ISLAMABAD: The China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project for laying fiber optic cable from Rawalpindi to the bordering city Khunjraab is likely to be completed by next year.
The 820-kilometer long Pakistan-China fiber optic cable project would be completed at a cost of $44 million. According to official sources, after completion, it would add a digital component to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project.
The network would link Pakistan with rest of the world through China. Further, it would also reduce Pakistan’s dependency on submarine cables that are often damaged, disrupting internet services in the country.
The project is being built by the Special Communication Organisation (SCO) in collaboration with China’s Huawei, sources added.
The sources said that one of the aims of the project was to establish a safe route for voice-traffic between the two countries. The foundation stone for the cable was laid in May, 2016. Around 18.2km portion of the fiber optic cable would pass through federal capital, 466km from Gilgit Baltistan, 280km from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, and 47km from Punjab.
