Posted by: Aamir Attaa on July 29, 2008 at 3:07 PM
Yesterday, Usman (one of my reader) pointed out that all cellular companies are offering calls for Rs. 1 Per minute with little variations except Warid that is left behind and they didn’t offer any such package to their customers.
Today, there is a news for Warid Customers, that now they can avail 50 minutes and 500 SMS or MMS (between 9 AM to 9 PM) per day at a flat rate of Rs. 19.96 per day.
Warid says that this package, named as Pakistan Package, is to celebrate the month of August and it is a gift of Freedom to their customers.
Features of Zem Pakistan Package
- ZEM Pakistan is a daily subscription based package offering 50 on-net minutes, 500 SMS/MMS between 9am-9pm
- Daily subscription charges are Rs.19.96.
- You can utilize the 50 on-net minutes as you seem fit. You can consume them in one call equaling 50 minutes or multiple calls with combined duration of 50 minutes.
- SMS/MMS can be sent on both on-net (Warid-Warid) & off-net (Other mobile numbers)
- Customers of all Warid Packages can avail this offer
- This is a daily subscription based package, all minutes/SMS/MMS would have to be consumed within 9am-9pm.Unconsumed free on-net minutes and free SMS/MMS will not be carried forward
- After 9pm, normal call and SMS/MMS charges of ZEM lowest call rate package apply
- In case you finish your free Minutes/SMS/MMS, your remaining calls or SMS will be charged as per your normal tariff.
- This is a limited time offer, but no one knows the limit….!
How to Activate?
Simply Call 100 and follow instructions to activate this package
Once activated, users will be automatically re-subscribed to this package every day if they have a minimum balance of RS. 19.97 (inclusive of taxes)
How to de-activate?
De-activation is via 100 IVR.
Conspiracy
Couple of days ago, Warid published this below given AD in Express News Paper, that could be translated as a totally different package that what we discussed above.
AD said that all calls are 15 Paisa per call and 500 SMS and MMS daily…!
That means:
Per call = 15 paisa, all network (because it was not mentioned regarding on-net or off-net calls). And it could be the case, but someone from the management asked them to be sensible, and dont put undue pressure on the network, so let’s limit the calls to only 50 minutes. Following is the ad that read so…!
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Posted by: Aamir Attaa on July 26, 2008 at 1:19 PM
With PIA Mobile you can conveniently inquire about flight schedules, check seat availability, make a reservation, or check your Awards Plus miles on your mobile with a single SMS.
Seat Availability
Seat [Departure city] [Arrival City] e.g. ‘Seat Karachi Lahore’
or
Seat [Departure city] [Arrival City] [Date] eg ‘Seat Karachi Lahore 5Jan’
And send it to 7422
Flight Schedule
Flight [Departure City] [Arrival City] eg ‘Flight Karachi Lahore’
or
Flight [Departure City] [Arrival City] [Date] eg ‘Flight Karachi Lahore 5Jan’
or
Flight [Flight number] [Date] eg ‘Flight Pk301 5Jan’
And send it to 7422
Awards Plus
Awards [9 Digit frequent flyer number] eg ‘Awards 123456789′
And send it to 7422
PNR Details
PNR [6 Character reference] eg ‘PNR JFKLMV’
Scheduled Flight Time
SMS to 7422 or PIAC:
Time [Flight number] eg ‘Flight PK301′
or
Time [Flight number] [Date] eg ‘Time PK301 5Jan’
And send it to 7422
To access above mentioned message formats from your mobile phone, simply SMS any one of the following to 7422:
* PIA
* Help
* Book
* Seats
* Flights
* Awards
* PNR
* Times
Check Points
- If you want to fetch a list of city codes simply type City, City1, City2 or City3 and send it to 7422
- Kindly ensure to insert space between words as specified in the above formats.
- Traveling classes can be defined by typing the full class name or its short code as following
If there is any confusion, or you need to know other things call PIA Help line at +92-51-111-786-786
Or toll free numbers in following Countries:
Saudi Arabia 800-844-0524
UAE 8000-441-1270
United Kingdom 0-800-587-1023
USA 1-800-578-6786
Canada 1-800-578-6786
France 0800-90-5350
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Posted by: Aamir Attaa on July 22, 2008 at 3:13 PM
Telenor has introduced their latest package that offers 10,000 SMS for only Rs. 99, another treat for SMS lovers of the country. But the bad thing is that you can’t send SMS to other networks, yea only Telenor to Telenor SMS… : - (
Pricing (Excluding Taxes)
Package comes with three price plans as following
How to Activate SMS Full Time
- Call 555 and press 5 to listen to three options available.
- Then select the package you want (that is either you need 10,000 SMS, 300 SMS or 60 SMS)
- Respective fee would be deducted from your account and Free SMS will be awarded. (So you must have balance in your account according to the Full Time SMS package that you are selecting)
How to check Remaining SMS
• Dial *111# to check Free SMS Balance after subscription
Check Points
- Validity of Free SMS is only for 15 days. On 16th day unused free SMS will be confiscated. But if you subscribe again, your unused SMS will be carried forward into your SMS limit.
- Free SMS can only be used for Telenor to Telenor SMS
- Offer available for all Talkshawk price plans
- Limited time offer
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Posted by: Aamir Attaa on July 22, 2008 at 12:15 AM
Today, various newspapers have reported that messages sent through mobile phones in order to unrest stock markets is now termed as cyber crime, and criminals will be treated as per Cyber Crime Law. Daily Times reports in its July 21, 2008 edition as following
Manipulation of the stock exchange market through short messaging services (SMS) from mobile phones will be treated as a cyber crime, the federal government decided on Sunday.
Personally, I don’t see any reality in such a so called cyber crime law that was implemented in December 2007. (Interestingly whole Pakistan was surprised in January 2008, when it was told that cyber crime law was enforced in December 2007, without any public announcment).
I wonder how this SMS crime will be tracked in our country, with no system available to cap and/or monitor the messages. And specifically in case of stock market disruptions, the message is forwarded and then re-forwarded to multiple mobile users, making it almost impossible to reach the actual originator of that text message.
Daily Times in the same report writes..
The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) will deal with creating disinformation about the stock markets through SMS. The government has also directed the agency to take immediate notice of such cases in future.
While on other hands, Mir Zubair Mehmood, Director FIA, while speaking with Geo TV (in its programme Tezi Mani, aired at 5:20 PM (Pakistan time), July 21, 2008), said that no one has approached him in this regard, neither he has received any notification regarding this law. While replying to a question, he said that yes we are confident that we will bring the culprit into court once we recieve any orders from government. (Allah knows how will they do that)
I don’t know who is making these policies and if telecom companies are consulted while making such laws or not. I have said in my previous posts that a law that can’t be implemented is like a book in shelves that you never read.
By the way, this news reminded us that there exists a cyber crime law in our country too!
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Posted by: Aamir Attaa on July 1, 2008 at 3:33 PM
Data Services on wireless (GSM) devices have started getting response from Pakistani consumers. Text Messages (SMSes) in particular have experienced tremendous growth in the recent months; when we look at number of text messages exchanged by Pakistani cellular users, it is clearly indicating the growth rate hitting as high as 30 percent mark.
PTA’s recent quarterly report says that Pakistanis, on average, exchanged 68.51 Million text messages per day during January-March 2008; that’s something very mind-blowing with 85 million users in the country, but our history says that we have never sent/received this much text messages before.
When we peek into reasons for this growth, one can easily term SMS Packages (that offer very low priced Unlimited SMS on any network) the sole responsible for it. However, other things that supported this growth may also include the political situation of the country, which evolved the idea of SMS based political campaigns during and after elections. Not only this, we saw SMS coming into play after November 3, 2007, during imposition of Emergency in Pakistan for exchanging news and ideas, while the electronic media was capped by the Musharraf Government then.
Increased awareness in Pakistani telco users can also be seen as a factor that boosted the usage of SMS. Using mobile phones for last few years, now we are getting familiar with mobile devices and their functionality. Now most of us can at least read/understand a text message. Cellular operators can further make the process easy by introducing (English to Urdu) translation services for SMS messages. Qtel has successfully launched such a service for its subscribers in Qatar.
Along with SMS, GPRS backed internet on cellular phone is also getting momentum. Specifically, the unlimited GPRS and hourly based internet packages by Zong are causing more customers to get them equipped with internet while on the go.
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In this given scenario, we may expect acceptance of 3G services in Pakistan, given that prices are kept affordable. It must be noted that in developed countries text messages are loosing popularity when compared to email and IM.
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Posted by: Aamir Attaa on June 15, 2008 at 8:36 AM
Almost all cellular companies operating in Pakistan offer SMS bundles to their subscribers. These SMS bundle packages offer low priced SMS for those who prefer text messaging instead of voice calls, to save time and money too. These SMS packages were started by Warid Telecom with an offer named as ZOOM; however, this package was taken back after only couple of months. With Zoom, users had the liberty of sending unlimited SMS to any network in Pakistan for nominal Rs. 5.75 per day. It was very catchy package, considering it was way back, in 2006. Warid’s this offer had two variants; one was Zoom, while the other was Zoom Unlimited.
So this was little history of SMS Bundle packages in Pakistan. Now, at this point, all cellular companies claim that they offer unlimited SMS for a set amount of money. We will review all packages offered by all cellular companies, so you may reach to a conclusion about the best package with maximum benefits.
Jazz SMS Fever
Mobilink offers its SMS bundle named as ‘Jazz SMS Fever’ which claims that they offer unlimited number of SMS in one month’s duration. Jazz SMS Fever is available in three variants; details and pricings are as following
How to Subscribe
For Activation, all Mobilink Jazz members can subscribe to this package by simply sending an SMS ‘FEVER’ to 222 (You will be charged Rs. 2.30 for this SMS).
Afterwards, you will receive a reply: Catch the Jazz SMS Fever by replying with “1” for 100 weekly SMS at Rs.15, “2” for 500 fortnightly SMS at Rs.50 and “3” for unlimited monthly SMS at Rs.100!
You will have to reply back this message, with your desired package; on which you be charged for the service.
Make sure that you have enough balance required for any package before subscribing to it. You will get another text message “To activate Jazz SMS Fever please call 123 and enter 123456789012334”
Thanks God, you’re done now, and you can start using your SMS from the bundle now.
Check Points
- All Rates are exclusive of Taxes…
- Unlimited Messages are not really unlimited; these are in fact 10,000 messages, and you will have to subscribe again once you finish your 10,000 messages quota You can subscribe for maximum of three times in a month for a single number.
- Messages are FREE for only on-net SMS, that is Mobilink to Mobilink
- Exceeding either, given number of Message Quota or Date deadline will expire your package…and you will be charged at normal pricings afterwards.
- Subscribing to package involves a good healthy work, that may confuse users
Ufone SMS Bundle Offer
Ufone offers its bundle packages in 4 different variable packages. Ufone is the one, who actually successfully started offering SMS bundles with Limited Number of SMS, and that too valid for any network.
How to Subscribe
Send an SMS “Sub” and Send send it to respective code of the required subscription plan
For Example, for Package 1, Write “Sub” and send it to 601
For Package 4, write “Sub” and send it to 604
Check points
- All rates are exclusive of any taxes
- You can send of-net SMS (SMS to any network in Pakistan)
- Unlimited messages are again not unlimited. Ufone offers 5,000 SMS quota for Package 4, which read as unlimited messages.
Warid SMS Craze
Well, Warid Offers only variant, but it offers good value. in only Rs. 150, you can send upto 2,000 SMS or MMS (yea MMS are included here too, an upper hand on all other cellular companies) in 30 days. Along with, you get 10MB of Mobile Internet for a monthly subscription of Rs.150 inclusive of all taxes.
How to Subscriber
Call 100 and select SMS Craze, simple
Check points
- You will be charged Rs. 11.5 for subscribing to this package. So make sure that you have this much balance in your account before subscribing
- Send up to 2,000 SMS or MMS to any number in Pakistan
- You will be charged Rs. 150, and that includes all taxes, yes!
- Like all other cellular SMS bundles, SMS Craze is available for only prepaid users…Post Paid ones, I am sorry but you better switch over to prepaid now.
ZONG Unlimited SMS
Zong has recently come up with a powerful and attractive SMS Bundle package…which is
Rs. 3 per Day | Free Unlimited SMS to Any Network in Pakistan…..Simple
How To Subscribe
To subscribe SMS “sub” to 700 and to unsubscribe SMS “unsubscribe” to 700. Terms and conditions and taxes apply
Djuice SMS Bundle
Djuice offers a very simple and straight forward offer…
Rs. 70 | Unlimited SMS | 15 days….that’s it
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Posted by: Aamir Attaa on June 2, 2008 at 4:18 AM
Increasing number of immature Mobile phone users in the country, ratio of unwanted calls has increased enormously. Due to technical and financial reasons, maybe, it’s not possible for cellular companies, to block unwanted calls or to allow only wanted calls.
To tackle this issue Mobile phone manufacturers are trying hard to get this issue resolved by introducing a feature through which uses will be able to block any un-wanted numbers. ‘Daily Times’, citing an official of a telecom company has reported that PTA has urged all cellular companies to introduce such a feature through which one can block those unwanted calls. However, cellular companies simply denied due to inability.
In parallel, ‘Trend Mobiles’ a UK based mobile phone manufacturer, who has been distributing handsets in Pakistan, claims that their Device named as T-103 is capable of blocking those calls that you don’t want to answer.
Trend, and all other mobile phone manufactures are using software based solutions to block such obnoxious calls. Nokia, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, and others allow you to block/filter any selected set of numbers added in a group.
To Block a group in Nokia Handsets follow below steps
- Go into Profiles
- Click on General Profile
- Select Customize
- Go into ‘Alert for’
- Leave any one group unselected, and select all other Groups and save profile
- Now add any number in that particular group, which you had unselected
- Calls from this number will be ignored, and your handset will not ring
Another simple fun way to block unwanted calls is to use ‘Not Responding’ mobiTunes/Utunes. However, it must be noted that cellular companies do not offer such “App ka matlooba number iss waqt band hay” type of tunes, as these tunes may cause them heavy losses.
Howver, Ufone offers customized Utunes, called DIY (Do it Yourself). Record the not responding message by record feature of your phone-> then Customize your Utune by uploading that recorded message here
So now, everyone will get a “App ka milaya howa number iss waqt band hay” message, when they will call you. On other side, you will get a ring; so pick it up or ignore it : - )
I have not tried it, but I hope it may work.
Pakistan Telecommunication Authority says that you can register complain against anyone who has been disrupting you. Call on your help line (111, 333, 345, 321 etc); give them the number who has been calling you without any reason. After investigation, cellular company will warn him/her once, and on second complain they will block that number.
I have heard couple that cellular companies have blocked various numbers on users’ complains. So try complaining someone if he/she is really disturbing you.
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Posted by: Aamir Attaa on May 30, 2008 at 7:23 PM
With more than 85 million cellular customers in Pakistan Telecom sector, 4.5 million landline users and 5 million internet users, 130,000 broadband users, we should now move beyond the basic telephony services and start using these modern era communications to further better our living standards.
We have started seeing SMS subscription based services offered by cellular companies, such as Zong Music Channel, Akhbar Service by Telenor, Telenor Music Box, Telenor Tele Doctor and so on….however, we lack the indulgence of such services in consumer products.
It would be very beneficiary, for instance, if I can order my burger from KFC by just sending an SMS, or if I pay my DSL bill through credit card (Very limited number of broadband companies offer online credit card based billing), or how about paying my taxi fare by sending an SMS?
I feel that we greatly lack in this segment, either our companies are not patched with latest solutions or our users are not that much aware…but my point lies in the fact that we, as a nation, had never thought of using cellular phones few years back, but now the scenario is different. Similarly, we never had though that the world would become a village before internet based networked world and Bill Gate’s windows based operating system.
Theory is that you offer the luxury, and if it makes some sense, soon it will become a necessity…leave the awareness part to the consumer. They will learn it themselves if your service has the potential.
We have examples around us, such as, Q-Cash in Abu Dhabi, a service through which users will be able to pay their taxi fare by sending an SMS, a system introduced by a famous taxi system working there. And there is no innovation involved in this, a very simple (but centralized) procedure is adopted. The said taxi company will introduce “Q-Cash Card”, with some credit in it (like we used to have in our calling cards), and you can send an SMS to a designated number to get your fare deducted from the card. This way, you can pay your fare without carrying cash and without worrying the change that you normally give away to taxi drivers.
Similarly, in coming days, operators can offer some extra out of our simple SMS services, such as, auto response, auto forward SMS…GSM packet based longer text messages and so on…We are already discussing mobile banking options, but now these projects are supposed to be taken to the ground…so we may get benefited of these.
Hope that cellular companies will think forward to bring in some innovations, rather than just shouting the number of customers or the dancing averts.
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