Posted by: Aamir Attaa on September 7, 2008 at 10:50 AM
Pakistan Telecommunication Authority has decided to take conclusive measures against PTCL, in case they fail to resolve “Pakistan Package” issue with the authority and other LDI/LL companies in the country.
High level industry sources have revealed that PTA has decided to take severe and conclusive measures against PTCL that has not withdrawn Pakistan Package, despite repetitive directives from the authority.
Sources said that PTCL’s Pakistan Package had raised serious concerns for LDI/LL operators of the country, who have requested Pakistan Telecommunication Authority to play its role in detaining PTCL from continuing its free nation wide calling package, as it is causing them serious losses to their businesses. In response to which authority has directed PTCL to have meeting with LDI/LL operators to get their consent on Pakistan Package within 10 days, other wise authority will have to take decision to hold up the continuity of Pakistan Package.
On an additional note, PTCL launched other packages such as “Phone N Net” and “International Plus Packages” without the approval of the PTA, told a source. On which PTA has warned landline giant to not to repeat this practice again. It maybe recalled that all telecom operators, especially Significant Market Players (SMP) must inform the authority prior to launch of any package.
It merits mentioning here that PTA had directed PTCL to quit Pakistan Package by August 31, 2008, but those directions were put on deaf ears by PTCL administration. Telecom analysts are unable to comprehend PTA’s defensive mode against PTCL, which has been repetitively violating PTA’s directives and apparently PTCL is bluntly ruling the Telecom Sector of Pakistan without any regulations.
Posted by: Aamir Attaa on September 2, 2008 at 6:39 AM
Thanks to Mr. Mudassar Jehangir, Editor-in-Chief, More Magazine, who did this service Review of “PTCL’s Smart IPTV” and allowed me to post it here.
I received two calls in the third week of August from the sales staff of PTCL confirming from me the order of “Smart IPTV connection”. Before the installation, my telephone line was checked by the staff to confirm the signal strength.
IPTV won’t run properly if data downstream and upstream value is lower than 10 in your phone line. In case it is less than 10, the transmission will be jerky.
The installation was just a process of 1 hour. My old broadband modem was replaced by the new modem of Huawei. From the modem you can get two CAT 5 (network) cables for the out put. One goes to the computer for the internet connection and other goes to the set-top box, a device which makes the transmission possible. Technically, set-top box (STB) is a device that connects to a television and an external source of signal, turning the signal into content which is then displayed on the television screen.
The old PTCL logo was visible on the top left corner of the box which revealed that the smart IPTV project was designed to be launched in the year 2006 and it must have been put on hold due to certain reasons.
To activate the STB, there is a content security IRDETO ZETA smart card which is inserted into the box to unlock the transmission. Basically this is the card that makes possible the desired TV contents and the revenue. For the information, IRDETO is an Amsterdam based company which is into Digital TV content business since 1969.
Once the card is inserted and STB turned on, same old PTCL logo appears on the welcome screen which confirms the project’s roots back in 2006.
At the start, the main menu screen provides options to choose either live transmission or Video on Demand (VOD). The pause and rewind option is available for few of the live channels. Currently PTCL provides a reverse transmission for 2 and half hours which it plans to extend for more hours in the future.
Overall the quality of live transmission is impressive and unlike conventional TV cable the result is High Definition from 1st to over 100th channel. Initially PTCL had announced a free service of IPTV for 15 days which it has extended for one more month just like it did with the broadband services.
The Video on Demand (VOD) section requires more attention as the already saved movies (both Hollywood and Bollywood) on the server are obsolete, it is bearable for a temporary period but very soon PTCL will need to update its database and include new collection because it is a paid section and subscriber is required to pay Rs. 50 every time he/she select and item.
The service also allows parents to lock and unlock any channel, and allows users to search for their movies and TV shows by title and cast listing and then watch them on-demand.
Smart IPTV service is only possible on places where PTCL broadband is already running. Homes or offices where broadband connection is a requirement, Smart IPTV will be a point of attraction. On a 1 MB connection the total monthly fee becomes Rs. 2300 provided you have purchased the Set Top Box for Rs. 9995.
PTCL was smart enough to start selling the broadband connection well before the IPTV launch. According to company’s statistics it has sold more than 50,000 broadband connections so far. The prospects of selling IPTV connections are therefore higher on already installed broadband connections.
Only time will tell how quickly it can become a replacement to the conventional cable which still cost Rs. 100 to 200 and has huge acceptability among masses. The availability of service largely depends on the condition of copper wire that goes to the customer’s premises.
Posted by: Aamir Attaa on August 16, 2008 at 11:11 AM
Cellular companies of Pakistan are facing some tough time inside, as reported by an inside official of a cellular company. They are apparently facing bunch of problems in parallel. These problems are making Think Tanks to decisively operate their minds and bring the lost glory of mobile phone companies.
Mobilink is worst hit of current situation, as opinioned by an telecom analyst that I spoke with. He was actually backed by some facts and the ground realities to support his voice. He said that Mobilink is planning to reshape their policies and strategies to tackle the situation created. That is maybe the reason that Mobilink has gone in passive mode in terms of announcing new Value Added Services and/or any packages (that they used to do every other week). It merits mentioning that latest major activity from Mobilink was back in June’s first week. (however, they launched couple of CSR campagns that included launch of Zeb and Hanya’s album and a Movie that they sponsored). Mobilink is specifically running corporate advertisements on TV channels to keep itself alive, otherwise there is nothing new from them for last couple of months.
Same is the case with Ufone, besides couple of new ValueAddedServices; they are advertising Uwon for last 6 weeks now. Warid and Telenor are also the effectives. I was eagerly waiting for August 14th, 2008 where I was expecting any special offer from cellular companies or the PTCL regarding our Independence Day, but the day ended with nothing much than just a deceiving package from Warid and the patriotic advertisements.
This quietness by cellular companies can be termed as the bread limit of their tariff plans that they have reached. But the decrement in Sales is still a question mark (given that we have not reached the saturation level in terms of cellular subscribers)
There can be possibly at least 3 major reasons that have pulled down the growth and to some extent the revenues’ graph for cellular companies substantially.
1 – Severe Regulatory Campaign: We have seen Pakistan Telecommunication very active in recent months, after the pressure was exerted from Senate’s Standing Committee to cap sale of illegal SIMs. These actions by PTA (which includes warning to cellular companies, blocking of illegal SIMs, raid on Franchises and Retail Shops) have affected the sale and consequently the growth of companies’ subscribers.
2 – Increased Taxes on Telecom Services: Cellular companies are also not happy with the increment in taxes on Telecom services. Increases taxes have taken up the pricing by almost 6 percent, which has brought down the calling ratio by at least 8-9 percent. Increment in taxes on Mobile Phones has also hindered the way to healthy revenues for cellular companies
3 – Emergence of Zong: Introduction of a new cellular company always works a speed breaker for already operating companies. Zong, which actually did well with their launch acted as hand break on cellular companies’ speed. However, this impact may not last long, but when it was coupled with other two factors; Zong appeared as a negative effect on other cellular companies.
As discussed above, policy makers have joined their head, to think out what possible goodies they can do for their investors in order to hike their revenues and stock values. For the purpose, downsizing can be one of the options in their minds…!
These tightening revnues may cause telcos to use other illegal means of genrating revenues, such as using illegal voice termination (by the way Garmeen Phone of Telenor has done this in Bangladesh). Along with Upcoming 3G license auction is going to cause them spend more money to maintain their name in the market.
Posted by: Aamir Attaa on August 14, 2008 at 10:24 AM
CellularNews has reported while quoting CEO Telenor International that they have plans to invest further 2.5 500 Million dollars in Pakistan if they get 3G license from PTA.
We were having mixed feedback from cellular companies operating in Pakistan regarding 3G operating in Pakistan. Even Tore Johnson, former CEO Telenor Pakistan, few months back showed his reservations about 3G network roll out in country before media men in Islamabad.
On other hands, PTA had been trying to encourage cellular companies in making their mood to participate for 3G license auction in Pakistan, probably going to happen latter this year.
This news is defiantly going to pat PTA’s back while other cellular companies in Pakistan may think hard to get out of this situation, keeping in mind that 3G rollout is going to ask for billions of investments.
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 7:37 AM
I had heard from someone that wholesale computers are sold by weighting them. But now the time has come where this idea is being floated into retail market.
Yea man… now this chap in Karachi is selling Penitum 4 at Rs. 399 per Kilo…That’s really interesting. Furthermore, the banner ad (written in Urdu) mentions that a PC wont be more than 10-15 KG so that count around Rs. 4000 to Rs. 6000 (Less than $100)
Defiantly a very attractive catch phrase, given that this PC would be a Celeron Pentium 4 and with low RAM and hard disk. Anyway, number is there, go and check them
For those who can’t Read Urdu, this banner says as following
Save Thousands of Rupees (Rupee is Pakistani Currency), buy Computers as per weight
Pentium 4 Available in only Rupees 399 Per Kilo
Note: Pentium 4 is Less 10-15 KG for sure…
Al Madina Computers
0300-8258861
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 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.
The installation was just a process of 1 hour. My old broadband modem was replaced by the new modem of Huawei. From the modem you can get two CAT 5 (network) cables for the out put. One goes to the computer for the 
Once the card is inserted and STB turned on, same old PTCL logo appears on the welcome screen which confirms the project’s roots back in 2006.
All 
Loading ...