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.

Islamabad: PTCL’s 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 per min to any Vfone and at just RS 1.50 per min to any PTCL number; local or nationwide and off net mobile calls at just Rs 2.50 per mins, with no daily line rent.

Whereas, Vfone Family package offers calls to any PTCL landline at just Rs.2 per 3 minutes and to any off net number for just Rs 2 per min, with FREE nationwide 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 & PTCL family members; both local and nationwide, with no prescribed time slots, thus making 24/7 connectivity possible, and off net calls at just Rs.2 for every 3 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 Rs 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 Rs2 per 20min SMS at just 25paisas makes Vfone an un-matched service provider.

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.

Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), has devised a comprehensive numbering plan to accommodate growing telephone users especially in the major cities of the country. As part of the plan, the fixed line numbers of PTCL, NTC as well as Wireless Local Loop (WLL) numbers of Karachi and Lahore has successfully been changed from 7 digits to 8 digits.

According to details, the digit â??3â? was added to all the existing seven-digit telephone numbers of Karachi and Lahore except the numbers starting from â??9â?, while the digit â??9â? was added to all the existing numbers starting from â??9â?.  At present both old and new numbers can be dialed for a period of three months in parallel operation, however only new numbers would be dialable after three months.  PTA has been conducting successful tests and trials since last month to implement successful launch and to make sure consumers donâ??t get effected due to the change.

A parallel operation of old and new numbers will remain in action, from July 1 to Sep 30, 2009, that means subscribers would be able to dial old as well as new numbers. From October 1, old numbers cannot be dialed and announcements for the addition of one digit before any dialed number of Lahore and Karachi will start working for users.

It may be mentioned that  â??National Numbering Plan 2008â? was prepared  by PTA with extensive research and inputs of technical experts. The said plan was circulated to the industry for consultation and after receiving comments from all stake holders, PTA finalized the plan. It took more than one year and heavy consultation was also involved with all the stakeholders.

Moreover, 7 to 8 Digits Fixed Number Migration Plan will be implemented in a phased manner all over the country. In Phase-1, FLL and WLL operators in Karachi and Lahore will migrate from 7 digits to 8 digits dialling format. This would create capacity for current and future expansion as these two cities have reached a level where migration is essential to cater for smooth growth in subscriber base of various operators. In the Phas-2 (after 1-2 years) other major cities would be shifted, while in the Third Phase the rest of the country would be shifted in 3-4 years time period.

Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), in collaboration with Federal investigation Agency (FIA) officials has busted another illegal international gateway exchange in Islamabad, making a total tally of six within two months.

This particular illegal gateway exchange was operational in a posh locality of F â?? 7/2, Islamabad and was being operated by Pakistani and foreign nationals.  The highly professional team of PTA was able to recover a number of gateways and machines being used to bypass the legal route. Resultantly, it is estimated that this illegal facility alone has incurred loss up to Rs 24  crore in less than four months.

Chairman PTA Dr. Mohammed Yaseen said that PTA will continue to take action against such unlawful activities. He warned all those involved in illegal / grey telecom traffic to stop such activities, otherwise strict action will be initiated against the culprits as per the law.

Pakistan Telecommunication Authority sent relief goods worth one million Rupees for internally displaced persons (IDPs) of Malakand Division. The relief items were sent from the PTA Zonal Office, Peshawar.

The relief goods include electric fans, air coolers, stoves, mattresses and foods items mainly flour, cooking oil, milk, rice, sugar, tea, pulses, baby food items etc. The goods were distributed in various IDPs camps located at Mardan Division.

The above mentioned items were purchased and sent to the IDPs camps after a survey by the PTA team which assessed the immediate needs of the displaced persons in the camps.

While talking on the occasion PTA officials said that the Authority is with the IDPs in this hour of trial and would do its utmost to provide relief to the affected people.

The National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), in collaboration with mobile phone companies, on Friday launched a service for the instant verification of identity cards via sending of the CNIC number through an SMS. Launching the service, Interior Minister Rehman Malik said no foreigners had direct access to the NADRA database. “We will not allow any foreign access to NADRA data” the minister said. He said a new service would soon be launched in Islamabad for the computerized registration of vehicles, adding that a special chip would be installed in the vehicle, which would make them easily traceable. Speaking on the occasion, NADRA Chairman Ali Arshad Hakeem said an SMS containing the CNIC number could be sent on 7000 using a mobile phone, thus enabling the sender to get the name and father’s name of that particular person.

National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) has won a $1 million contract to develop National Identity Management System for Nigerian government. The project for National Identity Management Commission, Office of the President Government of Nigeria was competed by renowned foreign IT firms, which was won by NADRA. A contract in this regard was signed in a prestigious ceremony held in Abuja, Nigeria between Deputy Chairman NADRA Tariq Malik and Director General and CEO of National Identity Management Commission, Office of the President of Nigeria Chris E Onyemenam..

Telenor Pakistan has announced the launch of ‘Telenor Khuddar Pakistan’ as its flagship corporate responsibility initiative to help create dignified opportunities for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs). The company aims to become the most disabled-friendly organization in Pakistan in terms of employment, service, and community support. Telenor Pakistan has been supported in its efforts by salient organizations in the field from across the country: Ministry of Social Welfare & Special Education, Sightsavers International, Sir Syed Deaf Association, Lahore Businessmen Association for Rehabilitation of the Disabled (LABARD), Network of Organizations Working for the People with Disabilities (NOWPDP), among others. Special Talent Exchange Program (STEP), a well-known cross-disability organization working for the rights of PWDs, has been chosen by Telenor Pakistan as its long-term disability awareness advisor.

With launch of Khuddar Pakistan, which took place on Thursday at a hotel in Islamabad, the company has achieved many industry-first milestones: Telenor Pakistan now has the largest number of persons with disabilities as employees in the mobile sector. It is also the first company to have formal disability training sessions, a corporate products & services and careers website that is fully accessible by international standards, recruitment advertising that explicitly welcomes qualified persons with disabilities to apply, and the first office building and Sales & Service Center in Islamabad in the mobile sector that is fully accessible. The company has also set up assistive technology training labs for persons with disabilities at National Institute of Special Education and Special Talent Exchange Program (STEP) in partnership with Sightsavers International, and is sponsoring the ‘Khud-dar Pakistan Blind Cricket Talent Hunt’ in partnership with Pakistan Blind Cricket Council (PBCC). The company is also launching an inspiring disability awareness program on Radio Pakistan in August, has prepared a comprehensive service manual for persons with disabilities to be available soon, and has initiated the first company-wide employee volunteerism drive in the corporate sector to work with PWDs.

In his address at the launch event, the Guest of Honour, Secretary Social Welfare and Special Education Imtiaz Kazi praised the commitment and effort behind Telenor Khuddar Pakistan and the wide range of activities the company was involved with. Kazi said, “Telenor Pakistan has made a daring move to be an agent of change in the corporate sector. We require other companies to come forward too. The corporate sector can play a leading role in changing attitudes, breaking taboos, and recognizing the talent of persons with disabilities.”

CEO and President Telenor Pakistan, Jon Eddy Abdullah, addressing the inauguration ceremony said, “Some 7-10% of Pakistanis have disabilities, and most of them face adversity at every corner, fight negative social perceptions, are turned away by lack of accessibility, and cannot get adequate trainings and assistive technologies. With Khuddar Pakistan we want to start making a difference in the lives of our fellow persons with disabilities by addressing just these issues with the help of key partners. There has to be an organized effort in this regard and we believe with our expertise in providing mobility and our commitment to empower communities, we can play a role here. We still have a lot to do.”

Telenor Pakistan has posted strong results for Q2’09, growing its Q-o-Q revenues by 8% and netting 908k subscribers compared to 597k in the previous quarter.
The Q-o-Q subscriber growth of 52% has come at a time of significant industry competition and market challenges. With approximately 20.9 million subscribers at the end of Q2’09, Telenor Pakistan has exceeded industry average growth and strengthened its No.2 market share position, Quarterly growth of 19% in EBITDA in the second quarter signifies the success of the company in enhancing its operational efficiency even as the industry struggles with high costs of doing business in the local market.

Executive Vice President and Head of the Telenor Asia Operations, Sigve Brekke expressed his confidence in how Telenor Pakistan was growing in the face of economic challenges in the market: Brekke said, “We are very pleased to see that the Telenor Group companies in Asia deliver good results even in tough times. The second quarter figures re-confirm the importance of this region in Telenor, and we are excited about continuing to be a part of the development of the mobile industry in Asia. We are committed to Telenor Pakistan, and we are impressed with the effort our colleagues in Pakistan have shown in delivering good results.”
Telenor Pakistan’s CEO, Jon Eddy Abdullah, praised Telenor Pakistan employees for the continued success of the company. “The credit goes to our employees, who have responded to the changing dynamics of the market, managed risks and opportunities well, and committed to a constructive process of change. It is because of them that today, we have a network, a brand, and a culture that are healthier than ever. I believe Telenor Pakistan is well-positioned to realize new business opportunities in the market in line with our long-term commitment to Pakistan,” Jon said.
At the end of Q2’09, the Telenor Group reported improved performance, record high operating cash flow, and total subscriptions of 168 million worldwide.