ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has an alarmingly low fiber-teledensity (0.45 percent) with almost 164,000 km of deployed optical fiber cable (OFC) in the country, admitted by the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication.
The ministry further stated that only 9-11 percent of the total cellular towers are connected via OFC and only 1.1 million are fiber to the home subscribers. To bridge the digital and broadband divide in the country, enhancing access to optical fiber connectivity is crucial.
Telecom infrastructure deployment needs to be facilitated by rationalizing the restrictive ROW policy and fees to decrease the cost and complexity of telecom infrastructure development and promote the expansion of broadband internet services in the country.
To increase optical fiber network penetration, the government has initiated the development of a National Fiberisation Policy to encourage investment in optical fiber networks across the country, aiming for 200,000 km of optical fiber coverage to 4 million subscribers and Fiber to the Site penetration of 75per cent.
In this context, the MoITT drafted the concept paper for Right of Way Facilitation for Digital Connectivity. The policy will facilitate private sector investment for the deployment of optical fiber networks in long-haul and metro networks, as well as fiber-to-the-tower deployment, in a timely and cost-effective manner.
In line with the policy aspirations, with proactive support from the Secretary Cabinet Division, ROW fees for highways and railway tracks have been harmonized. Further, ROW fees for bridges, culverts and crossings on national highways and railways have also been rationalized after consultations. Moreover, ROW fee in areas under Defence Authorities are also being harmonized with ROW fee in areas under the Cantonment boards.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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