Posted by: Aamir Attaa on August 22, 2008 at 7:32 AM
ProPakistani.com conducted a survey asking its visitors to give feedback on what they think is the best cellular company of Pakistan.
Survey form was displayed to all visitors of ProPakistani.com and remained active for 30 days. Poll widget which bounds anyone to re-cast his vote from same IP received total of 1611 votes in the specified time.
Ufone has been surprisingly voted as the best cellular company of Pakistan with total of 608 votes, which are 38 percent of total votes. That’s remarkable, in my opinion that’s due to the simple pricing; little number of packages and their SMS bundles did the trick in getting popularity amongst the consumers.
Telenor managed to set at second slot with total of 286 (18 percent) votes. Again I think their SMS bundles worked for Telenor, their Rs. 1 package is also popular amongst the masses.
Warid remained at third position with very little margin, and got 274 votes that’s just 12 votes behind Telenor.
I am again surprised by Mobilink’s popularity and users’ experience with largest cellular company of the country. They got 239 votes, which are merely 15 percent of total votes. I won’t say anything about Mobilink, but the poll reflects that they are loosing the grip over customers.
Considering a new entrant, Zong did well by getting 193 votes. Their Book Your Number Service is relatively popular than many other value added services they provide.
Posted by: Aamir Attaa on August 14, 2008 at 9:52 AM
ITCN Asia 2008 was concluded today after running a three day show at Expo Center Karachi. I hope this mega technology event of Pakistan remained superb. It’s a matter of fact that I don’t know much about what actually happened there, either due to my poor googling capabilities or there is actually no material available online about what went on at ITCN Asia 2008.
Unfortunately, few of my previous post (in row) were not with positive views, and now my readers have started asking me to think good instead of just pointing out the bad elements; so I will try to not to criticize the ITCN Management (PR Department in particular) to higher extent, but I just wanted to ask them “Where is the coverage?”
Expos are meant to popularize business entities and the products they launch there, but you may get disappointed to know that there is just nothing available to know about ITCN. Only few links on google’s first page, and all of those have almost the similar stories. Netxpress Media were their online media partner; they have a corner designated where you can watch one video at a time.
There is maybe another reason, that our media men are so busy in political stories that they are no more interested in covering such issues.
And about ITCN’s official website… don’t ask me about just view the image below…!
By the way, here is another video of LG’s Stall ITCN Asia 2008 – You may regret of missing the expo after viewing the video : P
Posted by: Aamir Attaa on August 13, 2008 at 1:34 AM
I have written in Past about the security concerns of Telecom companies, especially after employees of Warid Telecom and Mobilink were kidnapped from Northern Areas. But we are still to see a solid plan from cellular companies and the government to secure these telco employees.
There are several examples in the world where cellular companies hire a specialized security force to protect their assets, employees and their franchises.
I am discussing all this due to a recent notice from Taliban to all cellular companies operating in Northern Areas to obey their rules or face the penalty. This letter was reportedly received at a Mobilink Franchise in Peshawar.
Cellular companies must come up with some solution to this before anything serious happens.
Below is the copy of this letter (Originally posted at Rusted Bytes)
(For those who can’t read urdu, below is the translation, provided by actual poster of this letter)
All offices are informed to keep there offices closed on Friday (Holy day of the week for Muslims)
No one will wear pent shirt in office. All females should be stopped from working in offices.
There should be no posters on the walls of the offices. If you don’t pay attention to these details, you will be responsible for your own loss (property or anything).
Posted by: Aamir Attaa on August 10, 2008 at 11:49 PM
“The Way of The World” by Ron Suskind has given new dimensions to the political talks in Pakistan. Ron Suskind, well-known and award winning author, has provided the “details” of intensively discussed “Deal” between Musharraf and Late Ms. Benazir Bhutto.
Content of the book has added more fuel to debates that are being conducted on coalition’s decision of Musharraf impeachment. Taped politically heated conversation between Musharraf and Benazir Bhutto seem to make people to reconsider their political sympathies with them. It is notable that truth about the deal that was designed and supervised by America has been made public at a very crucial time. It can effect the on going impeachment process and political happenings in Pakistan in one way or another.
In politics, the principle of give and take and concept of deal are not forbidden trees. From autocracy to democracy, politicians have always been found indulged in preparing ground for their own political interests. Our concern, for time being, is not the deal between Musharraf and Benazir but our grave concern is how their telephone calls were first taped and then recorded material was safely and quietly handed over to concerned authorities in America.
Ron Suskind has dedicated a large part of his book to the information gathered from these taped calls. A big question arises here that how these calls were recorded in Pakistan? Given that, only Intelligence Agencies were then allowed to keep an eye on telephonic conversation of any individual of the country. (Now home ministry can tape your voice calls too).
It is ridiculous to think that ISI got these calls taped and then handed it over to America. It is not possible even if we get proof that there is an anti-Musharraf or anti-Benazir element exists within ISI.
If not ISI, then this job was done with the cooperation of the any cellular company of Pakistan. Earlier this year, we had news in Telecom sector that a Cellular company was found guilty of sending these voice tapes of President Musharraf and other mainstream leaders to CIA. Assuming that it was not ISI, then this particular cellular company should be held answer able.
If some one comes with the proof that ISI recorded those calls, may be on the advice of Musharraf to use these calls afterwords to keep Ms. Benazir Bhutto on track , it is acceptable but if it is not the case then?
External forces have always influenced internal matters of Pakistan. It is a truth that needs not to be revealed in a book. Some external forces exercise their direct influence and some go for indirect way.
My question here is, who is going to charge that cellular company? or the any other entity that gave these recorded calls to CIA? Government of Pakistan? PTA? lol damn
Furthermore, USA must be ashamed of the double standards that it has maintained. One one side they talk of the human rights of their citizen, and on other hands they are invading the privacy of our rulers?
Posted by: Aamir Attaa on August 7, 2008 at 10:19 AM
A dispute between NADRA and Cellular Companies is going to collapse online SIM verification system that was started just a week ago, reported Daily Jang. This online verification of NIC was granted to franchisers who could check the legitimacy of any National Identity Card in real time using NADRA’s central database system through fiber optic cable. In this regards franchisers were especially trained to use NADRA’s database.
Mr. Ibrar Mustafa of Daily Jang, in his report says that the dispute is primarily over the operating expenses of this system. We learned that earlier cellular companies and NADRA had agreed with Rs. 5 per NIC verification; however, now NADRA has hiked these prices by almost 700 percent; thus per verification may cost Rs. 35 to cellular companies.
Currently, cellular companies have stopped verifying NIC with NADRA’s database until the dispute is not resolved.
Seems we are in middle of nowhere! Let’s hope things go fine and there is some positive ending of this dispute. By the way, I have already questioned about NADRA’s capabilities of verifying 90 Million SIMs, in which I had come up with couple of suggestions through which we can achieve the target of 100 percent verified SIMs.
Posted by: Aamir Attaa on August 6, 2008 at 3:45 AM
The Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) has asked PTA once again to direct Mobilink to sell unlocked Blackberry handsets compared to locked handsets which can’t be used on other networks.
In a statement issued by CCP, the commission has also warned Mobilink to stop practicing this activity along with a letter to PTA to get it implemented.
CCP, the successor of Monopoly Control Authority (MCA), passed the order on a show-cause notice issued by the MCA to Pakistan Mobile Communications Ltd (Mobilink GSM). The show-cause notice was issued in July 2007 under Section 11 of the MRTPO for carrying on unreasonable restrictive trade practices.
Mobilink that brought Blackberry services in Pakistan is not even subsidizing Blackberry Devices; (meaning that they are selling Blackberry devices at original price) even then they sell network locked handsets (which means Blackberry handsets sold by Mobilink can’t be used with Ufone or Warid’s network)
Mobilink Blackberry® Phone Prices: (All LOCKED)
Blackberry Pearl 8120 - PKR. 27,000/-
Blackberry Curve 8320 - PKR. 29,000/-
Blackberry Huron 8800 - PKR. 34,000/-
Blackberry Bold 9000 - PKR. 40,000/- to 45,000/- (Expected availability in September-October 2008 )
Warid Blackberry® Phone Prices: (All UNLOCKED) Blackberry Pearl 8120 - PKR. 25,000/-
Blackberry Curve 8310 - PKR. 28,000/-
Blackberry Huron 8820 - PKR. 31,000/-
Ufone Blackberry® Phone Prices: (All UNLOCKED) Blackberry 8700 - PKR. 18,000/-
Blackberry Pearl 8100 - PKR. 24,000/-
Blackberry Curve 8300 - PKR. 25,000/-
Blackberry Huron 8800 - PKR. 29,000/-
A review of these prices reveal that Mobilink’s prices for Blackberry handsets are actually higher than of Ufone and Warid, which are selling unlocked Blackberry handsets.
CCP has currently asked Mobilink to advertise the SIM lock features of their blackberry handsets, and educate their customers that they will not be able to use these devices with other networks. However, in my openion, they must stop selling locked handsets or they must subsidize Blackberry handsets.
It merits mentioning here that you can’t get Mobilink Blackberry services on devices that are not purchased from Mobilink.
Posted by: Aamir Attaa on August 5, 2008 at 5:32 PM
All cellular companies of Pakistan have proposed Ministry of IT and Telecom to eliminate USF’s share in APC (Access Promotion Charge) and let cellular companies enjoy all of APC to increase their revenues and lowering ARPU levels.
APC or Access Promotion Charge is the portion of revenue that currently equals US 0.05 $ per minute on all international calls terminating on landline or cellular networks of Pakistan. Fixed line operator, that is PTCL, grabs all of APC (US 0.05$) for all calls that are being terminated on its network. However, cellular companies are getting only 1.57 cents per minute on all calls that terminate on cellular networks. This 1.57 cents or Rs. 1.10 is PTA’s determined termination rate per minute for all calls that land on cellular networks. Hence, cellular companies are entertained with Rs. 1.10 for calls that land on its network weather domestic or international. Remaining cost of US 3.43 cents per minute (for international traffic) goes to USF. (Regulation for this share of USF is given in this document)
Proposal said that mobile companies share the largest amount of incoming international traffic that is being terminated on mobile networks, it is only fair that the portion of APC, which is being currently mopped up as USF contribution, be granted to mobile companies, so that they can further increase their revenues and support expanding network demands through out the country.
All Mobile companies through this proposal believe that they are already contributing 1.5 percent of their revenues to USF is much beyond the amount that could be actually spent by USF company.
Proposal that was sent to Ministry of IT and Telecom and Pakistan Telecommunication Authority was signed by CEOs of all mobile companies and PTCL. Proposal requested the authority to approval for implementation with immediate effect.
Posted by: Aamir Attaa on August 1, 2008 at 12:39 PM
Pakistan Package by PTCL is going to see an end by August 31st, 2008. PTCL administration is obviously not in favor of this withdrawal; however PTA has directed the company to abolish the said package by the end of current month in order to maintain a pricing balance amongst market players. Directions came after an appeal by PTCL to the regulator that it wants to continue Pakistan Package was turned down by authority. PTA has directed the company to inform their customers by August 10th, 2008 about the removal of this Package.
Directives by PTA, dated July 30 2008 says that PTCL’s justifications to carry on Pakistan package are unreal for instance PTCL in its appeal said that Pakistan Package is selected by customers on voluntary basis however it was not the case; PTCL’s package was imposed forcefully for all customers of PTCL and majority of them showed strong resentment against this imposition. PTA said that it is still receiving complaints from general public regarding refund/adjustment and deactivation of Pakistan Package.
According to PTA only 25 percent of PTCL subscribers are availing Pakistan Package, majority of which are corporate clients with heavy traffic load. PTA has advised PTCL that this is actually in their own benefit to quit the package to maximize its revenues from those corporate clients.
In another justification PTCL said that Pakistan Package was facilitating its customers, in response to which PTA has responded that this fact is not true. Authority said that PTCL has lowered local call pulse rate from 5 to 3 minutes, along with the company is charging highest tariffs for fixed-to-mobile calls, which is defiantly not act of facilitation for customers.
PTA directive said that PTCL must publicize that it is quitting Pakistan Package before August 10th 2008 before taking it down from August 31st, 2008
to make people to reconsider their political sympathies with them. It is notable that truth about the deal that was designed and supervised by America has been made public at a very crucial time. It can effect the on going impeachment process and political happenings in Pakistan in one way or another.
A dispute between NADRA and 
All 
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