NTC gets landmark achievements in 2008 …

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ISLAMABAD (March 30 2009): The National Telecommunication Corporation (NTC) achieved major accomplishments during the year 2008. The development and commissioning of the project is indeed a milestone for the corporation and will bring numerous advantages. The approved budget cost is Rs 88 millions and project is under provisional acceptance testing at present and will be commercialised in next one month.

The connectivity of ministries on Fiber Optics plan was undertaken to support the IT enablement and e-governance policy of the government. The Optical Fiber-based connectivity has been planed in Islamabad for 46 Ministries. Out of the 46, connectivity has been established in 16 ministries whereas work on reaming 30 ministries is near completion and will be commissioned in next two months.

This will improve the data service access between the ministries and the quality of service as a whole. Time saving and efficient working will be added advantages of the project. Under the establishment of new exchanges project, three new telephone exchanges have been operationalised for designated customers and government offices. The infrastructure and presence of NTC is expanded to small cities of Jhang and Charsadda.

In the province of Balochistan, a new exchange has been established recently at Brewery Road Quetta to meet the telecom needs of government subscribers and departments. In respect of the expansion in Broadband Ports to extend data and DSL services, 2200 ports have been enhanced since March, 2008 and the data network is being expanded at a fast pace to meet the requirement of government offices and departments.

As per the data provided by the NTC, another 5500 broadband ports will be added to the existing capacity of data network during the year 2009. The Provision and Installation of Video Conferencing at six important sites is a PSDP-funded project undertaken by the NTC with CAPEX of Rs 32 million. The project is aimed at achieving good governance, time saving and facilitate working at higher platform. Video conference facility has been provided to Economic Affairs division and Ministry of Finance.

The video conferencing facility is planned to be extended to all the provincial Chief Secretaries by June, 2009, subject to release of funds. The expansion of 8504 lines in Switch base is another endeavour undertaken by the NTC. Since March, 2008, the NTC has increased its switching-base from 1,38,127 lines to 1,46,637 lines. This has been enhanced by deploying 12 Optical Network units (ONUs) and by adding 4670 ports or lines to existing digital exchanges.

Telenor introduces mobile phone buyback/recycling for the sake of the environment: New trees for old phones

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Telenor introduces mobile phone buyback/recycling for the sake of the environment: New trees for old phones

Now you can return your old phone. Telenor is introducing a buyback/recycling scheme for mobile phones. To thank you for helping, you will get 50 free SMSes and the Red Cross plants 25 trees in Asia, for every phone you hand in.

According to Telenor's calculations at least four million used mobile phones are lying around collecting dust in Norwegian homes. Presently 82 per cent of Norwegian households have at least one mobile phone extra that they are not using. It is only a dismal 12 per cent of consumers that recycle mobile phones. Since mobile phones are not being returned for recycling, mobile phone manufacturers are forced to extract new materials, in stead of just using the resources already available in used mobile phones. Telenor wants to do something about this and introduces a new mobile recycling scheme.

This lack of recycling suggests that the majority of Norwegians really have no idea what they can do with used mobile phones. Many keep old phones in reserve as a back-up. Norwegians change phones every two years on average. This means that fully usable phones are lying around in Norwegian homes.
"Telenor wants to help consumers dispose of mobile phones in a safe, secure and environmentally friendly manner. Of the phones collected those damaged will be recycled. Those that can be repaired will be sold in Asia which is a well-functioning market for used goods. Proceeds from the sales will be given to the Red Cross. This gives the mobile phone a "safe death" or a longer life-span in other markets," says Ragnar Kårhus, head of Telenor in Norway.
One mobile gives 25 trees
For every mobile phone received in the new recycling scheme, the Red Cross receives financial support to plant 25 trees in Asia. If Telenor reaches its goal of collecting 70,000 mobile phones, users of the scheme would in effect contribute to planting an unbelievable 1.8 million trees in 2009. The trees are being planted as a preventive environmental measure to reduce the danger of soil erosion and give a more sustainable environment.

"For every tree the Red Cross plants in vulnerable areas we contribute to preventing extreme weather conditions and climatic damage. We are strengthening the resistance of the local community to disasters such as cyclones, floods and heavy downpours. At the same time it is an excellent initiative for recycling mobile phones. In this way the collaboration with Telenor is good for the environment in Norway and the local communities we support," says Sven Mollekleiv, president of the Red Cross in Norway.

Lack of knowledge leads to increased emissions
Previous research indicates that half of the population is not aware that mobile phones can in fact be recycled. This lack of knowledge contributes to emissions being unnecessarily high and also shows there is great need for more information about recycling and re-use. Calculations show that if each of the world's three billion mobile users returns one mobile phone, an astronomical 270,000 tonne in raw materials will be saved each year, the results being a reduction of emissions equalling the removal of 4 million cars from the roads. "We encourage everyone to use the scheme rather than let old phones lie around in drawers. Telenor plans to introduce this scheme in more of the markets we operate in. Telenor in Sweden and Pakistan will also introduce this initiative in 2009," says Kårhus.

"Mobile telephones contain substances that pose a risk to health and the environment. It is therefore vital we return old mobile phones so they can be properly disposed of. In this way we can help prevent environmental toxins polluting the environment. All retailers of electronic and electrical goods must accept old products free of charge. "We welcome the initiative from Telenor and others to increase the number of mobile phones and other small electronic products that are returned for proper disposal," says Ellen Hambro, Director General at the Norwegian Pollution Control Authority.
New return system
To make returning used phones simple Telenor together with Telekiosken and Telehuset has developed its own return system which is installed in stores throughout Norway. You can also order a postage paid envelope on telenor.no, into which you put the used phone and send it off by post. Mobile phones that can be repaired will be re-used in Asia. This gives the phones a longer life-span. Those damaged will be recycled. By recycling 90 per cent of materials are re-used while the other 10 per cent goes to energy recycling. Materials contained in the phone can be used to build roads, in data chips and to manufacture new mobile phones.

The SIM card is destroyed
To secure personal protection, all data on the phone is deleted at Greener Solutions in UK, where the phones are sorted for re-use and recycling. SIM and memory cards remaining in the phones are destroyed.

ZONG beat Ufone in Friendly Cricket Match

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ZONG beat Ufone by 7 wickets with 5 overs to spare in friendly cricket match at Gymkhana Cricket Ground Saidpur Village.

Ufone won the toss and decided to bat first. Ufone got to decent start where Saddrudin Saleem contributed his 109 on 90 balls to help the side reach to 242 in their stipulated 30 overs.

Asif Rama, Faisal Niazi, Nayyer Raza and Roman took 2 wickets each for ZONG XI.

ZONG XI in reply, achieved the target with ease in just 25 Overs for the loss three wickets. ZONG Skipper Usman Javed led the team from the front and heavily pounded 68 runs in just 32 deliveries. Usman was involved in a successful partnership of 120 runs with Roman Talat, who scored 30 runs just 14 balls. Later on Bilal Abdullah scoring 56 runs with Nayyer Raza who scored 42 runs helped the team reach the target.

The boisterous crowd cheered both the sides while they were treated with on-going live music throughout the match. The two competing teams comprised of ZONG and Ufone officials.

Ufone Sales Promotion:Buy a new sim and get

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Ufone Sales Promotion
Buy a new Ufone SIM and get

Every new Ufone SIM gives you free balance worth Rs. 100! Use an additional balance of Rs. 50 and get 50 free minutes in return. A further usage of Rs. 100 balance will get you the 5000 SMS absolutely free!
Get your new Ufone SIM today and enjoy free minutes and SMS over Ufone’s vast network and best call rates because at Ufone…it’s all about U!

Note:
•This offer is valid till the 30th of April 2009
•Free minutes and free SMS are valid for 30 days only
•Free minutes are valid for Ufone to Ufone calls only
•This offer will be availed on the balance consumed within 30 days of SIM activation
•Conditions apply
•MNP Customers will be able to avail this offer
•21% FED on usage and 10% withholding tax at recharge or bill applies.

Mobilink value added service:MOBILE MONEY ORDER

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Mobile Money Order
Yet again, Mobilink introduces first-of-its-kind product that will provide unparalleled convenience to the thousands of Pakistanis who send and receive money orders through the Pakistan Post Office. All those people who had to wait for days for transaction completion can finally avail instant money transfer via Mobile Money Order (MMO) service by Mobilink.

So now all one needs is a Mobilink connection and a Mobile Money Account to send and receive money orders conveniently and immediately.

Service Features

MMO allows you to perform the following basic functions

-Cash Deposit: Depositing money in Mobile Money account
-Cash Withdrawal : Taking out money from Mobile Money account
-Transfer Money: Sending money to someone
-Balance Check: Checking available amount in Mobile Money account

Disclaimer
-Pakistan Post will be responsible for the Cash that you deposit in your account
-In case you feel your MPIN has been compromised, please change it immediately
-In case, your mobile phone has been lost or stolen please get your SIM blocked to avoid misuse of your MMO Account
-Should you want to Port Out, change your mobile number or transfer ownership of your SIM, please make sure that you have cleared the balance in your MMO Account

Pakistan is one of Fastest Growing Country for Telecom: UN Report

Tweet Pin It 60% of the world’s citizens have access to mobile phones - that’s 4.1 billion cellular subscribers. This is according to a recently released UN report. Pakistan is mentioned as one of the fastest growing country for telecommunications.
It is concluded in the report that mobile phones help developing countries to improve their economy. That is a well established fact by now. However the more relevant question is how the governments can either support this growth or cause it to slowdown by

-which do not help with foreign investment
-and infrastructure issues.

of course political stability and lack of security is the overriding factor above all for economy.

Some developing countries, though, have moved up considerably in the Index over the five-year period, including Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, China and Viet Nam. This is partly due to high mobile cellular growth, coupled with an increase in Internet users.

Both developed and developing countries have increased their ICT levels by more than 30 per cent over the five-year period, but developing countries are still lagging behind on ICT access and usage.

The Report also presents the latest, end-2008 figures for key ICT indicators. There has been a clear shift from fixed to mobile cellular telephony and by the end of 2008, there were over three times more mobile cellular subscriptions than fixed telephone lines globally. Two thirds of those are now in the developing world compared with less than half in 2002.

PTCL to start Smart TV Service in mid April …

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SIALKOT (March 27 2009): Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) would soon introduce very attractive three packages for facilitating its customers and the proposed packages would be introduced in the country after appraisal, disclosed Regional General Manager PTCL Gujranwala Mian Muhammad Azam.

Speaking to the members of the Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) here on Thursday he disclosed that PTCL would launch its Smart TV service in Sialkot in middle of April.

The regional manager further stated that PTCL was making adequate efforts for extending quality telecommunication services while special attention has also been accorded on reducing the customers complaints.

Mian Azam also disclosed that huge amount was being spent on upgradation of telephone exchanges for covering maximum areas as well as for ensuring connectivity.

PTCL has introduced "Skylink" satellite communication service for corporate customers and offering communication services for corporate customers in the country, he revealed. The regional manager further added that Skylink services are based on advanced satellite technology, providing dedicated point-to-point and point-to-multipoint connectivity between sites within the coverage footprint.

PTCL was making all out efforts to provide monthly telephone bills via email to facilitate its worthy customers, he said. In his address of welcome Chairman Departmental Committee on Telecommunication Asad Ijaz highlighted various problems pertaining to DSL and details of calls in bills etc.

JAZZ Takes Back Unlimited Daily SMS Package

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Mobilink has apparently taken back Unlimited Daily SMS Package last night around 8 PM.

When users subscribe to their SMS Package by sending *101*01*03#, the system respond with “the number you have entered is invalid”
Just confirmed from CSR, and she said that Package has been dicontinued. Official Page also notifies that there is no daily SMS package available anymore. While weekly and bi-weekly bundle packages are still there.
I suspect, this was taken back due to congestion - otherwise, this package was reportedly doing fine. Plus not to forget, the cheat for this package, through which users were able to use this package for 48 hours instead of 24.

Telenor:Do you have any question

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ASK Telenor messaging Service

Do you have any question regarding anything telenor messaging service is a best way they have a huge database i personally experience this great service

The What...
Got a burning question you need the answer to? Need to settle a fact-based argument among friends? Trying to cheat your way to glory in a friendly quiz? You might be interested in ASK Telenor. ASK Telenor is a SMS based service that gives you the answer to your query in approximately 15 minutes.

The How...
Send your query via SMS on 275. Initially, an answer to your question will be sought in Ask Telenor database. If that's not successful, the question will be sent to a suitable expert. The reply will then be checked by one of the moderators before being sent on to you.

The Price...
Rs. 9 (plus tax) per SMS

Disclaimer: This service is designed to find and give answers to the subscribers' questions if and when possible. Telenor is not responsible for the accuracy, correctness or authenticity of the information given through the service and shall not be liable for any loss or damage caused to the subscriber as a result thereof. Please note that this service is screened and no illegal, immoral or offensive information or material shall be responded to through the service.

Warid:60 Paisa per 30 Second

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Jab Rate Ho 60 Paise per 30 seconds to her
koi bole Dil Khol Kay

What is the 60 Paisa Package?

The best offer in town for Warid Prepaid customers, where you can call all networks at the same rate of 60 Paisa +tax per 30 seconds from 9a.m. till 5p.m.
What are the call rates for 60 Paisa Package?

From 9 in the morning till 5 in the evening all networks across Pakistan can be dialed at per minute steady rate of Rs.1.2+tax. Warid to Warid calls after 5p.m. till 9a.m. will be charged at Rs 1.5+tax per minute, whereas all other mobile networks and PTCL would be charged at Rs.1.7+tax per minute. Local (all networks) SMS would be charged at Rs.1+tax and international SMS is charged at Rs.5+tax per SMS

What is the billing pulse of 60 Paisa Package?

This package is designed for customers who talk their heart out. The billing is pulse of 60 seconds

How do I activate to this tariff plan?

Just call 321 and get your 60 Paisa Package activated from package change option

Do I need to pay any subscription charges to avail this offer?

Standard package change charges of Rs.10+tax are applicable.

Why is friends and family option not available in this package?

With call rates as low as 60 paisa for 30 seconds all networks become your friends and family. Don’t wait for late hours to call your friends or family, just activate the 60 Paisa Package and call them for Rs.1.2 +tax per minute for as long as you like from 9 am till 5 pm each day.

What if I have Friends & Family already in my list and I change my package to 60 paisa? Will I get more discounts on those numbers?

The Friends & Family numbers will remain in your list but charges of on-net as per time will apply. On adding or deleting more numbers no additional discount would be applicable on the newly added numbers.

Are bundle SMS packages available on this package?

Bundle SMS are available on this package. For activation please dial 321. For details please refer to: http://www.waridtel.com/consumer/product/warid_zoom.php

Can I activate GPRS & send MMS on this package?

You can activate your GPRS & MMS service simply by calling 321 and press 0

Can I avail Happy Hour on this package?

Yes & for charges and how to activate happy hour please refer to link:http://www.waridtel.com/consumer/zem/happyhour.php

I want to use more value added services on this package. What do I do?

All value added services through IVR and SMS are available on you package. For details please refer to: http://www.waridtel.com/consumer/product/index.php

How can I opt-out of this package?

This offer gives you the best value for money by asking for no daily subscription amount to avail these rates, however if you choose to opt-out of 60 Paisa Package simply dial 321 for package change. Standard package change charges apply.

Terms & Conditions:

-All charges are exclusive of government taxes and levies including sales tax at 21%
-10% withholding tax is deducted on each recharge
-Pulse 60 seconds
-For Prepaid connection, please make sure that you submit your Warid connection form with a copy of your NIC. Activating a new SIM via 789 cannot be done without a valid CNIC.
-Friends & Family numbers are not allowed to be selected on this package
-MMS is charged both for receiving and sending at Rs.3+tax
-MMS unit is a message of size 250kb On-Net and 100kb Off-Net
-Mobile Internet usage price is Rs.1+tax per 64KB
-Standard GPRS charges apply on downloads of Polytones, True tones, Coloured Wallpapers Coloured Greetings and Animations

PTCL to continue detailed billing for three months

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The Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) had embarked on introducing a new billing format for its customers, whereby the multiple page bills would be substituted by a single page with all the essential details. The decision has been taken on the directives of PTA to uphold the government decision to celebrate 2009 as the “Environment Year” said a press release issued here on Monday. According to Dr Sadik Al-Jadir, SEVP Commercial PTCL, the initiative would contribute in saving natural resources including trees utilised for production of millions of pages sent as bills every month and have a direct impact on the environment by reducing pollution too. Paper is made for wood-pulp and the depletion of forest leads ultimately to global warming.

PTCL EasyLearning

Tweet Pin It PTCL launced this services many weeks ago but it is not common due to the lack of advertisment by PTCL which is very offsense but any way i have a information for the learner
which is given below

Improve Your Skills. Discover New Work Opportunities.
The more skills you have, the more opportunities you will have in life. PTCL Learning Campus helps you improve your skills through convenient, affordable e-learning. In addition, all easyLearning graduates automatically qualify to become a Serebra Connect Pro, enabling you to earn money through Serebra Connect -- a new outsourcing website that lets you find work online.

Choose from 1500+ easyLearning courses

easyLearning is a respected e-learning program that delivers more than 1500 affordable, certification-level IT, desktop and professional development courses through the Web, allowing you to learn anytime, anywhere for a fraction of the cost of class-based training.

Earn money as a Serebra Connect Pro

easyLearning courses not only provide you with new skills that improve your prospects in life, but also give you free access to hundreds of work opportunities posted by businesses worldwide on Serebra Connect. Completely free to join, Serebra Connect lets you access work opportunities online and start earning income from your skills immediately after graduating.

Every easyLearning course you pass counts towards your Pro Level on

SerebraConnect. The more courses you pass, the higher your Pro Level will be - saving you money on fees and helping you get more work. Learn more about the advantages of becoming a Serebra Connect Pro.

Why easyLearning?

-Learn new, globally in-demand skills
-Earn money as a Serebra Connect Pro
-Get affordable, high-quality training
-Access flexible, convenient online learning
-Choose from 1500+ certification-level courses
-Get ahead in life through easyLearning. New skills are just a click away.

PTCL Broadband has doubled your speed at no extra cost

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PTCL is now the leader in consumer broadband in Pakistan, leading the country into 21st century.
PTCL Broadband has doubled your speed at no extra cost to all new and existing customers in celebration of 23rd March along with PTCL Smart TV to be Free till June 2009 in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad.
PTCL management pleased to announce the following tariff for broadband internet facilities for its valued customers, with effect from March 23rd 2009. The existing package of 512Kbps will not be offered to new customers. Existing 512Kbps packages customers will be upgraded to 1MB package, 1MB to 2MB and customers of 2MB will be upgraded to 4MB.
Experience the Internet at its fastest with high-speed access from Broadband Pakistan, simultaneously, enjoy Voice service over the same telephone line without any extra cabling connections! Broadband Pakistan offers DSL service with unmatched reliability, affordability and connectivity.

Features

-Cost effective Always On Internet access
-High speed data download
-Unlimited download
-Free Modem
-Free Installation
-Convenient ordering on phone and web
-No upfront charges

"Broadband Pakistan is now available in over 119 cities including Lahore, Karachi, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Quetta, Faisalabad, Multan, Hyderabad, Peshawar, Gujrat, Gujranwala and Bhawalpur.With the option of subscribing to the speed of (512Kbps, 1024Kbps) and (2Mbps) packages, you can now choose one that best suits your surfing style.

To subscribe to PTCL broadband service call 0800 80800
For complain registration please call 1218

Warid May Launch new Prepaid Packages This week

Tweet Pin It By Aamir Atta
We are told by inside sources of Warid Telecom that they are finally ready for launching their new pre-paid packaged this week, most probably on March 24th, 2009.
No words yet on nature and specs of these packages, however, we will update you as soon as we get further information or confirmation from Warid.
Update: Thanks to our reliable sources, we are told that Warid will strike back with 60 Paisa per 30 second call rate on all networks - that’s direct competition with Zong, Ufone, and Mobilink.
Moreover, Warid is coming up with a new tagline called “Har koi Bolay - Dil Khol kay”
Stay tunned for more updates ; - )

Ufone – McDonalds Upsize Meal Offer

Tweet Pin It Ufone – McDonalds Upsize Meal Offer.



Ufone – McDonalds Upsize Meal Offer.
Now Ufone customers can enjoy delicious taste of McDonalds meals anywhere in Pakistan with this great new offer.
When visiting a McDonald’s outlet, our customer will simply write ‘MCD’ and send the SMS to 4321. As a reply the customer will receive a confirmation message from Ufone which he / she then has to show at the counter to get the meal upsized absolutely FREE


That’s not all, once our customer sends an SMS to 4321, he/ she will enter into a lucky draw to win Dubai Tickets, iPod and Free Meals.
Now Ufone introduces a handy way for customers to recharge their prepay balance.



Note:
• Limited time offer
• All SMS sent to 4321 will be free
• MNP Customers will not be able to avail this offer via home delivery
• The advertisement SMS can be used multiple times during the tenure of the offer
• 21% FED on usage and 10% withholding tax at recharge or bill applies.

Telenor Blackberry Handsets Now Available

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We have been following Telenor’s Blackberry Launch for quite some time now - This time the news is that Telenor’s Blackberry handsets are now available at Customer Service Centers for users – though commercial launch is expected in 4th week of April, 2009.

How to Get Telenor Blackberry?

One way is to get a new postpaid connection, with what you will be offered to opt for Blackberry Services, or otherwise, upgrade prepaid package to postpaid and go with Telenor’s Blackberry.

Service Charges:

Telenor will offer two Blackberry products:

-Blackberry Internet Service (BIS)
-Blackberry Enterprise Service Plus (BES Plus)

-BES service will be available on demand @ Rs. 1,500/- per month
-All charges will be pro-rated
-Unlimited GPRS will be available with both the Blackberry products

Security Deposit
Security Deposit for Blackberry activation are as per table below:

BIS

Telenor Blackberry Handsets’ Prices

BlackBerry Javelin 8900: PKR 40,000

BlackBerry Bold: PKR 45,000

Blackberry Pearl 8120: PKR 25,000

Blackberry Curve 8320: PKR 29,000

China mobile officials meet Zardari

Tweet Pin It Co-Chairman China Mobile Zhang ChunJiang called on President Asif Ali Zardari on Thursday in Presidency and matters pertaining to enhance existing investment and future prospective areas came under discussion. Chinese Ambassador in Islamabad Luo Zhaohui and other officials of China Mobile and Secretary IT and Telecom Hifz ur Rehman were also present in the meeting.

The President said that Pakistans telecom sector offered excellent investment opportunities and appreciated China Mobiles investment of over one billion dollars in the telecom sector in Pakistan.

Recalling meeting of the President Asif Ali Zardari with companys chairman Wang Jianzhou in China, Zhang ChunJiang said "we will continue to expand further our service with very good quality." He thanked the President for taking significant initiatives for attracting Chinese investment in Pakistan. He informed that China Mobile intends to further expand its project by further investing in it.

Mobile cos asked to implement new system

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ISLAMABAD: Showing satisfaction over the new system of activation of SIMs after verifications, Chairman Pakistan Telecommunication Authority Dr Mohammad Yaseen asked the CEOs of all mobile companies to ensure strict implementation of devised procedures and if franchisers/retailers found guilty, then action should be taken against them.

A meeting was held at the PTA headquarters, which was attended by Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of all mobile companies here on Thursday. PTA chairman appreciated the efforts made by mobile companies in the launching of the new system of “Activation of SIMs after Verification”.

Yaseen informed that PTA is constantly monitoring the new regime throughout Pakistan, AJ &K and the Northern areas. It was observed that system performance is more than satisfactory and whatever teething problems were faced in the initial stages have been sorted out.

Chairman PTA informed the CEOs that PTA has also compared the sales of SIMs of February, 2008 with that of February 2009 after the launch of the new regime. It was revealed that there was a slight increase in the sales of SIMs as compared to last year, which highlights the efficiency of the new system and proves wrong the concerns of mobile companies and others regarding the decrease in sales of SIMs due to the system.

Chairman PTA emphasised that the procedures and processes must be monitored by mobile companies themselves so that franchisees and retailers are kept in check. Any franchisee/retailer found violating the procedure shall be dealt with severely.

Yaseen informed the meeting that PTA has been interacting with different organisations using jammers, and continuous work is undertaken to remove the illegal jammers so that the availability of an interference free spectrum is ensured.

It may be mentioned that PTA and the mobile industry are also working jointly to introduce a new SMS based system by virtue of which a mobile user can know the number of SIMs working against his/her CNIC by sending an SMS. A similar system is active through which a subscriber sends a blank message to ‘667’ and the return message provides the antecedents of that particular SIM owner.

Reinstatement of deposed judges: 500 million messages sent via mobile phones

Tweet Pin It Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) report revealed that around 500 million text messages were sent through mobile phones countrywide on Monday after Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani announced the reinstatement of all the deposed judges, including Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry.Sources said that soon after the address of the prime minister, people started sending text messages to their friends and family members and calling each other to give them the latest news. As many as 400 million messages were sent on July 20, 2007, when Justice Iftikhar was reinstated for the first time.According to the PTA Annual Report, 2007, mobile service providers had claimed that a record number of SMS were sent during the first five days after an emergency rule was declared in Pakistan. In the absence of independent news channels, text messaging emerged as an instantaneous way for the people to update one another on developments such as protest rallies and the numerable arrests of lawyers, journalists and activists. The sources said networks of all the mobile service providers remained busy, as a large number of people started using their mobile phones to give the news to one another.

Indus Hospital and Nokia Pakistan Implement Electronic Surveillance System for Pneumonia in Karachi

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The Indus Hospital Research Center and Nokia Pakistan announced the successful implementation of INTERACTIVE ALERTS, an electronic surveillance system for pneumonia in Karachi at a press conference held at the Indus Hospital. The Interactive Alerts system was designed by Interactive Research and Development (IRD), in collaboration with the Next Billion Network program at the MIT Media Lab.
The Interactive Alerts system has been specifically developed to use the Nokia 6131 NFC phone for childhood pneumonia surveillance and referral in low-resource settings, although it can be easily extended to other diseases. At the time of the 6-week vaccination visit, children are given a radio frequency ID (RFID) tag in the form of a traditional bracelet. This tag provides a unique ID to the child, and parents are advised and encouraged to take sick children to participating general practitioner clinics or general hospitals in the program. At each encounter, the Nokia 6131 NFC phone is used to scan the child’s tag. Pertinent immunization, clinical and laboratory data is collected and posted to the server via GPRS in real-time, and can be viewed over a secure website.
The innovativeness of this approach is that it helps overcome the challenges of disease tracking and patient referral in settings where medical records and referral systems do not exist. The RFID bracelet provides unique identification, allowing health workers to verify identity and view basic medical records, and respond to emergencies quickly.
Pneumonia is a leading cause of childhood death in countries with high under-5 mortality rates. Invasive pneumococcal diseases the # 1 vaccine-preventable cause of death in children under 5 years of age. The World Health Organization estimates that up to 1 million children under 5 die each year due to pneumococcal diseases.
IRD has established pneumonia surveillance in Karachi in collaboration with the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health (JHSPH), the Program for Appropriate Technologies in Health (PATH) and the Indus Hospital. The objective of collecting this data is to provide policy makers in Pakistan and in the region the information required for introducing appropriate and new vaccines against pneumonia for children.
Interactive Alerts was co-developed by IRD’s health informatics team, led by Omar Allawala (Director of Information Technology) and Julia Irani (IT Project Manager),and a team of researchers and students from the Next Billion Network at MIT. The MIT team proposed the idea of using the Nokia NFC phones, and produced an initial design and working prototype, from which the IRD team then developed the final product.
Commenting on the project, Damien Balsan, Director, Head of NFC Business Development Americas, Nokia said, “Nokia vision states; We believe in a world where connecting people to what matters empowers them to make the most of every moment. NFC is one of the ways to define the Nokia vision in terms of community services. We are committed to this project and will assign as much resources as we can to ensure expansion of this project to a greater geographical area.”
About Nokia: Nokia is the world’s number one manufacturer of mobile devices by market share and a leader in the converging Internet and communications industries. We make a wide range of devices for all major consumer segments and offer Internet services that enable people to experience music, maps, media, messaging and games. We also provide comprehensive digital map information through NAVTEQ and equipment, solutions and services for communications networks through Nokia Siemens Networks.
About Indus Hospital: The Indus Hospital is a state of the art 150 bed tertiary care center accessible to the public free of charge. A team of local and expatriate professionals provide specialized medical care with an emphasis on innovation and research. The tertiary care facilities at Indus Hospital are complemented by community outreach programs focused on prevention and early detection of disease, encouraging community involvement and ownership.
About IRD:Interactive Research & Development is a Karachi-based non-profit company committed to saving lives through improvements in global health. IRD has a unique program in low-cost health technologies for developing countries, working with partners in East Africa, South Asia and Central America. IRD has collaborative research agreements with academic research institutions in North America and Europe, including the joint Innovations in International Health (http://iih.mit.edu) program with the D-Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
About the MIT Media Lab and the Next Billion Network:Based at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the MIT Media Lab is an international leader in the development of innovative digital media and information technologies. Lab researchers foster a unique culture of learning by doing, developing technologies that empower people of all ages, from all walks of life, in all societies, to design and invent new possibilities for themselves and their communities. The Next Billion Network (http://nextbillion.mit.edu/) is a program at the MIT Media Lab whose goal is to enable and inspire innovation in the use of mobile technologies for, with, and by newly connected people around the developing world.

Mobilink registers 12 percent growth in revenue

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The Mobilink, the countrys market leader in cellular communications and part of the Orascom Telecom Holding (OTH) registered a growth of 12 percent in revenue in terms of local currency reaching Rs 86 billion, while the earning before interest taxation depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) reached Rs 29.5 billion, up 2.5 percent over the year 2007.

The Mobilink, which earned Rs 76.9 billion in 2007, has managed to register double-digit growth in 2008 despite the stressful economic environment. Moreover, the full year 2008 results issued by the Egyptian telecom giant Orascom Telecom stated that during 2008, Mobilink invested $537 million in its infrastructure, as compared to $520 million in 2007. This investment was primarily targeted to enhance the capacity, network quality and coverage. During the year, Mobilink added 1,487 new cell sites to its network, taking the total number of the cell sites to 7,915.

Commenting on OTH financial results, Naguib Sawiris, Chairman OTH, said "Our underlying growth in local currency terms was in line with our guidance of 18-20 percent growth for the year and that the performance in dollars has been negatively influenced by the sharp devaluation of the Pakistani Rupee against the dollar and by the sharp rise in cost of oil and utilities in Pakistan during second and third quarters.

During 2008 most of our operations have continued to exhibit robust organic growth, with over 7.5 million net subscribers added; in Pakistan, the slowdown of the economy coupled with our introduction of a new three month active churn policy has eliminated from Mobilinks customer base approximately two million inactive subscribers. This measure has no impact on our top line."

Another Wimax Operator in Pakistan Launching Soon - Augere

Tweet Pin It Augere, a Netherland firm whose focus is on broadband delivery in emerging markets, has been selected by TeleCard for its Wimax operations. This was in the news sometimes ago but this is now confirmed that they are going ahead with their deployment.
Huawei equipment has been chosen for this purpose and NETKOM is deploying the network these days. About 100 sites are selected for installation in Karachi (that I came to know about).
Led by a highly experienced team of international telecommunication executives, Ex-chairman Orange Telecom, Augere has an access to significant financial and technical expertise that will support its business in Pakistan. TeleCard hopes that the launch of a Wimax Network will enable TeleCard to further its penetration in the telecom sector and to optimize use of TeleCard resources not only in the form of spectrum utilization but also leveraging the overall field network and infrastructure which the Company has deployed throughout the country.
They have this court matter with Qatar Telecom these days about some licensing issues. Reportedly, QTel is saying that they were first to finalize the deal with Telecard and not Augere. Once this court matter is sorted out, the new Wimax Opeator will be in market.
So, Wateen and Infinity, get ready for more competition after Wi-Tribe – by the way Wi-Tribe is launching their network in few weeks; stay tuned to remain updated : - )
Augere can be reached at http://www.augere.eu/index.html

JAZZ 1000+1000 Offer

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Jazz now offers all its new customers (including customers porting in from other networks) the chance to accumulate up to 1000 Free Minutes + 1000 Free SMS’s. Now, all eligible Jazz users can start accumulating these free minutes & SMS’s from the moment they start recharging their SIM. Every recharge rupee will entitle you to 1 extra free minute + 1 extra free SMS, which can be redeemed after a month of usage.

So come join the Jazz family and enjoy our lowest ever rates of 68 paisas and unlimited SMS rates of Rs. 2.79 daily, because only with Jazz is there No Compromise on Coverage, Quality and Rates.

To activate your new Jazz SIM please dial 789

Terms and Conditions:

-Every month new customer will be given free minutes and free SMS equal to the cumulative recharge of last month
-Maximum bonus awarded will be 333 Free Minutes and 333 SMS per month
-Free Minutes and SMS will be given by the 10th of every calendar month e.g. if you recharge Rs. 300 in March then you will get 300 Free Minutes and 300 Free SMS latest by 10th April 2009
-Free Minutes and SMS will be given for first 3 months
-The Free minutes and SMS will be available for Mobilink to Mobilink Calls and SMS
-The Free Minutes and SMS will have a validity of 7 days from the date they are transferred to your account
-You can check the balance and validity of Free Minutes and SMS by dialing 123 and pressing 8 from your Jazz SIM
-All new SIM activations (including subscriber porting in from other operators) taking place from 13th March onwards will be eligible for the promotion
This is a limited time offer.

Mergers in telecom sector in the offing

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LAHORE: Following acquisition of commercial banks, mergers in the telecommunication sector are on the cards as a delegation of China Mobile Communication Corporation (CMCC) is visiting Pakistan to talk with other mobile operators.

The News has learnt that the OMCC delegation is headed by its vice chairman and included project director for overseas investments.

Expected mergers in telecom are likely to change the shape of the industry by the end of this year. Mergers of commercial banks were seen recently in the country after the global financial crunch which also affected growth of Pakistani financial sector as well.

Famous mergers in the financial sector encompassed Union Bank Ltd with Standard Chartered Bank and ABN-Amro Bank with Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS). Similarly, PICIC Commercial Bank has merged into NIB Bank. The banking and telecom sectors have seen unprecedented growth during the last three years or so.

However, owing to the current economic slowdown, growth of these two sectors like others had also nosedived. The telecom sector is currently working to reduce its operational costs by shedding employees who were hired during the last five years.

Industry sources said at least two major companies would be merged into one by the end of this year which would intensify competition in the telecom sector. It is learnt that China Mobile Pakistan (CM-PAK) is in serious talks with other cellular operators of Pakistan in a bid to expand its network. In this regard, some initial talks had taken place earlier. Now a second round of talks has started which would likely lead to a deal or open the way for more discussions.

The CMCC delegation is due to meet other operators in the next two days. It is expected that the visiting delegation would give initial offer to other operators for acquiring their network.The CMCC delegation will also check performance of Zong in order to expand its network.

When contacted, Zong Chief Executive Officer Qain Li confirmed that the CMCC delegation is currently on a visit to Pakistan. It is looking into the possibility of a business venture, he added.

Mobilink encourages others to follow its lead in m-commerce

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LAHORE: Having pioneered m-commerce in Pakistan, Mobilink shared its learning at the 2nd International Conference on Mobile Banking to encourage other players in the banking and telecom to follow its lead. Addressing the gathering Aniqa Afzal Sandhu, Head of M-Commerce, Mobilink shared, "With 50 percent cellular penetration and only 11 percent banking penetration, Pakistan is ripe and ready for m-commerce.

We at Mobilink know this better than anyone else as we are the first and foremost to venture in the mobile commerce space through products such as Mobilink Genie and the Mobile Money Order Service, both first of its kind m-commerce initiatives in Pakistan."

She said that due to low spread of banking infrastructure there is a huge untapped market. Currently Rs 0.9 trillion reside outside the banking industry and are transacted through informal channels. However, the relatively high penetration rate of cellular services offers a lucrative opportunity for all stakeholders to benefit from services offered through mobile commerce, she added.

M-commerce, a young but rapidly growing segment, is already providing glimpses into what will certainly become a major means of day to day commerce for billions of consumers and enterprises world-wide. In the developing countries the practice largely has been operator centric because there is a gap between bank/financial service infrastructure and cellular service availability/penetration, with cellular footprint surpassing banks significantly. Though the Cellular and banking customers are the natural target segment of such revolutionary services, the greater beneficiaries would be the untapped segment that neither has a cell phone nor a bank account.

This segment will be a major driver for adoption of wireless technologies and services. Bilal Munir Sheikh, Vice President Marketing, Mobilink and Wasif Mustafa, Director VAS, IR, LDI and Market Development also participated in the conference attended by various local and international stakeholders.

Triton GPS Devices Hit Pakistani Stores

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Megallan’s Triton series GPS devices are now available in Pakistan. These easy to use, low end GPS devices come with handy features with affordable price tags. Primarily, I will term Triton devices perfect match for first-time GPS users.

Equipped with full-color display, SD-card compatibility, rich features, fast signal acquisition, reliable signal lock and precision positioning make Triton a good choice for Pakistani GPS users.
For novice users, let me tell you that GPS devices are like DVD players, which can’t play until you put DVD (map) in it. Unfortunately, we don’t have detailed maps of Pakistan available, that’s the reason we see GPS devices not popular in our country.

Also, those users, who don’t know, GPS devices are one time investment (other than Maps, that you will have to purchase) afterwards GPS signals are like FM radio Signals. They are free – no monthly fee or rental.

But with Triton, you can make Maps yourself. With free software that comes with Triton, you need to simply extract JPEG images and convert them to a MAP. Furthermore, you can connect Triton GPS devices with your laptop/computer to get your location on map with Google Earth.

To make further clear, Triton GPS devices will give you co-ordinates, elevation, temperature – not the map – but if you have MAP loaded for those particular co-ordinates, Triton Devices will show your real time location on MAP.
For Pakistani Maps for major cities, you may find Naqsha.Net a helpful resource.
Prices:

Triton 300: Rs. 14,500

Triton 400: Rs. 19,000

Triton 500: Rs. 22,000

Triton 400 and 500 come with SD Memory, meaning that you can simply load maps on card and use them; however, with Triton 300 you will have to use Vantage Point

Software (which is free and comes with GPS Units)

Triton GPS devices can accept maps with following extensions
Rla, rpf,cel, pic, cut, eps, jfif, jpe, jpeg, pcd, psp, pdd, psd, pbm, pgm, ppm, png, bw, rgb, rgba, sgi, fax, tif, tiff, icb, tga, vda, vst, bmp, dib, rle, ico, emf, wmf, pcc, pcx, scr, gif

You may find this

video review of Triton 500 useful
Included items: USB Data Cable, Software Vantage Point, USB driver CD, Training Video

Get Triton GPS devices by calling these numbers: 03212430502, 0214313151
Devices can be delivered throughout Pakistan via courier service.

2nd Global TeleCON 2009 on April 25 in Lahore

Tweet Pin It The 2nd Global Telecommunication Congress 2009 (TeleCON 2009) with a special emphasis on “Emerging Technology – Challenges & Opportunities” is being organized on April 25, 2009 in Lahore by SHAMROCK Conferences International, and the expected support & patronage of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA).

TeleCON 2009, second in series after the successful inaugural conference held in April 2008, has been designed to bring Industry Specialists and Speakers from the Government and private sectors to discuss Challenges & Opportunities of the fast growing sector; alternative strategies for a regulatory framework, business-friendly environment and consumer satisfaction. An improvement in Foreign Direct Investments during this period of economic challenges is also intended to be critically examined.

Prof. Dr. Amoon Kamal, Head of SHAMROCK Conferences, said, “With a high level of telecom development we are headed towards several industry issues and opportunities and with increasing levels of demand for technologies, operational initiatives such as Rural Area Connectivity, Broadband and Wireless Access, Connectivity & Mobility, Safety & Security and enhancement of regional capabilities are being considered.”

Leading names from prominent international and Pakistani telecom companies, the GSMA and technology gurus are expected to share their wisdom and create fresh perspectives for adopting best-practices in the global and Pakistani telecom arena.

PTA, Atra to enhance mutual cooperation

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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and Afghanistan Telecom Regulatory Authority (Atra) have agreed to enhance mutual cooperation and PTA will extend help to Atra for the furtherance of telecom services in Afghanistan. This was decided in a meeting of both the Authorities at PTA Headquarters.

The high level delegation of Afghanistan Telecom Regulatory Authority was headed by Atra, Chairman, Zakaria Hassan who presently visiting Pakistan. During the meeting issues pertaining to cross border flow of telecom signals were also discussed. It was decided that a joint committee will formulate guidelines in this regard. It was decided that Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) would be signed to enhance mutual cooperation in training and sea cables system. On this occasion representatives of Afghan telecom and senior PTA officials were also present.

On this occasion, Chairman PTA, Dr Mohammed Yaseen briefed the delegation on Pakistan telecom sector development. He said that Pakistan has made unprecedented progress in mobile and fixed telephone sectors and internet services. The Chairman said that the operators from Pakistan are willing to extend fibre optic links to Afghanistan after which Pakistan will be connected to Central Asian Countries, Central States and Afghanistan could also be linked to the International Sea Cable System through Pakistan. He proposed a joint working group to expedite this process and to enhance mutual cooperation.

Atra Chairman said that Afghanistan opened up its telecom sector in 2003 and since then it has been making rapid progress. He said that we want to get benefit of Pakistans experience in telecommunication areas such as interconnect costing models, tariff regulations and also in acquiring training from Pakistan.

PTA Asks Cellular Companies to Suspend Communication

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In view of current political situation in the country, and upcoming long March on Monday Pakistan Telecommunication Authority has asked all cellular companies to lower their cell sites’ capacity to decrease number of simultaneous connections at a time.
This verbal order was communicated to all cellular companies by colonel Yawar at PTA, told us a high official from a cellular company. Adding further, he confirmed us that regulator has asked us to decrease number of simultaneous connections per tower in twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad, especially F5, F6, F7, F8, G6, G8, G9, G10 and Aabpara.
PTA’s spokesman was not available for the comment.
This act is apparently aimed at creating trouble for customers in establishing connections, especially Journalists, Lawyers and political leaders.
If carried away, this action is going to largely harm routine life.
Update (March 15, 2009 - 1:00 PM): SMS service in Islamabad/Rawalpindi is down on all networks
Update (March 16, 2009 - 3:15 AM) SMS Services in Islamabad/Rawalpindi restored!

USF Awards Rs. 930 Million Contract to Telenor

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Universal Service Fund and Telenor have entered into a Rs. 930 Million contract to provide basic telephony and data services to the population in the yet un-served areas of Mirpur Khas “Lot”, consisting of un-served areas in, Sanghar, Tharparkar Umerkot and Mirpur Khas districts.

A simple contract signing ceremony between Telenor and USF Co. was held in Islamabad marking launch of new telecom services to be provided by Telenor in the above-mentioned areas. Chief Executive Officer - Telenor, Jon Eddy Abdullah and Chief Executive Officer - Universal Service Fund, Parvez Iftikhar signed the contract. It is noteworthy to mention here that Telenor and USF have already signed two similar contracts earlier - for Malakand and Bahawalpur Lots.

Giving his remarks on the occasion, Federal Secretary for Information Technology, Hifz-ur-Rehman said that the Ministry of IT is striving to increase the level of telecom penetration significantly in the rural areas. Through USF, Rural Telecom Programme is being run all over the country to provide basic telephony and data services.

He informed that in order to strengthen the infrastructure, a project to provide Optic Fiber connectivity in Sindh has recently been launched and in the near future such projects are also being started in Balochistan. He added that another Programme of USF, ‘Broadband for Un-served Urban Areas’ aims towards accelerating the pace of broadband proliferation, in the country.

This programme will also give boost to provision of other e-services like e-health, e-government, e-commerce etc. Under Special Projects, initiatives like enabling the persons with disabilities to use telecom services have also been taken and establishment of multi-purpose community tele-centres is also one of the future endeavors of USF. He congratulated Telenor and also hoped that they would work with great zeal and zest to achieve the desired objectives of the project.

Chief Executive Officer of USF, Parvez Iftikhar, informed that an un-served population of around 1.13 million (13% of the total population of Sindh) will benefit from this project. This population lives in 218 Muzas, spread over 18,000 square kilometers. He further informed that starting from October 2007, so far USF has signed nine contracts in the un-served areas of Pakistan including one of Optic Fiber. The first contract of “Broadband for unserved urban areas” is also ready for signing. He informed that another 8 projects have been advertised, including 4 of Rural Telecom 3 of Broadband and 1 of Optic Fiber. All these are in areas where Private Telecom Operators are normally hesitant to venture because of high expenditures and low expected revenues. He also acknowledged the tremendous cooperation, help and support of the Ministry of IT and others like PTA.

At the occasion Jon Eddy Abdullah said, ‘We, at Telenor Pakistan believe in breaking socio-economic barriers through use of communication technology, especially in remote areas of the country. We stand firm in our commitment for more such ventures with support of Government of Pakistan and Ministry of IT.’
It may be mentioned that at this point in time there are 8 Projects for which USF has called for bids through Press advertisements and announcements on the Websites. Four of these projects belong to Basic Rural Telecom, Three are aimed at expanding Broadband in the unserved cities and towns of the country and one is for Optic Fiber expansion in Baluchistan. Bids for these projects are due in the coming weeks.

Mr. Mushtaq Ahmed Bhatti, Member-Telecom, Ministry of IT, and other officials of the Ministry besides senior executives of Telenor Pakistan were also present at the occasion.

1.5 Million Cellular Users Added in January 2009

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Mobile Phone subscribers’ growth rate has been returning to upward trend after witnessing two-month contraction in overall users’ base. Daily Times while quoting Pakistan Telecommunication Authority has reported that five cellular operators of Pakistan collectively posted a modest increase of 0.38 percent users in January 2009 with total of 1.547 million net addition in subscribers.

We missed January 2009’s stats on PTA’s website; however, Daily Times reports that cellular companies posted 0.9 percent growth rate in January 2009.

Paper further reports that users’ addition on various networks of cell firms became visible as the cellular operators reduced their rates last month to attract customers. They added subscribers who lost their connections on non-registration and non-verification of SIMs. On the other hand, the number of users has been growing modestly in the rural areas of the country as the operators have been running their sales campaign in these areas.

In January 2009, Zong out classed other with heighest sales. Mobilink lost 164 thousand subscribers, that’s far less than its previous record.

At end of January 2009, total number of cellular subscribers in Pakistan is 90.7 million (90,703,897), with Mobilink at top, while Telenor staying at second slot before Ufone.

PTCL still profitable despite financial crisis, says Walid Irshaid …

Tweet Pin It ISLAMABAD (March 13 2009): The president of PTCL, Walid Irshaid has said that PTCL was still one of the most profitable National organisations, despite all economic and financial crisis and back draws. Addressing the inaugural of the new NPC building, alongside president NPC (National press Club), Tariq Chaudhry, general secretary Afzal Butt, and other luminaries, including SEVP PTCL Sikandar Naqi, EVP Ali Qadir Gilani.

Walid Irshaid expressed the companys willingness and readiness to tackle any impending challenges with preparedness. He said that Company was focusing on provision of latest technology and services to its clients and telecom industry in Pakistan had a bright future and prospects, while further investments in the sector were vibrantly promising. Earlier the president National press club, Tariq Chaudhry took the PTCL dignitary around the press club, and briefed him about its various sections.

Walid Irshaid also assured press club about his full co-operation and assistance and during the lunch hosted in his honour by NPC also announced a grant of Rs 10 million, DSL Internet services, IPTV and other facilities. He said that PTCL would continue to work for betterment of media in Pakistan, and also lauded media services rendered during the last few years.

Oracle provides solutions for communications industry …

Tweet Pin It Karachi—Oracle, the leader in the communications industry, has offered a unique portfolio of solutions for the Pakistani communications industry to rapidly create, market, sell, fulfill, deliver and bill for next generation services and content.
These solutions will also help local telecom companies to increase customer satisfaction and loyalty, reduce operating costs in the business and the network, and improve management reporting and control.

Oracle is one of the main sponsors at the “Mobile Commerce 2009, the 2nd international conference on mobile banking where it showcased solutions that will help communications service providers gain a competitive edge in the industry. Oracle’s best-in-class applications built on a common, open, standards-based technology platform can provide integrated solutions enabling service providers to rapidly deliver next generation convergent services, increase customer satisfaction and loyalty, and reduce costs in the business and the network.

Oracle Communications Billing and Revenue Management enables service providers to improve time to market of new services, build stronger brands and lower operational costs. Oracle Communications Service Fulfillment Suite automates the order-to activate provisioning cycle by integrating back office order orchestration, network and service inventory management, service activation and configuration management.

More than 170 global service providers are using this solution to efficiently and effectively address the business challenges associated with transitioning to next-generation Mobile and IP-based networks.

PTA organizes int’l moot on mobile banking. …

Tweet Pin It Karachi—Pakistan Telecom Authority (PTA) in collaboration with Total Communications organised 2nd International Conference on Mobile Banking here at a local hotel. Primary objective was to explore potential opportunities in mobile commerce sector in the country.
Representatives from State Bank of Pakistan, Banks, Financial Institutions, Ministry of IT, Cellular Operators, Software Houses, ICT consultants and academicians attended to give their input and expertise on the subject.

Speaking on the occasion, Chairman PTA Dr. Mohammed Yaseen briefed the visitors about associated value and business propositions of m-commerce and said that in view of the global mobile growth, value-addition services have a huge market potential.

He said the telecommunication operators will find advantage in developing unique m-commerce value propositions of specific dimensions of ubiquity, convenience, localization, and personalization. In the new decade, he said, the call for information technology will be information, any time, any place and on any device.

“No Wires, No Limits” benefit associated with mobile telephony has poised conventional e-commerce to witness an unprecedented explosion of mobility, creating a new domain of mobile commerce, he pointed out. He emphasized that commerce transpires as organizations introduce new methods to employ mobile devices to communicate, inform, transact and entertain using text and data via connection to public and private networks.