Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Ahad Cheema chaired a meeting on the National Connectivity Plan, joined by the Minister for IT & Telecom Shaza Fatima Khawaja and senior officials. The meeting primarily focused on expanding access to high-speed internet in villages, remote areas, and small towns to bridge the digital divide and unlock new economic opportunities.
During the meeting, Federal Minister Ahad Cheema said the government's top priority is to facilitate freelancers, e-commerce entrepreneurs, and other digital professionals living in remote regions who continue to face challenges due to slow and unreliable internet connectivity. He said the government will take all necessary measures to ensure the availability of affordable, high-speed internet services across the country, enabling citizens to participate fully in the digital economy.
The session also underscored the vital role of next-generation fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) networks and 5G infrastructure in driving national economic growth, creating employment opportunities, and fostering nationwide digital inclusion.
Highlighting the momentum of Pakistan's digital development, officials noted that FTTH subscriptions have grown steadily to 2.8 million, supported by a robust fiber footprint of 234,000 kilometers, 5.1 million house passes, and six operational submarine cables.
To build upon this progress, Federal Minister Ahad Cheema outlined ambitious national targets under the plan, including expanding infrastructure to 10 million house passes, raising average fixed broadband download speeds to 85 Mbps, securing a place among the world's top 50 countries for broadband performance, and increasing tower fiberization to 60 percent.
The meeting placed strong emphasis on improving digital accessibility and affordability for all citizens. In a key decision aimed at supporting consumers, participants considered targeted tax relief for internet users in remote areas to expand digital participation. Additional strategic reforms discussed included abolishing right-of-way fees, launching a single-window approval portal, introducing district-level licensing, and making fixed broadband connectivity mandatory across public institutions, schools, and health facilities.
Emphasizing the government's commitment to effective implementation, Federal Minister Ahad Cheema said the National Connectivity Plan will be finalized expeditiously through comprehensive stakeholder consultation.
He further stressed that a structured and sequenced approach, prioritizing essential regulatory reforms, enforcing clear operator obligations, and linking financial support to verified performance milestones, will be critical to accelerating nationwide fiber deployment while safeguarding public resources and ensuring long-term commercial viability.
