ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) on Friday signed a fiber leasing agreement with Telenor Pakistan. Telenor would benefit from this agreement in terms of upgrading its cellular backhaul to cater to the exponential data growth in the aftermath of 3G/4G regime in the country. The agreement also serves as a major milestone towards achieving PTCL’s overall vision of becoming ‘The Carrier of Carriers’ by leveraging its strengths in infrastructure and services domain. Speaking on the occasion, PTCL President and CEO Dr Daniel Ritz said, “This agreement was indicative of how PTCL’s vast network serves as the primary framework for Pakistan’s communications infrastructure, connecting millions of consumers across the country. With over 35,000 kms of fiber deployed across Pakistan, our partnership with Telenor Pakistan would help them to expand their 3G footprint in order to provide high quality data and voice services to its growing customer base. PTCL would continue to play its major role in fiber and other telecom infrastructure developments in Pakistan, contributing further to the overall progress of the country.” On the occasion Telenor Pakistan CEO Michael Foley said, “As we aim for a Digital Pakistan with our mission of Internet for All, our need for a more robust infrastructure will be met with this partnership with PTCL. This project is in line with our fiber needs for traffic expansions with regards to 2G & 3G network, and will help us empower the Pakistani society further by making mobile broadband services available to a larger customer base than ever. We’re pleased to have entered into this agreement and believe that the collaboration will prove to be mutually beneficial for both the participants, and even more so for our valued customers.” With cellular data expected to surge further in coming days thanks to 3G/4G regime, cellular operators are under immense pressure to upgrade their backhaul connectivity from radio to fiber. Senior management from both companies was present during the signing ceremony and expressed their firm belief that the agreement would go a long way in strengthening the bond between two companies, allowing them to deliver cost effective and high quality telecommunication services in a dynamic and highly competitive market.