Exclusive - World’s First Ever Pic SIM

Posted by: Bites85 on November 10, 2008 at 4:41 AM

Today, industries are based on innovations. Similarly Cellular companies, like any other industry, require innovations and ideas to increase there subscribers’ base and net profits. Other than basic telephony services, they keep on attracting new customers by evolving ideas that are unique in there own way, which are new and never used before.

Well as a part of Pro Pakistani I am feeling pleasure to contribute my share for the Telecom companies, by floating my this idea – and I’m already loving it. Now lets come to the point.

What is Pic SIM?

The idea is called ‘Pic SIM’. Sounds weird but let me explain; how about a custom SIM card having your picture and name on it? So, here is my idea for the global telecom industry. A custom SIM designed for customers having there desired picture and name (or any text) on it. Continue Reading This Story

     Email     37 Comments

Few Proposals for Cellular Promotions

Posted by: Aamir Attaa on November 4, 2008 at 7:37 AM

Five Minutes Pulse Calls

Many of us miss those golden days when PTCL used to allow 5 minutes’ long calls. How about implementing this idea in cellular calls too? - makes sense? Okay price of this five minute call should be lesser than 5 multiples of one minute call; for instance, if one minute call is charged Rs. 2 per minute, than 5 minute call could be offered at Rs. 8 per minute or even Rs. 7.

Such a package will be picked a lot by ladies, who take couple of minutes before gearing the actual conversation. Same can be the case with few of gentlemen as well.

“Your Mobile is Switched Off” Caller Tune

This gonna be an interesting caller tune. Everyone gonna love it – but not the cellular companies. Reason is simple, who is going to pick the phone then? No One! Hence less revenues… but what if a tune is composed with such a message “App ka Matlooba number iss waqt band hay… hahaha ban giya na mamu, hold kar bulata hon” Continue Reading This Story

     Email     3 Comments

How Zong Became a Success Story!

Posted by: Aamir Attaa on November 3, 2008 at 5:35 AM

“Chinese will manage Pakistan’s market, and they will outplay everyone… They know how to get it”, I was told this by Mr. Frederic Rose, President then, Alcatel Shanghai Bell, Alcatel-Lucent’s flagship company in China. He was here in Islamabad to sign one billion dollars network expansion contract assigned to Alcatel-Lucent by China Mobile, which had recently acquired Paktel.

He replied me up given line when I had asked him that Pakistan’s market is already well saturated, how come a cellular company starting from scratch will be able to compete with Giants like Mobilink, Telenor, Ufone, Warid… given that, all these four companies bear very strong financial background, as well expertise of running GSM networks in multiple regions.

I am wondering now that how true Mr. Rose was. Yes, China Mobile has proven itself as a brand now, and it looks like they are going to give tough time to other cellular companies in coming days.

The hardest part for China Mobile was to rebuild the image that had been lost by Paktel; often we see, it’s easy to make a new building, than of restructuring a damaged one.

Launch

I was discussing this success of Zong with Babar Bhatti, who was kind enough to give me time before leaving for US tomorrow, and he rightly spotted that China Mobile didn’t rush in launching its brand. Zong took its full time in preparation and came up with a very powerful launch campaign, though we found that campaign as copied one, but until then it had left its impact on Pakistanis. Continue Reading This Story

     Email     3 Comments

Mobile Network Coverage & Quality in Pakistan

Posted by: Reality Bites on November 3, 2008 at 4:17 AM

It is estimated that almost 19000 cell sites have been installed by five mobile operators in different urban and rural areas of the Pakistan, in which Mobilink is on the top and Ufone fallowing on the same track with almost more than 4536 cell sites and others seems to be growing.

It is always observed that network coverage played important role for cellular operators to be a market leader with the help of value added services, as the network coverage remains the key element for increments in subscribers within months.

In this customer acquisition formula 1 race, where everyone is trying to compete each other with all tweaks and tricks they can play in grabbing customers from other operators and even attract new acquisitions to increase more revenues.

According to Ministry of Information Technology Mobile cellular policy, Telco operators are bound to roll out at least 70% network coverage of tehsil headquarters in four years with minimum 10% tehsils in all provinces. Most probably all cellular companies have attained this level in coverage roll out plan, but question is still remained unanswered, how quality of the network has been maintained so far?

Because voice distortion, call hangings, anonymous connectivity, call connection time, air interface blocking, call completion rate, call quality etc are still the same issues for customers faced in rural and urban areas. Continue Reading This Story

     Email     3 Comments

U-Campaigns Need U-Turn

Posted by: Abu Asma on October 31, 2008 at 8:20 PM

Let me introduce Islamabad based Abu Asma, who is associated with advertising for 12 years now and is currently a Creative Director in a leading advertising Agency. Let’s welcome Abu Asma as latest addition in ProPakistani’s Team.

It is a general view point that money making in Telecom Sector is very simple – they lay down their infrastructure once, and then they can reap money for ever. Indeed this phenomenon is logical, but in real this might not be the case with every venture as some towering expectations might get crashed in days.

With multiple telecom players available in Pakistan, all the telecom companies are fighting hard to increase their share in market. It is very interesting to see that now mobile companies are offering call prices in Paisas to attract more customers and their strength to sell their products by advertising.

As a creative professional most of the time I wonder that big companies just believe on ambush marketing with out localizing the content of their adverts – also, without keeping their customers in mind. Today we have selected Ufone to discuss its advertising campaigns and their approach towards TVCs. Continue Reading This Story

     Email     4 Comments

Free Handsets with 2 Year Contract for Ufone + HBL Credit Card Holders

Posted by: Aamir Attaa on October 28, 2008 at 6:25 AM

Ufone has partnered with Habib Bank Limited to offer post paid connections to HBL credit card holders with special rates plus free handsets. Rates are not that special in fact, as line rent is kept high, but calling rates may beat every other cellular package by Ufone itself and othre companies too.

Idea of giving out free handset with mobile connections was tried by Ufone itself and other cellular companies too, but that was for low end market with subsdized handsets. However, in this case, they are offering high end handsets like Nokia N78, Blackberry Curve 8320 and 8310 too.

As i mentioned earlier, line rent is kept high for all four packages available - meaning that you will be charged on monthly basis, and for minimum of two years. Yes, you will have to sign a 2 year contract in order to get this package and free handset.

Also note that there are around 20 models of mobile phones available for different packages. But first let’s look at tariff

Package Plans (All Rates are for 30 Second pulse)

Note: Package information displayed on Ufone’s website is incorrect as free minutes are called Free SMS there. But i have counter checked this and made sure that all packages come with Free Minutes. By the way, i have informed their helpline about this typo. Also, Ufone didn’t mention that these rates are for 30 seconds pulse.

Clearly, both on-net and off-net calls are offered at good rates. Also number of free minutes and SMS, somehow justify line rent.

What Handset options are available?

You are given with couple of options for handsets, depending on package you choose.

Package 1: Nokia 1680, Nokia 2630, Samsung M150
Package 2: Samsung M620, Samsung E251, Sony Ericsson R300, Sony Ericsson T303
Package 3: Nokia 6300, Nokia 3500 (C), Nokia N72, Sony Ericsson W350
Package 4: Nokia 5310, Nokia 5610, Nokia N70 ME, Sony Ericsson K770
Package 5: Nokia N78 - 2 GB, Nokia N - 81 8 GB, BlackBerry ® CurveTM 8320,
BlackBerry ® CurveTM 8310

Offer seems attractive… isn’t it? Okay there is a good news too if you are already a Ufone customer, and that you can associate your in-use Ufone number with your HBL Credit Card and can switch over to these packages. Along with you will be qualified to get free handset too ; -)

Let’s see if such offers with free handsets come for regular customers too - apparently, this could be done only with Banks as they have a comparatively reliable system for tracking customers’ in case of non-payments.

Terms and Conditions

• All current and new HBL CreditCard Holders are eligible for this offer.
• All current and new Ufone Postpay customers can avail this offer by applying for HBL CreditCard.
• Customers are required to sign an undertaking.
• Accordingly customer’s monthly charges will appear automatically on the HBL Creditard statement.
• HBL and the customer will be required to adhere to the terms and conditions of the contract for a two-year period for any one of the 5 plans applied for by the customer.
• HBL reserves the right to refuse any application.
• Handset models are subject to change based on their availability. In case the selected handset is not available, customers can choose from the same package.
• Handsets will be delivered within 15 days of application approval.
  Customers can call HBL PhoneBanking at 111-111-425 for further information.

     Email     10 Comments

How to Get Address Details of a Mobile Number?

Posted by: Muhammad Ali Raza on October 23, 2008 at 2:50 AM

Few days ago, a friend of mine was looking around for someone’s mobile info; like he was interested in knowing his address details and some other basic information. Previously we had a combined friend in a Telecom company, so such little things were not big issues. However, now he is in Canada for a better job. Hence my friend asked me to figure out some way but I was left with no option. We kept on wondering about how to tackle this do or die situation.

After doing some research, I just found a very good way to find someone’s info. (I am sharing this to let you guys know how badly configured our online systems are, and how insecure our information is)

You can get someone’s name and city right? Its very easy, simply call helpline and plead a little, and they give away this info and its not hard part (I did this personally). Also name and city can be acquired by your cousin or cousin’s friend who is working in cellular company franchise. (Franchises can access to name and city of any number)

So now we have victim’s name and city and last name (last name is must here, as it is used to find address).
See, we can acquire complete details from this basic information, in fact you would be surprised that many online phone directories offer this very personal information like a duh!

I wonder, how this very private data of PTCL was stolen away, and above this, how daringly these websites are offering free online directories of this sensitive and private data. I am not promoting these website, but just wanted to share how insecure we are.

http://17.ptcl.net.pk/

check it out, PTCL’s online directory - taking advantage of such thing is not bad! Is it?

Here is magic string use it well boys

“http://17.ptcl.net.pk/subcsribeinfoResult.asp?txtname=NAME&txtadd=CITY&submit1=Search”.

Change NAME with the last name of victim - that we got from call center or franchise; while change NAME with city name.

Here you go, match your number with name and enjoy! There are good chances if name is rare one, as you will get less results for uncommon names. And in case of multiple results, and if you are not sure about your match, simply call the number from any PCO and act like TCS or DHL guy, and tell them “Sir we have a letter for you from XYZ bank, can you please confirm your address” you guys can give him same name address from that’s city he will confirm you this address, even if it was incorrect huh how much hard this was?

Lessons for us!

Please Immediately block all these services, as they are of no good. They are just used for ill means. Even, if there are some genuine inquires, they must be routed to PTCL’s helpline 1217, which should verify its legitimacy prior to revealing any details.

     Email     31 Comments

Mobile Phone Users with Monthly Bill of Rs 8,333 to be Taxed

Posted by: Aamir Attaa on October 19, 2008 at 12:03 PM

Here comes yet another tax for cellular users, this time we don’t need to worry about, as this tax is not for telecom services, instead the usage of telecom service will be taken as a measuring tool for someone’s income and those will be taxed whose monthly bill exceeds Rs. 100,000 per year or Rs. 8,333 per month. This decision was taken by Federal Board of Revenue to bring mobile phone users into the tax-net under the new plan to broaden the tax-base in 2008-2009.

Business Recorder has confirmed that FBR had issued instructions to the Director General of Large Taxpayer Units (LTUs) and Regional Tax Offices (RTOs) to obtain record of mobile phone users whose annual bills exceed Rs 100,000 and bring them under the tax net.

Along with cellular users, FBR has plans to include frequent air travelers, luxury car holders, large industries and others segments too.

FBR’s this move is not going to harm general users, instead the plan is to attack those elite segment who have not disclosed their assets or income, and are not paying taxes while they are excessively using resources in the country.

In case a person is paying more than Rs. 8,333 per month for his cell phone, then he must be having some revenues to pay tax. In case his company is paying for his phone bills, then his employer has to justify this and has to show the mobile phone expenses.

FBR can issue letters to the cellular phone users with over Rs 100,000 to demand National Tax Numbers (NTNs) or ask the non-filers of income tax returns to file return, if required. On the basis of NTN, the department could check/verify the income of mobile phone user for subsequent filing of return.

     Email     No Comments