Staff Report
ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication, Syed Amin-ul- Haque on Tuesday said that the Ministry of IT has showcased remarkable performance in the past five years, with the initiation of several projects and the continuous progress of the department, which has brought significant benefits to the nation.
During this period, various institutions under the ministry successfully implemented ICT projects of vital importance to public welfare and the country’s development, providing digital services to more than 50 million individuals nationwide he said while addressing a ceremony at the National Telecommunication Corporation (NTC).
The minister also spoke about the migration of NTC’s exchanges to IP (Internet Protocol) from TDM (Time Division Multiplexing) and copper wires to optical fiber cables.
The contract signing ceremony for this transition took place and was attended by NTC’s Director Procurement Kashif Nawaaz, and Redtone’s Syed Ahsan Abbas, along with NTC’s Managing Director, Muraaj Gul.
Syed Aminul Haque said that the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication is now embarking on another revolutionary project under the NTC.
According to the project, the exchanges of NTC will be converted to IP (Internet Protocol) and optical fiber cables from TDM (Time Division Multiplexing) and copper wires in 26 major cities across Pakistan, including Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur, Larkana, Dadu, and Shikarpur, as well as other cities in Punjab, Balochistan, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The minister further added that this migration will make NTC networks more active, secure, and faster than before. It will significantly reduce complaints and technical issues while also minimizing operational expenses.
Government institutions and departments, he said, will be provided with the best services and bandwidth in information and communication technology, along with data services.
Syed Aminul Haque mentioned that the project will cost more than Rs. 2 billion and is expected to be completed within a year. NTC will bear the entire cost of the project, without any financial burden on the national exchequer.
He highlighted a previous project where 147 exchanges across the country were converted to IP and optical fiber cables from TDM (Time Division Multiplexing) and copper wires, with a cost of Rs 1.65 billion from May 2018 to June 2020. The project has been successfully completed, and the related exchanges are functioning efficiently.
He expressed his satisfaction with the excellent performance of NTC over the past five years, which has resulted in continuous benefits. He emphasized that while upgrading its infrastructure to meet modern demands, NTC is also working for the welfare and well-being of its employees.
The minister mentioned a few noteworthy projects, such as the establishment of Disaster Recovery Centers in Lahore and Islamabad with a cost of Rs. 600 million from June 2019 to September 2021, as well as the expansion of data centers in Islamabad and Lahore to meet growing demands with a cost of Rs. 647 million from March 2021 to June 2023.
He praised the achievements of NTC, stating that its profits have increased from 68 million Rupees in 2018 to 811 million Rupees in 2023, a remarkable record growth. He also mentioned that IT revenues in May this year witnessed a 28% increase compared to May last year.
The ceremony was attended by members of the IT and Telecommunication community, including Member IT, Syed Junaid Imam, Member Telecom, Muhammad Omar Malik, and officials from the Ministry of IT and NTC.
