ISLAMABAD -Multi Million dollars cross border Optical Fibre Cable projectbeing launched under CPEC.
The Special Communication Organization (SCO) has forwarded PC-1 of Phase-IIof Pak-China Optical Fibre Cable project for the establishment of CrossBorder Network (Khunjrab-Gawadar-Karachi) along the China Pakistan EconomicCorridor (CPEC) routes.
Pakistan and China have agreed to extend cross border Optic Fiber networkby laying 9600 km cable (Khunjrab-Gawadar-Karachi) along the China PakistanEconomic Corridor (CPEC) routes with an estimated cost of $279.219 million.
According to official documents, the project would cost around $279.219million with a ratio of 85 percent loan (China) and 15 percent (Pakistan).
Under the project, 9600 km OFC for Phase-II of Pak-China OFC project willbe laid for the cross border fibre network (Khunjrab-Gawadar-Karachi) alongthe CPEC routes. The project will be completed in four years.
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The documents further revealed the SCO has demanded Rs 779.279 millionunder the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) 2019-2020.
It is worth mentioning that National Assembly Standing Committee onInformation Technology and Telecommunication was informed a one year agothat Phase-II of the project was endorsed by former Prime Minister NawazSharif and Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, however, the IT Ministry had maintainedthat there were some legal issues due to which SCO could not be allowed toproceed with it.
The first phase of Optical Fiber Cable (OFC) project worth $44 million,directly connecting Pakistan and China, was completed under the CPECframework. China was providing 85 percent of the finances for the projectwhile the remaining 15 percent were from the government of Pakistan. Theproject was aimed at enabling another high-speed international connectionthat caters to the rapidly growing internet traffic needs of bothcountries. Under the first phase, an 820km long cable between Rawalpindiand Khunjrab was laid down and was assigned to SCO.
