Senate Standing Committee on IT and Telecommunication, chaired by Senator Palwasha Khan, revealed that residents of Chitral and its far-flung areas continue to face severe internet and mobile connectivity problems, with services reportedly disappearing after sunset.
Senator Talha Mahmood described the situation as a “worst-case scenario,” highlighting that millions in the Universal Service Fund (USF) remain unused, despite growing complaints from the people of Lower and Upper Chitral.
“As soon as the sun sets, mobile service disappears in Chitral,” Senator Talha Mahmood said, calling for telecom towers to remain operational around the clock.
Officials from the Ministry of IT confirmed that a USF-backed Optical Fiber project has been initiated for the region. The CEO of USF Chaudhry Mudassar Naveed requested a detailed list of the areas most affected by connectivity issues, promising to address them in upcoming projects.
To provide ongoing oversight, the senate committee agreed to form a sub-committee focused on mobile and internet services in remote areas, led by Senator Sadia Abbasi. The sub-committee will investigate outages, monitor telecom operations, and recommend solutions to improve access for residents.
Despite billions allocated in the USF, residents in remote regions like Chitral still struggle with slow internet connections that frequently fail.
Even as Pakistan has rolled out 5G in major cities, many areas in Chitral and other remote regions still struggle with slow internet and disappearing mobile signals after sunset. With billions sitting unused in the Universal Service Fund (USF), people wonder when these funds will finally reach them? If basic connectivity cannot be ensured today, questions remain about how 5G will truly help, and why so many communities are still left behind in the country’s digital growth.
