Posted by: Aamir Attaa on October 16, 2008 at 6:59 AM
I had this poll on ProPakistani.com, and it asked vistors to vote about the number of minutes they consume in a day on their cell phones…! Let’s review what they said
Thanks to very inexpensive call rates, those who remain engaged on their cell phones for over 90 minutes have beaten all other stats.
So, if we talk this much, how about asking people if they are given a chance to make unlimited on-net calls for Rs. 1,500 per month? That’s our new poll… Please cast your vote (no age limit : - P)
Posted by: Aamir Attaa on October 11, 2008 at 7:51 AM
PTCL landline subscribers can enjoy Half Rate on Sundays.
Local Calls: Rs. 1 for 3 mins. (On Net including Vfone)
NWD Calls: Rs. 1 for 1 min. (On Net including Vfone)
Mobile Calls: Rs. 1.25 for 1 min.
Terms
Sunday Half Rate offer is available to all PTCL landline subscribers
Sunday Half Rates will not affect Pakistan Plus subscribers for NWD calls as their NWD minutes are already free till 2500 minutes but they will be able to make local calls and mobile calls on half rate.
International calls will be charged as per regular/current tariffs.
It is a limited time offer
Note: Free local calls (from 11:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.) was ended on 30th Sept. 2008
Posted by: Aamir Attaa on October 11, 2008 at 7:45 AM
Mobilink’s “One plus One offer” can earn you one minute on every call that of more than one minuite, made to any network”. So the idea is simple, you can earn as many free minutes as many calls you make till November 15th, 2008.
Remember that you gonna get these free minutes into your account between the 15th till the 30th of November.
Also note that Free Minutes will be applicable only for Mobilink to Mobilink calls.
This offer is for all Jazz Customers, but they need to subscribe to this offer first, which will cost them one time payment of Rs. 0.25 (excluding taxes) (Indigo users, don’t get jealous) How to Subscriber
So subscribe today by SMSing to 550 and start collecting your free minutes now!
Terms
Free minutes are for Mobilink to Mobilink calls only
One time subscription charges are Rs. 0.25 only (taxes apply)
Free minutes would be valid for 10 days from the date of transfer to your account
Free minutes would be applicable for all calls made before 15th November 2008.
Free minutes would be transferred to your account latest by 30th November 2008.
To confirm transfer of free minutes and check the free minutes balance dial 123 and press 8
Free minutes would not be given on calls made to IVR short codes, helpline e.g. 111, 123 etc
Mobile Phones surged into Human beings rapidly, and soon they got addicted to this technology marvel. There are almost 2.7 billion mobile users around the world, ranging from teens to tycoons. Every single person loves to hang out with this device – or say, they simply can’t think of life without it.
In Pakistan cellular industry has shown rapid growth, especially in last few years… As per PTA stats, there are 89 million mobile users in the country, which were only couple of millions some years ago. This clearly depicts that how gigantic Telecom Industry has become.
Every company is trying to beat its nemesis – and efforts are clearly seen to beat each other in this corporate battle. Where these cellular companies brought tons of investment into country, and played constructive role in bettering lifestyles, at same time the tussle between cellular companies has actively spoiled our youth. Every single boy and girl has a mobile phone and they are found texting and talking on their cell phone all the times.
Let’s discuss the impact on youth of various services and packages that cellular companies offer
Night Packages:
These days every company is providing very inexpensive (or even free) calls at night. These calls are like Rs. 5 and, hence are affordable for even an average teen. They talk all night long with their (girl/boy) friends. Use their pocket money to buy credits. At times, even they cheat their parents, and use mobile without their permission. Many boys and girls also talk to their so called lovers. Which can be basically termed as a teen crush?
A study done by a British institute revealed that late night mobile chatting makes teens tired and mentally distorted - as they have to wake up early. Consequently they can’t concentrate on their studies and are often found sleeping in their classes.
Sms Craze:
Messaging, messaging and messaging is what the teens do these days. It’s a symbol of being cool. The one who got more messages is considered the cool one. Teens forward jokes, romantic lines, riddles and even immoral adult messages. SMS Craze in teens can be judged by the typing speed and their accuracy to type messages on little dial pad. They just thumb the mobile and don’t stop.
Pedia Services:
Ask any question through sms is the newest service especially for the teens. Thanks to this service teens can now more efficiently cheat in their papers and quizzes. Zongopedia and ASK Telenor are two services. You can easily send a question through sms. Soon you receive answer and get good marks. It’s just another way to make money for these companies by ruining the careers of teens.
Wap/EDGE:
Now days you don’t need to turn on your pc on to use internet. Internet is just a click away thanks to wap/EDGE enabled mobiles. This service is good for the people who really need it. But teens normally use it to waste their time. First are the messengers which don’t let teens sleep at night, then comes the facebook and other social websites to keep them awake.
Un registered Sim cards:
The last thing which is the biggest menace is the un-registered sim cards. It gives you the passport to do all the wrong things because no one can catch you. I can bet that every single teen has a un-registered sim card. Our government tries so hard to block them but our teens are much smarter. You can talk to anyone, black mail them, do what ever you want.
Let me tell you a shocking thing about un-registered sim cards. I am doing my 2nd year from Army Public School & College, Ordnance road Rawalpindi. Yesterday there was a bomb blast threat at our school. Administration evacuated all the classes and asked the children to run to ground, and latter they were asked to leave for their homes earlier than routine time. Afterwards, they searched the school but it was just a rumor. Today through my close sources I got to know that it was a prank call made by a 7th class student from Saint Mary’s school Tulsa road Rawalpindi… He used an-unregistered sim card. Sadly he was caught by the authorities and God knows what they would have done with him.
MMS/Videos
There are hundreds of examples, where MMS and Videos of their lovers were captured by teenagers and what happens next is a topic that i am feeling is not good to touch… but one can imagine the seriousness of the issue!
Conclusion:
So who is responsible for all this? Cellular companies? Or we ourselves? Cellular companies are just doing their business. There goal is to make more and more revenue. As a business entity they don’t need to care about anything. In fact mobile companies encourage teenagers to call their lovers, for example in one of Telenor’s TVC, one guy asks another “Itnay minutes Aaliya ko mananay kay liye kafi hain na?”
So its we who let them spoil us. We are getting addicted to this device. Our parents should keep a check on us, at the same time we should save ourselves by controlling our desires. Think about it
Posted by: Aamir Attaa on October 9, 2008 at 2:15 PM
Zong’s Free Package, allows you to call all Zong Numbers at Rs. 3.99 (exclusive of taxes) from 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM.
Other features include:
Call one favorite ZONG number from midnight to 7am - absolutely free – for lifetime! Zong says it’s a a limited time offer, so rush now before you miss the deal of a lifetime!
During Break Time Hours call all ZONG numbers at Rs.3.99 per hour from 12:00 PM to 2.00 PM.
Add upto 10 Friends and Family numbers
Call Tariff for “Zong Free Package”
ZONG to ZONG: Rs. 2.00
ZONG to any other network: Rs. 2.00
SMS to any network: Rs. 0.20
1 Free Number Life Time - Midnight to 7:00 AM: Free
Late Night Offer, All Zong Numbers - Midnight to 7:00 AM: Rs. 3.99 per hour
Break Time Offer, All Zong Numbers – 12 PM to 2:00 PM: Rs. 3.99 per hour
ZONG Friends and Family numbers: 10 numbers
ZONG Friends and Family rate: Rs. 1.00
MMS: Rs. 3/100KB
Mobile Internet: Rs. 10/MB
Note: All Prices are exclusive of 21 Percent tax
How to Subscribe:
You can subscribe to ZONG Free Package by dialing 900 with onetime charges of Rs. 15 only (first time migration to this package is free)
Balance validity is based on re-charge
Daily subscription charges are Re. 1
The free number can be modified only once every month
You can choose to unsubscribe from Break Time offer by calling 310
To avail one free number the subscriber needs to maintain balance of Re.1. To reactivate call 900
Posted by: Aamir Attaa on October 5, 2008 at 12:06 PM
Ufone has been offering this service (for the first time in Pakistan) known as Push to Talk (PTT) or also called as Waklie Talkie. Before going into service details, let’s dig out what really this PTT service means?
What is Push to Talk Service?
PTT or Push to Talk is a feature similar to walkie-talkie that is provided over a cellular network. It means there is created a group of callers, who can connect to each other - their voice is broadcasted to whole of group members just like wireless handsets – and they don’t need to call again and again.. just press a single button and broadcast your message and release button to hear others.
In simple words, PTT is just like children playing with their Walkie Talkies.
How PTT or Ufone Walkie Talkie Works?
With Ufone Walkie Talkie service voice groups are created that can have up to 20 members. All these members of a certain group can communicate with each other through a data network (GPRS or EDGE) with always-on functionality.
Unfortunately not all mobile phones support PTT services. However, selected Nokia Mobile phones are equipped with Push to talk software. Once you have PTT feature in your handset, you can subscribe to Ufone’s Push to talk communication service.
Pushing a specific button on the mobile phone opens a voice channel to all selected participants of a group, whose phones will automatically play the caller’s voice through the phone loudspeaker - release the button and hear others talking back to you.
Posted by: Aamir Attaa on September 30, 2008 at 6:14 AM
As prices for telecom services’ have reached their bottom limits, cellular companies and PTCL keep on offering even better packages for limited time. These special offers keep on appearing every other week from telcos, with a tagline “Limited Time Offer”. We see plenty of print and electronic advertisements for these special offers, and they get popular very quickly and easily.
In my opinion (others may not agree) this “Limited Time Offer” tagline is excessively used to practice “Try and Implement” model. I can count several ongoing Limited Time Offers, which were introduced months ago - and they are still available, because they performed good.
It’s really fine, until these offers last, but what happens when they are taken back? For withdrawing these offers, there can be two models
Announce ending date of package at time of its announcement or
Publish advertisements well before (a week before) the ending date of Package
Unfortunately, we rarely see any announcement/advertisements, when (for some reasons) Limited Time offers are taken back. For instance, late night free local call offer by PTCL is going to end tonight (September 30, 2008) at 12:00 AM. But PTCL made no public announcement for this. Yea, there was a news item reported yesterday in newspapers, which said that PTCL is withdrawing this package. But that’s not the way; because, do they publish only news when package launches?
At same time, I am impressed with Ufone’s Ramadan offer, as it was very clearly told that this package is only for the month of Ramadan; plus they published advertisement saying thanks to their customers and informing (reminding) them that offer is over. We hope and want other companies to practice this too.
But I am worried for PTCL users who will come to know only after they will receive next bills - that free night calls were over long ago.
Posted by: Aamir Attaa on September 29, 2008 at 3:46 PM
PTCL has announced a new weekend offer that will enable landline customers to call local PTCL and Vfone numbers, nation wide calls and mobile calls at half rate on Sundays.
This promotion will be effective from Sunday October 5, 2008.
On other hands, PTCL is taking back free calls (at night) offer. PTCL’s limited time free local call promotion allowing free local call between 11pm to 6am shall end at midnight Sep 30, 2008. This service was launched on July 01, 2008.
It merits mentioning here that PTCL’s recent packages include Pakistan Plus offering 2500 nationwide minutes for Rs 199 only, per month. International Plus offers international calls as low as 80 paisas per minute and local call offering of call charges @ 67 paisas per minutes.
Mobile Phones surged into Human beings rapidly, and soon they got addicted to this technology marvel. There are almost 2.7 billion mobile users around the world, ranging from teens to tycoons. Every single person loves to hang out with this device – or say, they simply can’t think of life without it.
Ufone has been offering this service (for the first time in Pakistan) known as Push to Talk (PTT) or also called as Waklie Talkie. Before going into service details, let’s dig out what really this PTT service means?
