The Universal Service Fund (USF) has planned three new 4G connectivity projects for 296 underserved villages in Balochistan, covering an estimated population of 257,723 across Khuzdar, Dera Bugti, Kohlu and Washuk districts, as part of its broader programme to extend mobile broadband services to remote settlements and improve digital access across the province.
4G services planned for 296 more villages in Balochistan
ISLAMABAD, Sep 18 (APP):The Universal Service Fund (USF) has planned three new 4G connectivity projects for 296 underserved villages in Balochistan, covering an estimated population of 257,723 across Khuzdar, Dera Bugti, Kohlu and Washuk districts, as part of its broader programme to extend mobile broadband services to remote settlements and improve digital access across the province.
According to documents available with Wealth Pakistan, the three projects comprise the Khuzdar, Dera Bugti-Kohlu and Washuk lots. The Khuzdar Lot was awarded in January 2026 and covers 144 villages with an estimated population of 75,637.
The proposed Dera Bugti-Kohlu Lot will provide connectivity to 102 villages with a population of 130,852, while the Washuk Lot covers another 50 villages with an estimated population of 51,234.
The new projects will build on USF’s wider Access Programme for expanding 3G/4G coverage across Balochistan. Since its inception, the programme has awarded 31 access projects, of which 29 have been completed and two remain in progress, the documents show.
The area based projects cover 4,168 villages across 31 districts, serving an estimated population of 4.616 million.
Among the projects under implementation, the Pishin Lot has reached 50% completion. It covers Pishin, Killa Abdullah and Quetta districts, encompassing 378 villages with an estimated population of 646,620.
The Khuzdar Lot under the existing programme has achieved 25% completion, covering 144 villages and serving an estimated population of 75,637.
USF has also completed several projects in recent years, including the Musakhel Lot in March 2026, Sibi Lot in December 2025, Lasbela Lot in November 2025, Killa Saifullah Lot in May 2025 and Loralai Lot in June 2025.
In addition to population based projects, USF has completed four 3G/4G connectivity projects along national highways and motorways, covering a combined 2,140.58 kilometres of road segments across 21 districts of Balochistan.
These projects cover sections of the N-10, N-25, N-65, N-50 and N-70 highways, besides the M-8 Rato Dero-Gwadar corridor.
The completed and planned projects are aimed at extending mobile broadband infrastructure to remote communities as well as major transport corridors, expanding digital connectivity across Balochistan.
