Mobilink:Indigo Talk Fiesta

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Indigo Talk Fiesta

Now paying your Line Rent in advance can get you additional free minutes on your i plan. With your free minutes lasting longer, you can talk even more each month, for no hidden costs or extra charge.


** All Government Taxes will apply

Terms & Conditions:
-Upon opting for indigo Fiesta program, the Customer can not avail any Line Rent Discounts, or any other form of discount for the Period of the indigo Fiesta program.
-The Advance Line rent shall be paid in full for the period opted for. No Discounts would be exercised on the Advance Payment. In case any Discounts exist, they shall be reversed for the Period of the Program.
-The Advance Line Rent Paid is non-refundable under all conditions and a request for the same shall not be entertained in any form or manner.
-Customer can not upgrade from one indigo Fiesta Program to another until the said Period of the chosen indigo Fiesta Program is complete. Customer shall be responsible for keeping a track of the completion of such Period from the date of purchase of their respective Fiesta Program.
-Customer can not upgrade or downgrade their i plan as he or she signed up for initially until the said indigo Fiesta Program Period is over.
The Customer cannot port out their number to any other cellular operator for One (1) year upon signing up for indigo Fiesta Program.
-The Customer is not allowed to change their Bill Date until after the expiry of the indigo Fiesta program Period.
-The amount paid for indigo Fiesta program shall not be used as a cash alternative/ substitute for Bill Payments and/or other facilities etc.
-In case of Sales Return from the Mobilink network, only the Security Deposit will be refundable, subject to pending payment and conditions
-All taxes for indigo Fiesta program will be charged upfront.
-All Existing Conditions Apply.
-Mobilink shall not be liable for any loss, harm, damage, cost, expense etc. (whether direct or indirect) which may be incurred by any person on account of anything contained in these Terms and Conditions for indigo Fiesta Program or any other services provided by Mobilink at any time, including the use of such Products and/ or Services.
-Mobilink reserves the right to amend these terms and conditions in like manner.

Sun customers switch to HP

Tweet Pin It KARACHI (July 31 2009): HP announced a new programme to support the increasing number of Sun customers looking to transition to a more cost-effective and stable server and storage platform on Thursday,
says a press release. HP's Sun Complete Care programme combines one of the industry's broadest technology portfolios and the company's highly experienced team of professionals with a wide range of transition and modernisation services to drive value for customers.
More than 100 customers have chosen to migrate to HP server and storage platforms over the last six months to significantly improve the return on their investments.-PR

PTCL Broadband Independence Day Offer

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Be A Millionaire – PTCL Broadband offers you the chance of a lifetime. Order PTCL Broadband between now and the 14th of August and win Rs. 1 Million and many exciting new laptops”All PTCL Broadband orders that are placed during the ‘Run up’ to the ‘independence day’, will have a chance of becoming one of the many lucky winners. This ‘independence day’ Broadband promotion is being launched with the following objectives:

Key Highlights
-One Grand Prize of Rs. 1 Million
-20 Prizes of Laptops
-All new Broadband subscribers who place their orders from July 16th to August 14th are eligible for the draw
-All new Student Broadband subscribers who place their orders from July 16th to August 14th are also eligible for the draw
-Applicable on all 1MB, 2MB and 4MB packages
-An open and transparent lucky draw at the end of the period will decide the winners.

Call Now 0800 8 800

Verification of CNICs: Nadra signs contract with three cellphone companies

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ISLAMABAD (July 29 2009): National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) has signed contract with cellphone companies, including Mobilink, Telenor Pakistan and Warid Tel, for verification of the computerised national identity cards (CNICs) through SMS.Nadra has initiated the facility under which people can attain the verification of CNIC through SMS.

Subscribers will have the facility to verify the CNIC by sending SMS at 7000. In first phase, Mobilink, Telenor Pakistan and Warid Tel were included in the facility, while negotiations with two more companies, Ufone and Zong, are in progress.

The agreement was signed in an impressive ceremony held at Nadra headquarters, which was attended by senior officials of Nadra and mobile phone companies. Bilal Shiekh of Mobilink, Aamir Ibrahim of Telenor Pakistan and Syed Babar Ahmed of Warid Tel signed on behalf of their companies, while Chief Administrative Officer Brigadier Kamal Aziz (Retd) represented Nadra.

This unique facility is devised for the convenience of general public, which can be utilised by any person desirous to verify credentials of the person with whom they are making business deals or they can verify the CNIC submitted by their employees, household workers and maids.

Nadra took this initiative due to prevailing law and order situation and to curb the menace of identity theft. Brigadier Kamal Aziz (Retd), in his address, said that verification would be done in real time communication with Nadra's National Data Warehouse, using Nadra and mobile phone companies strong network infrastructure.

He said, the CNIC number, which needed to be verified, would be sent through SMS at special number "7000", and in response, Nadra would provide details associated with that CNIC such as name of the person to whom the CNIC allotted in Urdu along with his father's name and in case of a married women her husband's name, or subsequently any other content.

Federal Interior Minister Rehman Malik formally opened the service of verification of CNIC through SMS on July 24. This service will enable the police and other law-enforcement agencies to verify the CNIC of any suspect at checkpoint any time, besides help common people to avoid the bids of cheating by mischievous people as they can verify the CNIC of any person on SMS.

The CNIC verification would be CNIC number (which is to be verified) on special numbers "7000" for general public and "7001" for the law-enforcement agencies. In response, Nadra will provide the details associated with that CNIC such as the name of person to whom that CNIC Number stands allotted (in Urdu) along with any other content deemed appropriate by Nadra pertaining to the CNIC at nominal charges of Rs 10+tax.

USF to provide telecom services to Balochistan

Tweet Pin It ISLAMABAD: Universal Service Fund (USF) signed contracts for providing basic telecom services in Nasirabad with
CM Pak and Broadband Services in Multan Telecom Region with World Call. CEO CM Pak, Qian Li and CEO World Call, Babar Ali Syed signed these contracts with CEO Universal Service Fund, Parvez Iftikhar. Secretary IT, Naguibullah Malik witnessed the signing ceremony as the chief guest. staff report

Consumers complain about unsatisfactory DSL, IPTV service

Tweet Pin It Wednesday, July 29, 2009 By Jawwad Rizvi LAHORE: A leading telecommunication company, which launched DSL (digital subscriber line)
and IPTV (cable TV) services with a bang, has failed to provide these services to customers in most areas of Lahore.
The failure is the result of the Pakistan Telecommunication Company Ltd’s outdated network and lack of modern technology, it is learnt.
When contacted, a PTCL spokesman said there were exchange upgrading issues, causing problems for the people.
PTCL’s Executive Vice President Jamil Khwaja said for providing the best telecom services to the customers, the PTCL was expanding and upgrading its network in Lahore.
In that regard, the company had upgraded the cable network and provided ONU facility to Canal Bank Housing Scheme, Rizwan Gardens and surrounding areas for the satisfaction of customers, enabling them to utilise and enjoy telecom services smoothly.
“Now the customers of these areas can obtain broadband facility conveniently. The PTCL will upgrade its network step by step all over Lahore,” he said.
Khwaja said PTCL’s broadband was the fastest Internet service in the country and ADSL2-Plus technology had been provided on current land lines.
Kashif Iqbal, a resident of Samanabad, applied for IPTV service from the company. However, the PTCL does not provide IPTV connection only and it is necessary for the consumers to take both DSL and IPTV services.
On Kashif’s application, the company men installed DSL modem at his residence, but they refused to give IPTV connection, saying the network cable reaching his house was connected with the fibre optic cable, which does not support IPTV connection. A company official told him IPTV service could be provided only through copper cable.
Kashif told The News he had actually applied for IPTV connection due to problems faced by the private TV cable network in the area.
“The TV cable service in my locality was not good and remained suspended usually,” he said, adding he learnt from someone the PTCL was providing good IPTV service at cheap rates.
“I applied for it but the company installed DSL modem only which was not of use to me,” Kashif said, adding after refusal from the company he submitted an application for removal of DSL modem.
In another incident, a resident of Cantonment area, Shoaib Ali, applied for DSL student package on July 6. However, DSL service manager and DE of the telephone exchange at Cant refused to provide the service, saying the telephone exchange could not be upgraded.
The exchange was built in 2001 and was based on ONU-I technology which was not fit for DSL technology. Shoaib said they also told him that some 22 PTCL exchanges under their control were outdated which could not support DSL. Shoaib said the company official instead asked him to purchase PTCL-V phone and change his telephone number.

HP unveils ProBook s-series PCs

Tweet Pin It KARACHI: HP on Friday announced a new brand of affordable notebook PCs that merge business functionality with sophisticated design to stand out from the crowd. The HP ProBook series joins the award-winning HP EliteBook series to form one of the most versatile business notebook portfolios in the industry.

Inspired by minimalism, the design of the new HP ProBook series combines matte and glossy surfaces, while stripping out the extraneous, leaving only a stylish and clean look. Distinguished by a choice of merlot or glossy noir finishes, a unique keyboard design and a set of professional innovations previously found only on higher-priced models, the HP ProBook series delivers HP's best combination of business features, functionality and value.

"The stunning HP ProBook s-series delivers exceptional style and aggressive pricing that will captivate small and medium business users," said Philip Lau, General Manager, Asia Emerging Countries, Personal Systems Group, HP. "But it's not just about good looks or low cost, the HP ProBooks deliver the right blend of features and professional innovations to provide a great user experience."-PR

Samsung's 'Meet the Star' campaign …

Tweet Pin It Samsung Electronics Co Ltd has initiated "Meet the Star" campaign in Pakistan. The nation-wide s15-day activity, also running in Middle East and other parts of Asia,

aims at bringing Samsung Star Touch Phone, a full touch-screen mobile phone, to consumers and educating them along with providing a feel of the gadget.During the activity, consumers will also get a chance to the gadget Samsung Star phone through a lucky draw. The Samsung team is also visiting shopping centers and restaurants to give prizes through lucky draw. Samsung Mobiles Pakistan and Afghanistan Head Zeeshan Qureshi said that Samsung has always placed high priority at consumer interaction, bringing technological advancements to every Pakistani's doorsteps."-PR

Pakistani cellphones cheapest in the world: PTA Chief

Tweet Pin It ISLAMABAD (July 27 2009): Chairman Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Dr Mohammed Yaseen Sunday claimed that Pakistani cellular phone companies were providing cheapest call rates across the globe. "In a recent conference in India, the Indians claimed that

they were providing cheapest calls world over.

However, I confronted and made calculations to prove that Pakistan was the country providing the most inexpensive phone facility to its consumers," said Chairman PTA Dr Mohammed Yaseen in an exclusive interview with APP. When his comments were sought over the spill over of Pakistani cellular phone signals to the neighbouring countries, Chairman said PTA had conducted comprehensive surveys to ensure that there was no spill over from either side.

"The cell phone towers are installed in the bordering areas under a prescribes Standard Operating Procedures (SOP). We are ensuring that the SOP is strictly followed. Moreover, we have held negotiations with the neighbouring countries including Afghanistan and India to address the issue," he added.

Answering a question about the government's ordinance on objectionable SMS, the chairman PTA said the government had issued the ordinance to establish a mechanism to check on those elements involved in the obnoxious SMS.

When asked about those involved in fraudulent activities and fleecing the poor consumers through SMS for cash draws, the PTA chairman said the Federal Investigation Authority (FIA) would move against such elements under Spam Regulations. He said the PTA had installed a Redressal of Consumer Grievances Mechanism, which would ensure proper resolution to the problems being faced by the telecom sector consumers.

Dr Yaseen informed that the consumers would have a complaint with the respective telecom operator and if the issue was not resolved, the consumer should file the complaint with the PTA Consumer Protection Directorate (CPD).

"The consumers can make a free-of-cost call to PTA at 080055055 if their complaint is not resolved within given timeframe by the concerned telecom operator," he said and added the PTA would take up the matter with the concerned authorities and would get it resolved amicably. "We are providing level-playing field to all the operators and if any operator violates the laws, we would move for an action," he assured.

He claimed that PTA was efficiently redressing the complaints of the consumers and the redressal rate stood at 96 per cent during the month of April. When asked about the PTA-FBR row over the dues reportedly liable to the PTA, Dr Yaseen said there was no controversy and PTA was paying its instalments on a regular basis. "We have paid Rs 4 billion to the Federal Bureau of Revenue (FBR)," he added.

Asked about the poor performance of the Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL), Dr Yaseen said he had held a meeting with the PTCL management and they had assured of resolving all issues of the consumers by July-end. He said the PTA would launch a survey to check the quality of services being offered by PTCL in the first or second week of August. "Yes, a quality survey would be conducted in the first or second week of August, and if PTCL is found to be violating the laws inscribed in License, an action would be taken," he remarked. He said the PTA was also urging PTCL to allow other connections on PTCL's Fibre to Home service.

6.322Mn Mobile subscribers adds in 2008-09 in Pakistan

Tweet Pin It According to Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), the country’s mobile operators added 6.322 million subscribers on their network in 2008-09.

As per latest statistics released by the telecom regulator, the total mobile subscriber base across the nation reached 94.342 million on the network of five operators. Accordingly, the subscribers’ base widened by 7.1% with teledensity touching 58.20.Telenor ruled the market as it added the maximum subscribers of 2.767 million taking the total base to 20.893 million base, PTA data said. Zong has remained dominant in the market by capturing 2.435 million subscribers in the overall addition of subscribers. Its network has increased to 6.386 million by the end of 2008-09 followed by Warid, which attracted 2.39 million subscribers in the same period with the overall base stood at 17.886 million.The PTA data says by June 2009, Mobilink was leading the market share with 29.136 million subscribers. Ufone’s base stood at 20 million in the same fiscal year.The report unveils that the Pakistani mobile market has reached a saturation point so the operators have shifted their focus on to VAS to earn greater revenues.

Ninth ITCN Asia from August 11

Tweet Pin It KARACHI (July 26 2009): The ninth ITCN Asia 2009 will be held here at Karachi Expo Centre from August 11 to 13. This was announced by the Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB) on Saturday. The event would be organised by the PSEB, Ministry of Information Technology in collaboration with the Ecommerce Gateway Pakistan. This has been described as one of the Asia's biggest international information technology and telecom shows.

It was further pointed out that ITCN Asia was designed to be a one-stop meeting place for trade matching of the global and regional IT players with decision-makers from the business and government sectors. With leading and influential IT experts flying in from around the world, the exhibition will include high-profile international conferences on IT, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), multimedia and broadcasting, and an e-marketing workshop.

Telenor Sim Lagao Offer

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Offer: Get 200 free minutes and 200 free SMS.

Qualifying Customers:
Customers who have not done any activity since 1 June 2009 will be able to avail this campaign
To check if you are part of the campaign: Call IVR 2222 or send an SMS containing “FREE” to 2222

Call IVR 2222. (charges are Rs. 1 + tax per min) or Send an SMS containing “FREE” to short code 2222 to avail the 200 free minutes and 200 free SMSs. (charges are Rs. 1 + tax) the 200 free minutes and 200 free SMSs will be posted to the subscriber’s account with in the next 48 hrs

Validity of Free Minutes & Free SMSs: 10 days After the free minutes and free SMS have been posted.

If the qualifying customers have lost/damaged their SIM they can get a replacement SIM free of cost (Only once) from any Telenor Sales and Service Centre or Franchise during the duration of this campaign

This Offer is being launched for all prepaid packages

This is a limited time Offer

All prepaid customers who have not done any activity since 1 June 2009

-Talkshawk per min
-Talkshawk 30 sec
-Talkshawk per sec
-Talkshawk A1
-djuice
-djuice jagtay raho

Free minutes & Free SMS can only be used for TP to TP calls and SMSs (On Telenor numbers).

PTA efforts aimed at improving consumer protection

Tweet Pin It ISLAMABAD (July 25 2009): Pakistan Telecom Authority (PTA) Chairman Dr Muhammad Yaseen said on Friday that the PTA had been making efforts to further improve the consumer protection. He said those consumers' satisfaction and protection was first priority of the PTA. Addressing a press conference, the PTA Chairman said Pakistan's telecom sector had seen phenomenal growth during the past decade.

He was of the view that phenomenal progress had brought a lot of benefits to public in terms of network expansion, scope of services, reduction in tariffs and availability of an array of telecom operators with regards to choice of their service-provider. He said the PTA had directed the operators to develop a comprehensive complaint handling and redressal of consumer grievance mechanism in line with the Consumer Protection Regulations 2009.

Dr Yaseen said that a lot of consultation had been done with the industry and general consumer, aimed at keeping everyone on board in bringing up the said regulations and initiatives. "Our next step is the implementation phase for which the PTA along with operators have revamped their complaint handling systems, made them more consumer-oriented, organised and expanded through which consumers can lodge their complaints," he added.

He said the PTA had taken certain steps towards consumer complaint handling and redressal mechanism, which included establishment of Consumer Protection Directorate at PTA headquarters in Islamabad, introduction of Consumer Protection Regulation 2009 and feedback mechanism with telecom industries and public.

He said that the PTA was now at implementation phase and had revamped its complaint handling system and provided a range of modes, including helplines, e-mail system, web mails and fax number, providing the consumers further easement to lodge their complaints.

The PTA Chairman reiterated that the PTA would continue to facilitate its consumers in future. Being a regulator, he said the PTA encouraged holding dialogues with all the stakeholders and inputs from the media, which would help the body in promoting harmonious and co-ordinated efforts for the provision of telecom services in the country.

He said the telecom sector maintained handsome inflow of money to the government exchequer. The vision of telecom growth, coupled with consumer protection as envisaged in the Pakistan Telecom Act, 1996 had been realised through a tele-density of 61.8 percent and the number of an expanding cellular mobile subscriber base that today stood at 93.34 million.

In the last one-year, the PTA had come a long way towards achieving a number of measures that had strengthened the industry and benefited the consumers at large, he added. Today, he said the consumers had the option to choose from a number of service providers, yet it was imperative that operators maintained the standards of service. "Our mechanism of checks and balances will only add to healthy competition and will promote good business in the sector," he added.

The PTA had taken a number of measures for the benefits of consumers, including the establishment of a dedicated Consumer Protection Directorate (CPD) at its headquarters in Islamabad. Moreover, consumers could also access the PTA's zonal offices across the provincial capitals for redressal of their complaints, he said.

He said that consumers could also lodge their grievances with the said setups, the contact details of which had been made available to general public and the redressal was achieved by taking up the said matters with the concerned operator to the satisfaction of the complainants. More than 80,000 individual consumer complaints had been received and redressed by the authority since the complaint cell started working.

The Consumer Protection Regulations, 2009, formulated by the PTA, had multiple features, including, service provisioning as per consumer choice, request and without discrimination, no activation or deactivation of services/packages without user consent, fair commercial practices, Consumer Complaint Handling and Redressal Mechanism Categorisation of complaints and many others.

In bringing up the said regulations, a lot of consultation was done with the industry and general consumer with an aim to keep everyone on board. Answering a question, the PTA Chairman said the towers were installed along borders with India and Afghanistan without signal spell over boundaries. Similarly, the regulators of other countries were also installed their telecom towers without spelling over signals to Pakistani areas.

Samsung Unveils An All New ‘Slimmest Watch Phone’

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KARACHI (July 25 2009): Samsung Electronics Co Ltd, a mobile phone manufacturer had announced the launching of the S9110, a cutting-edge watchphone featuring a full touch screen. The watchphone-basically a wrist-watch comprised of all the features of a cellular phone and Samsung had once again proved its prowess in the market.-PR

This measurement of this awesome gadget is a mere 11.98 millimeters (0.48 inches) in thickness. The new watch phone is able to retain its ultra-slim look due to the fact that, its circuit board is composed of 42 individual components, that are re-sized to reduce the thickness of the watch phone.

The all new slimmest watch phone from Samsung will be available in the first week of July and will be launched in France at first, with a price tag of 459 euros that amounts to $639. Samsung is planning to further launch this product in other European nations.

Samsung’s slimmest watch phone sports a 1.76-inch touch screen, that empowers the users to use important features such as, e-mails, listen to MP3s and make and receive phone calls. This tiny device also comes with a built in bluetooth function and voice recognition commands.
One of Samsung’s fiercest rivals, LG Electronics has developed its very own slim phone, that will hit the commercial markets in August 2009.

Telenor posts 61pc drop in Q2 profit

Tweet Pin It OSLO: Norwegian telecommunications group Telenor on Thursday reported a 61 per cent slump in second-quarter profit, due to sliding revenues and losses in its stake in Russian mobile operator VimpelCom.


Net profit tumbled to 1.38 billion kroner ($220 million) during the quarter, a sharp decline from 3.54 billion kroner in the same period last year.

Second-quarter revenues held steady, slipping slightly to 26.9 billion kroner this year from 27.1 billion kroner in 2008. The group’s shares were down 0.2 per cent at 53.29 kroner ($8.51) in afternoon trading in Oslo.

A strong quarter for Telenor’s Bangladeshi, Norwegian and Pakistani operations contributed to the sustained revenue stream. However, the Nordic group sustained heavy losses in the Ukranian market, due both to that country’s ongoing recession and drops in the value of Ukraine’s currency, Telenor Vice President Paal Kvalheim said.

This year’s second-quarter revenues from the group’s Ukranian operation were almost one billion kroner lower than they were in the second quarter of 2008.

Telenor Pakistan Launch "Khuddar" Special programme for helping disabled persons

Tweet Pin It ISLAMABAD (July 23 2009): Telenor Pakistan would formally launch its special programme for helping disabled persons at a local hotel today (Thursday).





The programme, Telenor Khuddar Pakistan, has been shaped for the disabled persons as the company's corporate responsibility flagship initiative. Some 7-10 percent Pakistanis have disabilities and most of them face adversity at every corner.They fight negative social perceptions and are turned away by lack of accessibility and cannot get adequate training and technologies. With the launch of Khuddar Pakistan, Telenor aims at making a difference in the lives of the persons with disabilities by addressing these issues, with whatever corporate, political, and social will it acquires.

Ufone:Sales promo 1000 free minutes or 10,000 SMS!

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Sales Promo
Here’s another perfect reason to join the Ufone family!
By purchasing a new Ufone SIM or by transferring your existing number to the Ufone network you can obtain up to 1,000 free minutes and 10,000 free SMS!







Here’s how:

-Join Ufone between the July 21st to August 30th, 2009 period
-Use as much balance as you can, in addition to the already provided Rs.100 in your SIM and get up to 1,000 Ufone to Ufone minutes and 10,000 SMS to any network, absolutely FREE!

Note:

-Use Rs.150/- extra balance till 30th August 2009 besides the available Rs. 100/- balance in the -SIM and 10,000 SMS will be absolutely Free!
-Use as much balance as besides the available Rs. 100/- in the SIM till 30th August 2009 and win the same number of minutes.
-Free minutes limit is 1000
-Free minutes and SMS won will be credited to your account on 31st August 2009
-The offer is valid for SIMs purchased from 21st July 2009 to 30th August 2009.

Telenor sees mergers in telecom industry

Tweet Pin It Thursday, July 23, 2009 By Mehtab Haider ISLAMABAD: Telenor Pakistan Chief Executive Officer Jon Eddy Abdullah has said there are possibilities of mergers in the cellular industry in future. In an interview with The News, Abdullah said Pakistan had the lowest call rates in the world and a continuous reduction in charges, as seen in the past, to attract customers was no more viable for the future as the industry had already hit rock bottom.

“This means that in the long term, having five operators in a market with intense competition and low prices may not remain feasible anymore. This can result in anything from mergers and acquisitions to dropping out of the market,” he added.

Answering a question about deteriorating law and order situation in the country and other factors impacting growth of the sector, he said high inflation eventually reduced usage of mobile services among consumers and pushed up the cost for the operators. Overall, it negatively impacted the demand and supply and hence growth.

“Though inflationary pressure eases around the globe and especially in our region, Pakistan still faces a high double-digit inflation,” he added.

“Largely, the overall law and order situation limits network expansion, restricts upgrading and maintenance of sites, increases security-related expenses and dampens investor confidence,” he said and added as networks in Pakistan grew at a tremendous rate, growth would certainly speed up if security conditions further improved.

When asked about the recent taxation measures taken by the government in the budget, he said general sales tax (GST) had been brought down to 19.5 per cent from 21 per cent, though the industry had demanded 16 per cent tax like the one on other services.

SIM activation tax had been slashed by 50 per cent, bringing it to Rs250, but the industry had asked for its complete withdrawal.

Regulatory duty on handsets has been eliminated, while customs duty has been brought down to Rs250, meaning that a total of Rs250 will be applied as taxes on the import of each handset.

“Although we consider these tax measures positive, we feel that there is more to be done. We are all aware of the impact of high tax rates on the industry, which depress growth in subscriber numbers, divert investments and ultimately discourage mobile usage.

“We also understand that when this industry flourishes, it helps the economy by attracting foreign direct investment (FDI), contributing heavily to the national exchequer, generating employment and increasing productivity of almost every sector. Therefore, it is imperative that the taxation structure for the mobile industry is rationalised further.

”When asked whether the taxation measures were pro-growth or anti-growth for the industry, he said tax reduction was obviously a pro-growth measure. The rapid increase in penetration over the last few years was made possible to a large extent by subsidisation of activation tax by the cellular operators.

The 50 per cent reduction in activation tax will free up funds, which can be invested in capacity enhancement and network expansion.

Monitoring SMS, emails: cellular companies short of capability, mechanism

Tweet Pin It ISLAMABAD (July 23 2009): Pakistani cellular companies are short of capability or mechanism to "either filter or monitor" all the SMS and email traffic, as the number of the messages crosses millions on a daily basis, the APP reliably learnt. Resultantly, the Federal Investigation Authority (FIA) would launch an investigation into the matter, only if they received a complaint by a citizen, as each and every SMS or email cannot be monitored.

"No sir, we don't have the required mechanism in place - both the hardware and software that can monitor and then filter out SMS traffic," an official of a leading cellular company informed APP on Wednesday.

However, the official said that the company could track all the voice and data traffic of the GSM network, but that would require extra features to be added in the systems, which are not there at this point of time. "This would require millions of dollars to be pumped into the system," he remarked. When contacted to an Internet Service Provider (ISP) official regarding the tracking of Emails, also gave a nod to the version of the cellular company official.

"The websites that contain inappropriate content can be taken down, by requesting the respective host. However, tracking millions of emails is not an easy job and needs technical assistance as well as human resources," added the official. When contacted, the Telenor spokesperson, Syed Hasnat Masood, who is also Director Corporate Communication and Responsibility of the company, said that the company was yet to receive any details from the government.

"Yes, I have heard about the Ordinance through the media. However, we are yet to receive the details of the Ordinance on the matter related to monitoring, or action against obnoxious calls, SMSs and emails. Therefore, we are unable to comment for now. Kindly contact PTA for any further information on the subject," he added.

PTA starts 'SMS-based Information System'

Tweet Pin It ISLAMABAD (July 22 2009): Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has started a project named "SMS-based Information System" for educational institutions, to equip them with an interactive mobile application for broadcasting important information to students and their guardians on their mobile phones.

It is a system of sending SMS using computer software developed by PTA. It has been noted that usually management of educational institutions relies on mail-correspondence with guardians, which is costly and time consuming. PTA would provide this software free of cost to educational institutions across the country. Formal launching ceremony of the system was held today at PTA Headquarters.

During the occasion Naguibullah Malik, Secretary (IT) handed over the software application along with its operating manual to Abdur Rauf Chaudhry, Secretary (Education). The application was presented to Ministry of Education for onward provision to the public-sector educational institutions. Both the secretaries also exchanged PTA souvenir with each other.

This software would help recipient to be aware of events like lecture venue, coursework deadlines, result announcements, attendance details and upcoming school functions or meetings. Since majority of students and parents nowadays own mobile phones and most of them are familiar with sending and receiving SMS text messages, this solution for information dissemination introduced by PTA in educational institutions of Pakistan through SMS would prove to be an important information and communication source. -PR

PTCL Vfone offers package

Tweet Pin It ISLAMABAD (July 22 2009): PTCL Vfone, the country's largest WLL network, reinforcing its aim to make communication more affordable for its customers has come up with three new exciting packages. According to details, Vfone simple package offering call rates as low as just Re.1/min to any Vfone and at just Rs 1.50/ to any PTCL number; local or nation-wide and off net mobile calls at just Rs 2.50, with no daily line rent.

Whereas, Vfone Family package offers calls to any PTCL landline at just Rs 2/3 minutes and to any off net number for just Rs 2/min, with free nation-wide calling to all Vfone numbers, with daily line rent of Rs 5 per day.

In addition to above, Vfone unlimited offers Free Unlimited calls to over 1.3 million Vfone and PTCL family members; both local and nation-wide, with no prescribed time slots, thus making 24/7 connectivity possible, and off net calls at just Rs 2/min; with a daily Line rent of just Rs 20.

In order to provide more benefits to customers, with every new Vfone connection, customer would get a balance worth Re 1000. Further more on first card loading of Rs 1000, AIRTIME worth 1000 FREE minutes. Exploring new horizons of connectivity in this era of information technology, high speed internet browsing at just Rs 2/20 min (inclusive of all taxes); SMS at just 25 paisas makes Vfone an un-matched service provider.-PR

PTA chairman visits PKNIC office

Tweet Pin It LAHORE (July 19 2009): The transition of county code Top Level Domain (ccTLD) of Pakistan ".pk" has been successfully completed marking it as the most significant and noteworthy landmark in the internet history. In this regard, Chairman Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), Dr Mohammed Yaseen on Saturday visited the Lahore office of PKNIC.
PKNIC is the present ccTLD operator for ".pk" domain. The purpose of his visit was to appraise the newly upgraded ".pk" infrastructure, data centre and customer services department in Pakistan. During the visit Chairman PTA noted that the root server mirroring for ".pk" domain in Pakistan was fully operational. PKNIC has successfully implemented the root server mirroring for ".pk" and tested it with all global root servers from A.ROOT-SERVERS.NET to M.ROOT-SERVERS.NET.
The new authoritative mirror M-2.PKNIC.NET.pk (203.128.7.123) would enable local resolution of ".pk" websites. PKNIC representatives briefed the Chairman regarding mirroring techniques and provided some testing on new Domain Name Service (DNS) resolution mechanism of .pk ccTLD. Formal inauguration of new PKNIC office shall be organised in August. Chairman PTA appreciated the efforts of PKNIC management especially of Ashar Nisar and Imran Anwar for this important accomplishment.-PR

‘Ill -motivated’ SMS messages circulation on…

Tweet Pin It Saturday, July 18, 2009 Noor Aftab Islamabad The introduction of strict punishment, first of its kind since historic boom in the telecommunication sector, seems to fail in curbing circulation of ‘ill-motivated messages’ through Short Messaging Service (SMS), which are still hitting mobile phones with more ‘innovative’ and legally well-protected way.
Though government officials did not admit that circulation of ‘anti-government messages’ was the main reason for introduction of punishment for ‘ill-motivated’ or ‘indecent’ messages, many believe that these kinds of SMS messages in fact prompted the government to come up with strong reaction against those who have been constantly engaged in this practice for unknown reasons.
Some also opined that circulation of these kinds of SMS messages was really a part of a propaganda campaign against specific political figures because no other politician except for some government figures was targeted in these messages.
“I strongly believe that anti-government forces are behind all this propaganda campaign just to demoralise the government and create negative sentiments against it among people,” said Yasir Rehman, a member of pro-PPP student organisation and a student of the Government Asghar Mall College, Rawalpindi.
The government has announced that sending ‘indecent’, ‘provocative’ and ‘ill-motivated’ stories and text messages through e-mails and SMS is an offence under the Cyber Crime Act (CCA) and its violators could be sent behind bars for 14 years. Similarly, any Pakistani living abroad and violating provisions of the Act may be charged and liable to deportation to Pakistan.
It is really strange to observe that texts of anti-government SMS messages now being circulated through cell phones are well-crafted as they apparently do not violate the newly-introduced Cyber Crime Act but comprehensively conveys anti-government sentiments.
The announcement of 14-year imprisonment for sending ‘ill-motivated’ SMS messages also raised eyebrows of various segments of society who are openly criticising this step, presenting some solid arguments in favour of their viewpoint.
“For a moment I thought it was a bad joke! but nah it’s reality — Yes 14 years for sending indecent SMS? I asked myself how about I bankrupt the whole country, play havoc with the judiciary, privatise everything with a golden boot? and get jailed for 5-10 years maximum or better sent for pilgrimage to the holy land for an indefinite period!” commented a blogger who runs an online blog.
He further stated, “I seriously doubt the intentions of the government, playing the Taliban crackdown as excuse? No one is blaming the security forces or writing bad about them! It would have been a better stance if they have clamped down on anti-Pakistan or anti-state websites? NO, they want to cover SMS and emails? A big cover-up again.”
Zulqurnain Haider, an educationist, said that no one wrote about security forces of Pakistan in comical way and the inclusion of their reference was just a dummy to give the announcement of punishment for indecent SMS messages some weightage.
“So my request to the government is to quit employing dodgy revisions to safeguard its popularity, do good for the country and it would not have to introduce such acts to save its skin,” he said.

Telenor announces prize scheme

Tweet Pin It KARACHI (July 18 2009): Telenor Pakistan, under its 'Easyload Millionaire Prize Scheme

2', will give away prizes worth Rs 14.5 million to retail partners from different regions of Pakistan. Retail Partners who have exceeded their sales for the month of March 09 by 10 percent in May 09 are eligible to enter the lucky draw. More than 135,000 retail partners from across the country participated in the scheme.

Transition of '.pk' domain successfully completed

Tweet Pin It RECORDER REPORT LAHORE (July 18 2009): Marking a significant boost in the Internet history of Pakistan, the transition of county code, top level domain of Pakistan ".pk" has been successfully completed. This was revealed in a visit of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Chairman Dr Mohammed Yaseen to Lahore office of PKNIC, the ccTLD operator for ".pk" domain, to observe the infrastructure, data center and customer services department, on Friday.

The new authoritative mirror M-2.PKNIC.NET.pk (203.128.7.123) would enable local resolution of ".pk" websites. The successfully implemented root server mirroring for ".pk" has also been tested on global root servers from A.ROOT-SERVERS.NET to M.ROOT-SERVERS.NET. PKNIC representatives apprised the chairman of mirroring techniques and provided some testing on new Domain Name Service (DNS) resolution mechanism of .pk. The PTA chairman was notified that the root server mirroring for ".pk" domain in Pakistan was fully operational.

The PTA chairman, on this occasion deemed the domain a national asset and hoped that enhancement in its services would boost the local content development, subsequently encouraging enterprises to host their web content under ".pk". That would also ensure smooth operations of an important Internet resource, he added. He enlightened that a dedicated team at ICT Directorate, PTA, under his supervision, was working on the project for the improvement of local Internet industry. Formal inauguration of new PKNIC office will be held next month.

PTCL establishes online customer support service

Tweet Pin It KARACHI (July 17 2009): To ease-up inquiring for the customers of Karachi, Pakistan Telecommunication Company (PTCL) has established a customer support service through which the clients would be facilitated with a prompt response.

Now, the customers can write to Karachi. Rapid. Support@ptcl.net.pk if they do not get a response in the expected time from the PTCL maintenance team.

The e-mail address can also be used to address new service provisioning delays, disclosed SEVP Business Zone South PTCL Abdullah Yousef Abdullah. "Our customers and their needs are the focal point of every decision and action we take," he said, adding that the initiative would ensure that all customer concerns get proper management attention.

He encouraged the customers to use 1218 to register their concerns. He also highlighted that customers can apply for PTCL services including Telephone, Broadband, Smart TV and EVO (wireless broadband) by calling 0800-8-0800 for faster provisioning of service. The PTCL official reiterated his company's support for the customers.-PR

Telenor picks TKP for provision of global support services

Tweet Pin It KARACHI: Telenor Group on Thursday selected Telenor Key Partner Pakistan (Pvt) Ltd, a subsidiary of Telenor Pakistan, for provision of shared IT services to the Telenor Group worldwide operations.


TKP Pakistan will provide support on ERP, human resource and IT enabled accounting services.Former Director Accounts Telenor Pakistan, Imran Ashraf has been nominated as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for the new subsidiary.Addressing an in-house gathering at Islamabad, Telenor Pakistan’s Chief Financial Officer Peter Kuncewicz said, “It is a matter of great honour for us that TKP Pakistan has been selected to take charge of IT support services for the Telenor Group

Cellphone firm to restore network in Malakand

Tweet Pin It Thursday, July 16, 2009 By our correspondent ISLAMABAD: Mobilink has planned to start work on restoring its network in Malakand division from where militants have been flushed out by the Army. Briefing reporters here the other day, Mobilink President and CEO Rashid Khan said they did not exactly know how much their network had been damaged due to the military operation in Swat and Buner.

When asked about the money spent for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in accordance with international standards, he parried the question by only saying Mobilink was doing enough to meet its obligations.Mobilink has set up camps for the internally displaced persons (IDPs) at Kund Park near Jehangira Town which are accommodating 1,000 families.He said one month had passed and the company had planned to run these camps for two more months. “It will be the responsibility of the government to take steps for reviving business activities in Swat and Buner following the completion of military operation,” he said.

PTCL to upgrade network

Tweet Pin It LAHORE: PTCL Executive Vice President Jamil Khwaja said that for providing the best telecomm services to its valued customers

PTCL is extending and upgrading its network in Lahore. In this regard, PTCL is upgrading the network of Egerton Road, Gulberg, Garden Town and Lahore Cantt Exchanges to achieve relief and satisfaction of its customers. staff report

Ufone:Talk from 12 pm to 7 am for only 2.5 Rs "Life package"

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Talk all Night Long!!!
With Ufone talking more on long nights will not cost you more,
enjoy lowest call rates day and night. With Ufone Life Plus Package, talk late night from 12 am (midnight) to 7 am for only Rs.2.50 per hour. To top it off, calls made on Saturday and Sunday between 9 am to 5 pm cost only Rs.4.99 per hour.

To convert to Life Plus Package dial 444 from your Ufone

* Weekend = 0000 hours on Saturday till 2359 hours on Sunday.


Note:
•Once converted to Life Plus package Re.1/- +tax will be deducted from your account daily
•Ucircle Life Plus Offer: Ufone members in your UCircle can be called unlimited times for free from midnight till 7 am daily for a nominal daily charge of Rs. 2.99 + tax and 1 paisa per call. This option can be awailed by dialing *444*50#
•Late Night discounts are also applicable to Ufone members in your Ucircle (FnF).
•All prices are exclusive of government taxes.
•19.5% FED on usage and 10% withholding tax at recharge or bill applies.

Broadband Stakeholders Group marks out Future Roadmap

Tweet Pin It Islamabad : The second meeting of Broadband Stakeholders Group (BSG) constituted by Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) was held today at PTA Headquarters, Islamabad. Chairman PTA Dr. Mohammed Yaseen chaired the session; participants included senior management of telecom companies, service providers and software association.

Broadband is considered as a key enabler for enhancing social and economic productivity of a country. Broadband is critical to the delivery of private sector services and applications in commerce, telecommunication and banking. Furthermore it is also indispensable for public sector services and applications in education, health, community and other key areas. Primary vision behind formulation of BSG was to establish a group of experts who could plan out essential suggestions for growth and proliferation of Broadband.

Key agenda of the second BSG meeting was to discuss the recently prepared first draft report of BSG. The report targets four major areas of broadband development along with necessary recommendations for improvement. The areas encompass Broadband Infrastructure & Next Generation Broadband, Broadband Policy & Regulation Framework, Content & Application Take-up and Rural Broadband Connectivity.

During his opening remarks Chairman PTA congratulated the members upon completion of an all-inclusive first draft report. He endorsed the efforts put in by BSG for coming up with a set of suggestions both for the regulator and the policy makers. Chairman highlighted his vision of enabling broadband growth in every sector of the country. He emphasized on future roadmap and desired the BSG members to work on some realistic subscribers targets for next two years. Chairman PTA also accentuated the importance of content and applications for proliferation of broadband services. He shared few of the latest initiatives up-taken by ICT Directorate at PTA regarding the growth of mobile-based ICT applications in the country.

BSG members discussed the first draft report and suggested necessary improvements required before releasing the final recommendations report. The members also appreciated PTA for providing a common platform to industry experts for joining their thoughts on improvement of broadband considered as a pivotal sector for enhancing productivity.

Khurram A.Mehran
Director (PR)

LG launches W53 SMART Monitor Series

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KARACHI (July 15 2009): LG Electronics (LG), a leading provider of business solutions, announced the launch of its new W53 SMART Monitor Series with cutting-edge SMART technologies that offer top picture quality while greatly reducing eyestrain during extended use.

These monitors include an incredible Auto Brightness feature that allows them to automatically optimise their brightness and other picture settings based on the ambient light in the room and the content being viewed. LG based these settings on the unified glare rating (UGR) recommended by International Commission on Illumination to ensure a comfortable viewing experience.-PR

Display: 18.5″, 20″, 22″, 23″, 24″, 27″

Pixel Format: 21.5″ and larger 1920 x 1080

Contrast Ratio: 50,000:1 (dynamic)

Response Time: 2ms

Connectivity: HDMI

Other: Auto Brightness, Proximity Sensor

Auto Brightness Thanks to an ambient light sensor the W53 SMART Monitor Series displays the brightness is automatically optimized based on the ambient lighting in the room. It also depends on the content your viewing. I’m not exactly sure how that works but probably has something to do with backlight brightness modulation that will also improve contrast ratio to some extent. This feature was developed in response to many users complaining that the display was either too bright or too dark. I guess these users don’t know that there are buttons to adjust the brightness on almost any monitor. But it does get cumbersome when you work during the day and the night and have to adjust the brightness every time.
Another benefit of this feature is that power consumption is reduced especially at night when the backlight is dimmed.

Cinema Mode When the W53 SMART Monitor Series is put into Cinema Mode and you’re watching online videos, everything else is blacked out. All you see is the video. I think this is kind of nifty. But, there are many users that watch video and work at the same time. I do that from time to time. For people like me just don’t turn on the Cinema Mode. For others, this feature should enhance your video viewing pleasure without having to resort to full screen mode (and the ugly pixelation).

Proximity Sensor Why would you need something like this? The W53 SMART Monitor Series has a proximity sensor on the bezel. When your finger approaches the bezel the buttons light up. Very cool. Pull your finger away and the buttons disappear. Physical buttons might be less cool and sexy but they consume zero power. I have mixed feelings here: these proximity sensor buttons are cool but they will always be additional sipping power while your monitor is on. How often do you adjust your monitor settings anyway?

Sizes LG will bring out sizes that range from 18.5″ to 27″ with 21.5″ and larger ones sporting 1920 x 1080 pixel formats. Dynamic contrast ratio (which doesn’t mean a whole lot) is rated at up to 50,000:1. The response time is really quick at just 2ms.

Mobilink reaches out to 1,000 families of IDPs

Tweet Pin It KARACHI: Mobilink held a media briefing to mark the one-month milestone of Mobilink Camp for internally displaced persons (IDPs)

established at Kund Park near Jehangira Town, which is accommodating 1,000 families of IDPs. Set up with Rs 81 million fund, Mobilink Camp is the largest relief commitment for the IDPs from the private sector of Pakistan and aims to provide relief to 1,000 families for a total of three months. staff report

Telenor Talkshawk:discounted hours offer 7 hour for Rs 7

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Telenor Brings new offer
Telenor Talkshawk:discounted hours offer

-Subscribe and make calls for only 20 paisa/30 second on all Telenor numbers for 7 hours per day (10am to 5pm)
-Customers on ONLY Talkshawk 30 Second will be able to avail this service
-Applies on All Telenor numbers (including Telenor FnF)




-Discounted tariff applies only between 10am to 5pm. Regular rates will apply during the rest of the hours

Subscription Mechanics:
Step 1: Customer will write “7” and send the SMS to 555. Charge for SMS is Rs.0.5+tax (Rs.0.6 including tax)

Step 2: If the customer has enough balance, Rs.8.37 (Rs7+tax) will be deducted from his account and the following SMS will be sent to him:

Your request has been completed. Enjoy making unlimited discounted calls between 10am to 5pm. Validity to use service is 1 day.

Step 3: Depending upon the time of subscription, customer will have either the same day or the next day to avail the discount hours. During the discount hours (10am to 5pm) customer can call any Telenor number for Rs.0.20 (exl tax) per 30 Sec & any Telenor FnF number for Rs.0.13 (exl tax) per 30 Sec.

Step 4: Customer can re-subscribe to the offer after 12am at night of that day if subscription was done before 4:30pm, or after 12am at night of the next day if subscription was done after 4:30pm by writing 7 and sending SMS to 555. If customer tries to re-subscribe while his current subscription has not expired, the following SMS will be sent to him:

Dear Customer, You are already subscribed to this offer for today. To avail this offer tomorrow please subscribe again in the morning.



FAQ'S
How can customer activate this Service?
Customer needs to send an SMS to 555 with 7 as the keyword.

What are the activation Charges?
Activation charges are Rs 7 + tax (Rs. 8.37), which will be deducted at the time of activation.

What is the validity of this service?
1 calendar day (same day as activation) if subscription is done before 4:30pm and 2 calendar days if activation is done after 4:30pm & before 12am.

What is the time window during which customer can call for free?
Time window for discounted calls is from 10 am to 5 pm.

What will happen in case of price plan change / migration?
In case subscriber migrates from TS 30 Sec to another price plan, the service will be deactivated.
Can this service be activated by any other way?
No, this service can only be activated through SMS to 555.

Can Discounted calls be made to other mobile operators or PTCL?
No, discounted calls can only be made onnet i.e. Telenor to Telenor.

What will happen if a customer starts calling from 10am to 5pm without activating this feature through 555 SMS?
Standard call rates will apply.

What will happen to Free Minutes that customers have?
If a customer has free minutes in his/her account and then activates this service then free minutes will be consumed first (even in the 10am to 5pm time window). This applies to the voice bundle minutes too.

What is the last date to activate this feature?
This is a limited time offer. Last date will be communicated later.

What will happen if a call was initiated before 10am and continues past 10am?
The entire duration of the call will be charged at standard rates, even if part of it is past 10am. Only calls initiated after 10am will be discounted.

Can customers re-subscribe to this service?
Customers can only re-subscribe to this service after their existing subscription has expired (after 12am at night) . For subscription write 7 and SMS to 555.

Nokia and Siemens edge in Smart Site solution

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KARACHI : Nokia and Siemens networks have taken a stop forward in the technological growth by introducing battery-cooling SiteStar. The step taken is to boost the drive of getting familiar with the Smart Site solutions. StarSite, to be commercially available by Q3 of 2009, is a cooling cabinet that can increase battery life by three times and reduce the electricity consumed for cooling batteries at a base station site by up to 95 percent.

The life of a battery is inversely proportional to the temperature under which it operates, and is reduced by 50% with a mere 10°C increase above the optimal temperature of 20°C. Service providers therefore, have to undertake significant capital and operating expenditure to ensure that the batteries remain cool, or to replace them at regular intervals.

E-mail, SMS monitoring: mobile phone companies, ISPs asked to provide customers data

Tweet Pin It MUHAMMAD ALI
KARACHI (July 14 2009): Following special directives of Interior Ministry to start monitoring e-mails and short messaging service (SMS), the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has asked the mobile telephone companies and internet service providers (ISPs) to provide records pertaining to their customers.

Sources told Business Recorder on Monday that FIA has been directed to maintain records of persons using cell phone and e-mail services. For the purpose, the Agency has sent letters to all cellular companies, asking them to provide complete details regarding both registered and unregistered mobile SIMs.

They said that some of major cell phone service providers (CPSP) are reluctant to facilitate the investigation agency, which would hamper the monitoring process. Sources said that the Cyber Crime Act (CCA) has empowered the agency to take legal action against those companies who are responsible to create hurdles in the investigation.

They said that the campaign is aimed to curb those unidentified elements involved in spreading mala fide content to tarnish the image of the civilian leadership. They said that the ministry has directed FIA to start monitoring these stories and take action against the people involved in this ugly practice under CCA, and added that all necessary arrangements have already been figure out for the purpose.

They dispelled the perception regarding person to person monitoring, saying that it is impossible for the agency to examine each and every e-mail and SMS. Hence, action against cyber criminals would be subjected on the complaints. It is worth mentioning that violators of CCA can be penalised wirh lifetime imprisonment with property confiscation. Any Pakistani living abroad and violating the provisions of the Cyber Crime Act can also be charged under the Act and is liable for deportation to Pakistan.

FIA to check text, emails against officials

Tweet Pin It ISLAMABAD: The government announced on Sunday a special campaign against those involved in spreading “propaganda” against senior government officials through emails and text messages.
Launched on the directions of Interior Minister Rehman Malik, the campaign seeks to curtail the growing number of emails and text messages questioning the leadership of the government. A press release issued by the Interior Ministry stated a similar campaign had also been initiated against proscribed organisations that were using the Internet to spread malicious propaganda against the country’s security forces.

Under the campaign, the director general of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has been instructed to monitor and check the spread of any malicious stories or messages regarding the country’s civilian leadership and take necessary action under the Cyber Crimes Act. Violators can be imprisoned for up to 14 years and any overseas Pakistanis can be charged under the act and their extradition sought. The government has also requested Interpol to identify the owners of any email addresses and websites registered abroad that spread such messages.

According to the press release, the servers of all Internet Service Providers shall be checked physically by the FIA on a daily basis to check the spread of such material. staff report

Wireless internet facility at public parks, libraries...Government of Punjab

Tweet Pin It SIALKOT (July 12 2009): The Punjab government chalked out a plan for introducing the facility of wireless Internet for the masses. The government set aside Rs 5 crore during the current fiscal year, for the purpose, in the Punjab. Official sources told Business Recorder here on Saturday that under the plan, the facility of wireless Internet would be ensured in public libraries and public parks.

Initially, the Internet facility would be introduced in major towns, including Sialkot, and later, the sphere would be expanded to other districts of the Punjab. Apart from this, Rs 1.30 billion would be spent on the promotion and expansion of computer technology for improving the efficiency of government departments, aimed at ensuring transparency.
In addition to this, Rs 4.3 billion would be mobilised during the current fiscal period on the computerisation of land revenue records in the Punjab. The step was being taken for the elimination of corruption and other malpractices from the revenue department to protect the rights of the masses in Punjab, sources added.