Posted by: Aamir Attaa on October 6, 2008 at 1:50 PM
We have seen Mobilink’s declining sales in previous months, which maybe didn’t jolt experts’ mind due to their size and weight of customers. It’s very obvious that a company with subscribers’ base of 31 million can not attain growth rate of even 1 percent or so, also given that cellular subscribers’ teledensity has hit 56 percent mark.
But following figures of international outgoing traffic for cellular companies (through PTCL) for the period of April, May and June 2008 may wide open many eyes. A very reliable industry source has given us these stats (however these stats can’t be considered official – but we are likely to see them in coming PTA’s annual report) which reveals that Mobilink is almost disappearing from the graph.
May 2008 can be considered most shocking month for Mobilink, as they were able to generate merely 56,142 minutes for international calls compared 64,371 in June 2008. For all of three months, Mobilink earned total of 1,581,309 international minutes. Even Zong scored more international traffic than Mobilink with 5,356,917 minutes in the same period.
While on other hands, Ufone’s skyscraper is seen very firm standing at 81,340,900 minutes for three months. Warid is heading Telenor with 18,533,756 minutes, where Telenor gained 12,504,509 minutes. Instaphone seems contented with their 5,438 international outgoing minutes in three months.
This traffic information for international outgoing is just a depiction of market situation. However, we can’t actually assume this international traffic (through PTCL) as directly proportional to local or national traffic these companies have; but due to a fact that international traffic contributes major part in revenues (due to very low local call rates), it is considered vital. We are awaiting official comments from Mobilink on this.
We are not sure about how well Mobilink’s international call half rate offer played for them, but we hope that cellular giant is going to do enough in coming months to retain its position.
Note: These stats represent traffic carried away from PTCL Gateway for International outgoing calls only.
Update: In response to a question that If Mobilink uses any other gateway for international outgoing traffic other than PTCL?? If yes then what proportion of international traffic is routed to PTCL’s gateway? and what share goes to other resources?
Mobilink official replied: ” We use our own LDI (Long Distance International) in addition to PTCL”
Posted by: Aamir Attaa on September 25, 2008 at 4:46 AM
Telenor has suddenly blown its customers by imposing 5 percent service charges on all scratch card loads and easy share loads. This decision came out of no where, and a new trick to hike prices for services related to Telecom. This means, if a customer loads Rs. 100 card then he will get Rs. 86 instead of what he used to get Rs. 91previously.
Pakspider, while citing a Telenor CSR, claims that these service charges are imposed to provide better services. I am forced to doubt here that other cellular companies may also follow the practice, as they will not remain behind in better services to their customers… (As previously seen, all companies started charging help line calls following Mobilink)
I doubt that PTA can do any favor to customers in this regards, as this is a service charge, and any company is free to impose service charges anytime they feel like (unless its not significant market player). This hike may also lead many analysts to conclude that the charm is fading away from Telecom services. However, the clear picture of ecnomical situtaion of cellular companies will come on surface in few days after PTA’s annual report will hit the surface.
The interesting point to note here is that Mr. Irfan Wahab Khan, Executive Vice President Telenor Pakistan, himself was not happy with added taxes on telecom service. He spoke about various price hikes only few days before Telenor announced this added service charges on their products.
so for Telenor Users, please note that you will have to pay Rs. 36 out of Rs. 100 for taxes and service charges…
Posted by: Aamir Attaa on September 18, 2008 at 12:21 PM
Huawei Technologies Co Ltd. Has announced that it has closed a deal with Telenor Pakistan to develop their CRBT (Color Ring Back Tone) system platform, said a press release sent by Mr. Jim Huang, Manager Marketing from Huawei Pakistan.
Press release, while quoting Mr. Lars Christian Iuel, the Chief Marketing Officer of Telenor Pakistan, said, “Under this contract Huawei will provide a highly scalable and robust CRBT solution with a capacity of 7 million subscribers. This aspect along with exciting new features of the service will enable Telenor to greatly improve its service abilities.”
“CRBT has become one of the key strategies by which carriers are attracting new customers and as a world leading vendor in providing CRBT solution, Huawei’s reliable and stable platform will satisfy Telenor’s long term development needs and maximize its competitive advantages in the VAS domain in Pakistan,” added Mr. August Ye, Deputy CEO of Huawei Pakistan.
Posted by: Aamir Attaa on September 6, 2008 at 9:51 AM
One can easily see the price war amongst cellular companies hitting its bread limit. Telcos are now in effort to retain their customers through various other tactics, and this has been happening for quite some time. Cellular companies now prefer to give short term free minutes instead of low calling packages that last for longer time.
Following same tactic, Telenor is now offering 100 free (Telenor to Telenor) minutes and 100 free (Telenor to Telenor) SMS to those customers who have not done any activity on their Telenor number since May 31st, 2008 June 25, 2008 (Date revised by Telenor).
So if you had bought Telenor SIM several months ago, and you didn’t use it… then this is the right time to get your SIM activated. And don’t worry if you have lost you SIM, because Telenor is giving replacement SIMs for free…!
Go to any Telenor Sales and Service Centre or Franchise during the duration of this campaign to get your replacement SIM for free (by showing your original CNIC).
Who Qualifies this Offer?
Customers who have not done any activity since 31st May 2008 will be able to avail this offer of 100 Minutes and 100 SMS free airtime
To check if you qualify for this offer: Call IVR 2222 or send an SMS by composing “FREE” and send it to 2222
Terms and Conditions
100 free minutes and 100 free SMSs will be posted to the your Telenor account with in the next 48 hrs (if qualified + these free minutes and SMS are for Telenor to Telenor Numbers only)
Validity of Free Minutes & Free SMSs: 15 days
If the qualifying customers have lost/damaged their SIM they can get a replacement SIM free of cost from any Telenor Sales and Service Centre or Franchise during the duration of this campaign
Posted by: Aamir Attaa on August 26, 2008 at 1:47 PM
Today, after a break of atleast 2 months, we saw couple of new offers from cellular companies. In this post I am going to focus on Telenor’s Talkshawk 30 Second Package.
Package is quite interesting as for the first time, Telenor has introduced a mixture of prepaid and postpaid attributes in its Telenor TalkShawk… Tell you frankly, package is not that simple to comprehend, any way… lets go straight away to call rates…!
Call Rates for Telenor Talkshawk 30 Seconds Package
Note:All Prices are for 30 Seconds and tax is added in these rates, so don’t get confused… Also these prices are only for Telenor Talkshawk 30 Second Package. If you are not subscribed to this package then see below how to convert to Telenor Talkshawk 30 Second Package
Telenor to Telenor: PKR 0.91
Telenro to Other Network: PKR 1.15
Telenor to PTCL: PKR 1.15
Friends n Family – Telenor to Telenor: PKR 0.54
Friends & Family Telenor-Any other Network: PKR 0.91
SMS: PKR 1.21 Per SMS
International SMS: PKR 6.05 Per SMS
These are normal Pricings, but you can buy free minutes like you do with SMS. These free Minutes can be used for Telenor to Telenor Calls only (and obviously for Telenor Talkshawk 30 Seond Package)… details are as following
How to Get Free Minutes?
In order to subscribe to this service (free minutes), dial 555 and press 6. Subscription validity 15 days
Free Minutes can only be used for Telenor to Telenor (onnet) calls
Dial *222# to check Free Minutes Balance or call 555
Unused Free Minutes will be confiscated upon expiry of validity
Free Mins will be confiscated in case of price plan change
If re-subscription is done before expiry then unused minutes will be carried forward.
Offer available only for Talkshawk 30 Second
Terms & conditions for Friends & Family Numbers:
Subscriber can administrate these numbers by calling 555 or sending SMS to 345.
To add an FnF send “Add <slot no> <number>” to 345
To delete FnF send “Del <slot no>” to 345
To edit FnF send “Edit <slot no> <number>” to 345
To view FnF send “FnF” to 345
Friends & Family administration charges through SMS are Rs.2 per SMS
3 Telenor Friends & Family numbers are available, subscribers have the option of either having all Friends & Family numbers as on-net or off-net. They can even have 2 numbers as on-net and 1 number as off-net and vice versa.
Note: Friends & Family rates apply 6am-6pm for onnet and 24 hrs for off-net.
Friends & Family functionality on all talkShawk subscribers has already been activated (there are no activation charges for this service).
How to Convert your Telenor Number to Telenor Talkshawlk 30 Seconds Package?
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 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 8, 2008 at 10:09 AM
This is the latest corporate ad by Telenor Pakistan. A very good theme that presents the whole story of a small business and its relation with country’s prosperity. Video is coupled with a very charismatic lyrics and vocals
not remain behind in better services to their customers… (As previously seen, all companies started charging help line calls following 
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