The social media titan, Facebook has collaborated with Pakistan’s telecom firm, Nayatel to develop Internet connectivity and develop the path for digital transformation. This partnership between the two entities would provide affordable, high-speed, and dependable Internet access to an estimated 10 to 15 million Pakistanis in the major eight cities of the nation.
Under this alliance, Nayatel will have the rights to own, establish, manage, and run a new fiber network and present a comprehensive range to mobile operators and ISPs, and Facebook will be investing in the 1650 km-long fiber network. According to Nayatel, this high-speed fiber will connect thousands of sites by the year 2022, and enhance the capacity and the terrestrial reach of internet access for millions of Pakistanis.
Read more: Nayatel collaborates with Facebook to invest in fiber broadband in Pakistan
Furthermore, the telecom regulator, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has also guaranteed its support for the project to develop and expand connectivity in the nation. This first-of-its-kind funding of the social media behemoth in Pakistan symbolizes tremendous growth potential in Pakistan’s technology division and towards advancing the connectivity in the region.
“We’re excited for this first-ever partnership of a Pakistani company with Facebook to expand fiber broadband to bring high-speed internet to millions of customers,” said CEO Nayatel Wahaj us Siraj. The latest fiber systems expanded by Nayatel would work as the backbone base for 4G/5G mobile and established broadband, as an important driver of financial growth and employment creation. Nayatel states that the network will further promote Pakistan’s digital revolution.
Till the present date, there are nearly 101 million Internet users in Pakistan including 98 million 3G and 4G subscribers, as per the data shared by the PTA in March 2021. According to the experts, the COVID-19 pandemic has prompted the shift to the digital domain as more institutional and healthcare establishments now offer online services.
Last year, Prime Minister Imran Khan hosted a virtual conference with Facebook’s chief operating officer (COO), Sheryl Sandberg, and invited the tech firm to invest in Pakistan to promote regional startups as well as health and education initiatives.
Source: Gulf News
