hussain , Chairman PTA; Dr. Syed Ismail Shah, CEO & President PTCL; Mr. Walid Irshaid, Representative of Consumer Association of Pakistan, Mr. Kaukab Iqbal also attended the meeting.