The Universal Service Fund (USF) has approved a Rs33 billion budget for fiscal year 2026-27 to expand digital connectivity in unserved and underserved areas across Pakistan.
The policy committee also approved the release of Rs5.57 billion as the first-quarter allocation to support implementation of approved programmes.
The FY27 budget includes Rs24.89 billion for ongoing projects, while Rs6.56 billion has been allocated for new initiatives.
Currently, 28 projects are under implementation, comprising 17 Next Generation Broadband Service Delivery (NG-BSD) mobile broadband projects and 11 Next Generation Optical Fibre Network Services (NG-OFNS) projects.
Under the new allocation, nine NG-BSD and four NG-OFNS projects have been approved. Block allocations have also been made for smaller projects under both programmes.
The initiatives are aimed at expanding telecommunications and broadband infrastructure in areas with limited or no connectivity and improving access to digital services.
The programme focuses on reducing the digital divide, promoting digital inclusion and extending telecom and broadband services to remote and underserved regions of the country.
