Government to set up Telecom University

ISLAMABAD: The government will establish a Telecom University in the federal capital to provide better research and development activities.

The decision has been taken in the backdrop of the phenomenal expansion and growth of the telecom sector, said official sources on Thursday. Sources said the Information Technology Ministry was hiring consultants to develop an optimal strategy for setting up the Telecom University. They added that the cost of consultancy would be met by the Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) Research and Development fund which had enough land to set up a telecom university in Islamabad.

“A Telecom University would be an ideal project and we are determined to ensure all necessary resources to see a top-ranking university in the next couple of years,” said the sources.

The sources said there was a need to increase the human resource base of the country that could take advantage of the telecom infrastructure. Currently there are only a few national universities offering degree level courses in telecommunications and related engineering subjects. However, these universities were not producing engineers that could find jobs in telecom operations and other support functions. The sources said PTCL’s research and development fund was providing financial assistance to carry out research and development activity in various sectors and disciplines.

In Pakistan, the telecom and cellular sectors have witnessed a remarkable improvement during the last two years as the number of cellular phone and fixed line subscribers has reached about eight million and five million with 5.15 per cent and 3.13 per cent teledensity. app

Home | National