Pakistan-China Fiber Optic Project

The Pakistan-China Fiber Optic Project is an under-construction 820 kilometer long optical fiber cable being laid between the Khunjerab Pass on the China-Pakistan border and the city of Rawalpindi. It is being constructed as part the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor at an estimated cost of $44 million.[1] Groundbreaking on the project took place on May 19, 2016 in the city of Gilgit.[2]

The line was first envisaged in 2009,[3] with Pakistan and China signing an agreement in 2013 to implement the project.[4] However the project was not implemented until being included as part of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor. Placement of the line will take an estimated 2 years, and will bring 3G and 4G connectivity to the Gilgit-Baltistan region.[5]

The line will connect the Transit Europe-Asia Terrestrial Cable Network with that of Pakistan,[6] which currently transmits its telecom and internet traffic through four undersea fiber optic cables, with another three undersea fiber optic cables under construction.[7]

466.54 kilometers of the route will be located in Gilgit-Baltistan, while 287.66 kilometers will be laid in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, 47.56 kilometers will be in Punjab province, and 18.2 kilometers in Islamabad Capital Territory.[8]

The project will be financed by the Exim Bank of China at a concessionary interest rate of 2%, versus the 1.6% typical of other CPEC infrastructure projects.[9]

References

  1. ↑ "India Snubbed: Pak-China Initiate CPEC Project in Gilgit-Baltistan". The Quint. 19 May 2016. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  2. ↑ "PM inaugurates Pakistan-China Fiber Optic project". The News. 19 May 2016. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  3. ↑ Khan, Mehwish (19 May 2016). "Pakistan To Deploy Fiber Optic Cable to Connect with China". ProPakistani. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  4. ↑ "PM performs groundbreaking of Pak-China optic fiber project". Dunya News. 19 May 2016. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  5. ↑ "India Snubbed: Pak-China Initiate CPEC Project in Gilgit-Baltistan". The Quint. 19 May 2016. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  6. ↑ "PM performs groundbreaking of Pak-China optic fiber project". Dunya News. 19 May 2016. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  7. ↑ "Pakistan to Get $44 Million Fiber Optic Back Haul to Link with China". ProPakistani. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  8. ↑ "Pakistan to Get $44 Million Fiber Optic Back Haul to Link with China". ProPakistani. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  9. ↑ Naveed Butt (3 September 2015). "Economic corridor: China to extend assistance at 1.6 percent interest rate". Business Recorder.
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