Govt to provide Broadband Internet along CPEC’s M-3 and M-5

The Government of Pakistan will provide high-speed mobile broadband coverage in nine districts of Punjab and Sindh located along the M-3 and M-5 Motorways, which fall under the eastern route of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

The contract for the provision of broadband services along the M-3 and M-5 Motorways was signed between the Ministry of Communication and Ministry of Information Technology in Islamabad on Wednesday.

“The project will be completed with an amount of PRK 140 million over a period of one year,” the Minister for Information Technology Amin ul Haque said during a press briefing on the project with Minister for Communication Murad Saeed in Islamabad.

The Minister said that as part of the project, broadband internet would be provided over approximately 55 kilometers of M-3 and 78 km of M-5 Motorway.  These areas include Sheikhupura, Nankana Sahib, Faisalabad, Khanewal, Multan, Kashmore, Ghotki and Sukkar. “All tourists and travelers will benefit from the broadband internet services,” said Mr. Haque, “Unserved and underserved areas will be connected to the digital world while more areas will be connected in the next phases”.

Minister for Communication Murad Saeed said, “IT can play a role in increasing the exports of Pakistan”.

The M-3 and M-5 Motorways are sections of Lahore-Karachi Motorway that pass different regions of the Punjab and Sindh provinces and constitute the eastern route of CPEC. The M-3 Motorway is a 6-lane controlled access highway, which was jointly constructed by CR20G and ZKB, a Pakistani construction company. The M-3 Motorway was open to traffic in April 2019.

The 392 kilometer long, M-5 Motorway, also known as Multan-Sukkur Motorway, has been built under CPEC.