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Internet facility for educational institutions planned

Recorder Report

Lahore: Communication Secretary Dr. Mohammad Akram Sheikh has directed the concerned authorities to carry out a survey to provide Internet facility to all educational institutions right from the high school to the university level, says a press release.

Addressing a high-level meeting of the PTCL, he also directed the PTCL officials to chalk out a programme to provide at least 300,000 internet connections by December 2000, and 600,000 connections by the end of year 2001.

Reviewing the position of Lahore telephone system, Akram Sheikh issued directions to replace the bulk 67,000 analogue lines with the digital system by December 2000, to complete the expansion in Outside Plant and also replace the old cables which have outlived their life in the shortest possible time for providing the new telephone connections to public on demand.

He inspected telecommunication installations and also visited the Customer Services Centre recently set up at Mcleod Road. He expressed satisfaction over the services being provided by the Customer Services centre and directed the PTCL officials to extend its services by setting up a Cyber CafÈ and video-conference facilities by March 15.

The communication secretary also visited the Network Maintenance Center (NMC) to inspect the maintenance of telephone exchanges installed at Lahore. Various high officials of PTCL, including Malik Muhammad Amin, Member (Technical) and Khalid Habib DG (Operation), were also present on the occasion.