ISLAMABAD, 01 DEC (DNA) – Minister of State for Information Technology Anusha Rehman has said the new telecom policy would be announced soon. Addressing an inauguration function of TDM to IP Migration Project of National Telecommunication Corporation (NTC) in Islamabad on Tuesday, she said the government is working on cyber security policy to protect the telecom and IT based service.

The Project was aimed to replace NTCs old technology exchanges with state-of-the art IP based Next Generation Network to provide better quality services to its designated subscribers. Anusha Rahman congratulated NTC Management on inauguration of such up-gradation plans to meet the challenging requirements of voice and broadband services for Government departments.

Anusha Rahman further said that we are following our vision of “accelerated digitization”. NTC has been tasked to upgrade and expand its network in an efficient transparent and cost effective manner in order to provide quality services and connectivity to the people, so that vision of Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, could be translated at grass root level in true letter and spirit.

She further said that NTC has played a vital role for provision of intranet connectivity “in our E-office Suit” being implemented in all federal Ministries and divisions. NTC has also been assigned to establish a state of the art “Data Hosting Center” and work on the project is in progress.

While talking about the menace of grey trafficking, the Minister said that when we came into power, the grey traffic was sky rocketing. Volume of white traffic was reduced from 2 billion minutes to less than 400 million minutes which was quite alarming for all of us. So we took it as a challenge and due to our constant strenuous efforts, we succeeded to enhance the volume of white traffic which is currently 1.5 billion minutes again, which speaks volume of our commitment to malpractices in the sector.

Chairman NTC Viqar Rashid Khan said that NTC is enduring to facilitate its customers with quality ICT connectivity and keeping itself abreast with the private sector operators.  He further said that besides up-gradation of existing exchanges with latest IP based network, NTC is expanding its network to districts and tehsil level to facilitate provincial administration as well.

Efforts are being made to have NTCs role in CPEC projects to strengthen the Government of Pakistan’s initiatives to develop GAWADAR and provide ICT services to un-served and underserved areas of Baluchistan. MD HUWAEI, while speaking on the occasion assured his utmost technical support to NTC for achieving its objectives. DNA