The Higher Education Commission (HEC) has expanded digital connectivity and modern IT services to over 50 universities and higher education institutions in underdeveloped areas, aiming to upgrade teaching, research, and administrative systems nationwide.

The effort is being carried out through the Pakistan Education and Research Network (PERN), which provides universities in remote and underserved areas with high-speed internet connectivity and related digital services, according to materials accessible through Wealth Pakistan.

The project seeks to guarantee staff and students, regardless of location, fair access to high-quality facilities for higher education.

The PERN connectivity project covers a wide range of cities and districts, including Khuzdar, Zhob, Gwadar, Shikarpur, Chitral, Swat, Upper Dir, Khairpur, Dera Ghazi Khan, Bannu, Turbat, Mirpur, Shangla, Buner, Battagram, Mastung, Dera Murad Jamali, Wadh, Layyah, Hangu, Panjgur, Loralai, Muslim Bagh, Ghotki, Kharan, Swabi, Dera Ismail Khan, and Kandhkot, among others.

The HEC has expanded a long-haul optical fiber network into isolated regions of Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, covering around 1,100 kilometers, as part of the PERN Core Network expansion.

Universities in these areas can now access the same range and quality of digital services as those in Pakistan's more developed regions because of the increased footprint.

The Smart University Project, which aims to provide campus-wide Wi-Fi access and install intelligent safety measures, including surveillance technology, at universities in underdeveloped areas, is another initiative the HEC has started.

Campuses in Lasbela, Khuzdar, Okara, Swabi, Nawabshah, Taxila, Sialkot, Jamshoro, Bannu, Dera Ghazi Khan, Mirpur, Khairpur, Tandojam, Narowal, Shikarpur, Gumbat, Mansehra, Sukkur, Bahawalpur, Gilgit, Karak, Kohat, Murree, Sahiwal, and Haripur are carrying out the project.

Additionally, more than 30 universities and higher education institutions in remote areas, including Turbat, Kharan, Muslim Bagh, Lasbela, Thar, Kandhkot, Ghotki, Umerkot, Hangu, Chitral, and Hunza, have implemented smart classroom facilities thanks to the commission. Both on-campus and remote learning are supported by the state-of-the-art technology in these classrooms.

Universities in Gilgit, Skardu, Kotli, Rawalakot, Bagh, Hunza, and Muzaffarabad will continue to be integrated into the national education and research network thanks to connections made through the Special Communication Organization (SCO) network, which has improved connectivity in Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.

As a means to facilitate remote teaching, research collaboration, administrative coordination, and participation in national and international academic forums, the HEC has given video conferencing facilities to over 45 higher education institutions in underdeveloped regions.

In the meantime, 44 HEC projects totaling Rs77.8 billion are included in the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) for FY2025–2026, which prioritizes infrastructure development in remote and underdeveloped districts by building and renovating campuses, academic buildings, hostels, and labs.