For the facilitation of general public and telecom users, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has launched the Urdu version of its official website on Internet. In this connection, an inaugural ceremony was held at PTA Headquarters, Islamabad. Advisor to the Prime Minister on IT, Sardar Muhammad Latif Khan Khosa formally inaugurated PTA website.  Chairman PTA, Dr. Mohammed Yaseen, Member (Finance) PTA, Syed Nasrul Karim Ghaznavi, Member (Technical) PTA, Dr. Khawar Siddique Khokhar were also present on the occasion.

This new Urdu version of PTA website would contain the same contents of the English version converted into simple Urdu language with similar layout and design. This step has been taken in view of providing online information to those internet users who are generally less-educated in web-surfing or less-familiar with English language. Now, they would also be able to enjoy the same facility and could access the online available information regarding PTA activities, decisions, policies, Consumer Protection regulation and Complaint Management System through a simple click.

The users would also be able to access various online services of PTA. PTA directly receives complaints of telecom consumers on different issues at its headquarters and Zonal offices as well as at its website. A special CMS (Content Management System) has also been developed for this website to integrate the new consumer complaint system with the telecommunication operators. The new complaint system would also provide a multilingual interface to the consumer both in English and Urdu. Under the link titled “shikayaat” the consumers could lodge their complaints by filling and submitting a simple online complaint form. Besides, SIM Information System 668, Blocking of Stolen handsets through IMEI number, Telecom Sector Indicators and other such services would also be available on Urdu version of PTA’s website..

Addressing the inaugural ceremony, Advisor on IT & Telecom, Sardar Muhammad Latif Khan Khosa appreciated PTA efforts for achieving remarkable progress in the telecommunication sector of Pakistan. He said that the Government is committed to enhance the quality of ICT sector. As we innovate in technologies and services on the Internet, Mobile and other segments of Telecommunication in our attempt to strengthen their outreach and accommodate the needs of the new user segments, it is vital to ensure that our exclusive regulatory and policy structure is preserved, maintained, and built upon. He emphasized that there is a strong connection between local language editions of website and penetration of Internet inside our society. He valued the efforts put in by PTA to execute its notion of facilitating the telecommunication consumer by introducing new platforms. He said that this new edition of PTA website would embark a new horizon of telecommunication information dissemination to the people of Pakistan. The Government will ensure continued encouragement and support in this regard, he added.

Chairman PTA briefed the Advisor to the Prime Minister on structure, scope and achievements made by PTA. He said that PTA believes that lack of local language content is one of the main hurdles behind the proliferation of Broadband Internet services in Pakistan. He said that we are collaborating with industry and academia to bridge this vital gap and offer local content and applications to people of Pakistan. The launch of Urdu version of PTA website is a major landmark in the Internet history of Pakistan where PTA has marked itself as the first-ever governmental organization to introduce full-content version of website in Urdu. This also demonstrates PTA’s effort to encourage local content in order to bring Internet nearer to the people.

It may be mentioned that Urdu version of PTA’s website is developed by using Unicode font’s standard. Unicode standard (UTF-8) comes up with an added advantage that there is no need to install Urdu fonts at the client side.

Making its products more affordable for its valued customers, Pakistan Telecommunication Company has launched more economical and exciting EVO packages starting from as low as Rs.799 only.

The packages are designed while keeping all sort of customer base in mind; either they are casual surfers on the go or users who need to be connected all the time. EVO is offering new EVO GO 1GB package for casual surfers at an amazing price of Rs.799 only.

Other packages include, EVO 2GB Lite package, and WIZ package with a wholesome 5GB download that makes downloading the games, music and occasional videos at a far higher speed. Whereas EVO MAX package offers unlimited download through out the month.

SEVP Commercial Naveed Saeed said the launching of these packages is the extension of the whole thought behind this product i.e. since there is no limit to imagination, why there should be any limit to what one can do with EVO. He further added that customer’s convenience and affordability has always been the prime objective behind launching any product or package. That is why PTCL products have become customer’s top priority in recent times and we pledge to continue with providing them with the best possible.

EVP Commercial Planning Syed Asim Ali said PTCL EVO because of its 3G technology gives customers the flexibility to roam around freely like never before while they stay connected. And in future we plan to introduce a variety of innovative services and packages for our customer’s facilitation, which is our ultimate goal.

Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has issued Show Cause Notice to initiate proceedings against M/s PTCL on showing poor quality of service, based on the results of the joint Quality of Service (QoS) Survey conducted recently by PTA. PTA has given 30 days time to PTCL to submit the reply. Based on the outcome PTA, under the Telecom Act, reserves the right to proceed legally.

The QoS surveys is a regular activity of PTA and the objective is to ensure that the interests of the consumers of telecommunication services are duly safeguarded and that the licensees are providing the telecom services as per the service quality standards of the license.

PTA, from time to time, has been repeatedly informing PTCL about its poor QoS and PTCL was directed to improve the quality as per license conditions, however, no improvement made therein despite ample time provided to PTCL.  As a result, show cause notice has been served to initiate the proceedings against the licensee as per rules.

According to the details, survey was conducted across Pakistan including major and small cities and rural areas from August to October 2009 along with the PTCL representatives on a mutually agreed survey methodology. It may be mentioned that this is the first instance of PTCL being show caused on account of poor quality of service which clearly shows the PTA’s resolve for not compromising on sub-standard services to the telecom consumers.

Chairman PTA, Dr. Mohammed Yaseen said that ensuring quality services to consumers has always been priority to PTA. This is evident from the continuous surveys conducted by PTA for both mobile and fixed line sectors. The recent establishment of Consumer Protection Directorate, providing fast and easy complaint registration mechanism is another major step in protecting and safeguarding consumer interests.

Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), in order to facilitate mobile users seeking correction in their SIM data, has removed the condition of CNIC copy being provided by the consumers.

Presently, extensive monitoring of the “SIM Information System – 668” is being carried out after its successful deployment throughout the country. In view of difficulties of consumers of far flung areas to approach Customer Services Centers (CSCs), designated franchisees of each mobile company were also permitted to only receive the complaints pertaining to “668” and forward the same to concerned company for correction/deletion/regularization of SIM data, as the case may be.

However, in order to facilitate both CSCs/franchisees and consumers to handle and process maximum number of complaints in short span of time, provision of copy of CNIC by consumers has been removed. Consumers are now required to fill the undertaking form prior to which they have to show their original CNIC to the representative of CSC/Franchisee. The irregular SIMs registered against complainant’ CNIC shall then be immediately removed  from his/her name.

Furthermore, with a view to facilitate mobile companies to cope up with the rush at Customers Services Centers/Franchisees and to effectively handle/resolve the complaints pertaining to “SIM Information System – 668”, an optional permission to mobile operators is being given to allow online facility to correct the customers’ antecedents and get the SIMs registered in their names through the procedure of “Activation of SIMs After Verification 789” by calling the helpline of respective mobile company. However, this facility is only meant/valid for those SIMs on which at least one warning SMS for correction of antecedents has been received, whereas all other users would visit CSC or designated franchises personally for correction of data.

The BlackBerry® Curve™ 8520 is surely to take the industry by storm with its newest features which have never been offered before. It is the lowest priced new generation BlackBerry in the world, being offered for just Rs. 25,000/- The Gemini (Curve™ 8520) is the most innovative and competitively priced handset within the BlackBerry family which has been designed to satisfy the common man’s communication needs & to help them stay in touch while on the move. At the end of this divine month of Ramadan, BlackBerry is no more a dream, it is a reality. It is the perfect EID gift from Ufone, for anyone who desires mobility, convenience and confidence to move among the corporate brass.

Ufone has been among the leading carriers in refining user experience in co-ordination with Research in Motion for the new BlackBerry® Curve™ 8520 smart phone.

The sleek and shiny BlackBerry® Curve™ 8520 smart phone is jam packed with the coolest features like high resolution display, dedicated media keys, smooth track pad navigation, social networking, immediate iTunes and Macintosh compatibility. It also comes with a 2.0 Megapixel camera/camcorder and is Wi-Fi enabled.

Speaking about this exciting new handheld, Mr. Taimur Faiz Cheema, Head of VAS Ufone said, “This sleek and modern solution from BlackBerry will surely attract every Pakistani customer who has an interest in staying in touch while on the move. This unique smart phone delivers an amazing blend of affordability, functionality, performance, usability and design – making it an ideal choice for both professionals and power users in Pakistan.

Rashid Khan, President & CEO of Mobilink, has been nominated for “The CEO of the Year” Award by the World Communication Awards (WCA) 2009.

Rashid Khan is the only Pakistani to have been shortlisted for CEO of the Year Award, winners of which will be announced in November this year after a vigorous voting process. A forum that aims to bring together over 500 influencers and decision-makers, CEOs and senior executives from the communications industry, WCA recognizes the best industry players every year for their contribution.

Commenting on the recognition, the company spokesperson said, “We are extremely humbled to represent Pakistan positively on international forums and it is extremely inspiring to see our very own CEO being ranked with the best of the best. Such a prestigious global acknowledgement from the WCA for Mr. Rashid Khan’s leadership brings a great sense of pride and accomplishment among the individuals and teams working at Mobilink.”

Rashid Khan, acknowledged for his experience and vision as he heads Pakistan’s largest cellular network in terms of subscriber base and revenue, was shortlisted following a barrage of responses and equitable recommendations from the telecom circles. With more than 15 years of experience in telecommunications, IT, and other technologies, Khan has also held the role of Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Banglalink, the fastest growing cellular operator in Bangladesh. Earlier Khan was the Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer of Mobilink and was a senior member of the management team who played a key role in the robust growth of Mobilink’s subscriber base.

The World Communication Awards were established in 1999 and recognize excellence amongst global telecom operators in various categories. Previous winners include Bharti Airtel, Etisalat, O2, Orange and VNL.

Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL), in order to provide sales and after sales support of PTCL corporate product portfolio to the SME market has signed a strategic agreement with Habib Rafiq International Pvt Ltd (HRI).

According to details of the agreement, Habib Rafiq International (Pvt.) will provide PTCL’s next generation technologies and network, to their existing and new customers in the SME segment and will be responsible for 24 hour after sales support and customer care.

PTCL Senior Executive Vice President, Commercial, Mr. Naveed Saeed addressing on the occasion said, that with this partnership the SME market will receive the best of both worlds – Best-of-breed communication products from PTCL and best-in-class support from HRI. He also added that HRI will help PTCL to maintain its leadership position in the telecom market of Pakistan by providing high quality products and customer services to SMEs.

Mr. Shafiq ur Rahman, CEO Habib Rafiq International while commenting on the occasion said that HRI backed by PTCL will now be able to deliver technologies and services that are unmatched in the SME market.

With the launch of Samsung Star WiFi, Samsung has reinforced its leading position in the mobile phones in Pakistan. Samsung Star is a mobile phone with touch screen and WiFi technology. This new mobile phone is with mobile widgets and online surfing and it has made this device very simplified.

This mobile is considered in most popular mobile phone by Samsung. In Pakistan, Samsung Star is considered one of the most popular mobile phone of 2009. This mobile has reached a new level in sales within 4 months.

In an ultra thin case of merely 11.9 mm and 3-inch WQVGA touch screen, the Samsung Star is an affordable mobile phone that appeals to young consumers. It also boasts high-tech features such as Samsung’s exclusive high-quality sound technology, Embedded Stylus, for ease of use and convenience when browsing the net, DNSe, as well as a SmileShot-enabled camera and Bluetooth v2.1. The Samsung Star’s global success can be attributed in part to its sleek design, interactive and user-friendly UI, and its reasonable price point.

Samsung Star is now available with all authorized dealers in Pakistan at an introductory launching price of 17,200/- Pak Rs.

Etisalat announced it is to exceed 500,000 residential ‘Al Shamil’ broadband subscribers this month.

This figure was presented during a presentation on the future of broadband services in the region, which was delivered by the company’s Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, Nasser bin Obood.

Bin Obood was speaking at the Broadband Global Summit which is taking place in Dubai from March 10-11. During his keynote, Nasser bin Obood highlighted major opportunities for operators in the region which will be opened up thanks to advances in Internet technologies.

“To succeed in broadband in the future, a company must be service and application driven and not just capacity driven,” said Nasser bin Obood, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer at Etisalat. “We have now crossed the five hundred thousand broadband subscribers mark in the UAE, which brings Internet penetration to around 60%. This is above many international benchmarks and means that to grow penetration even further, we need to take a different approach – we need to be service driven.”

Etisalat’s executive presented four areas of potential growth including digital home technologies; smart home technologies; IPTV and technical support. Etisalat has made advances in each area through investments in companies such as UT Technologies, SoftAtHome, its cable TV provider E-Vision and through the launch of free online Internet support software.

“Mobile broadband access will complement fixed-line services and help to drive Internet connectivity across the region,” bin Obood continued comparing the growth in broadband penetration in the UAE with other parts of the world. “The UAE today enjoys an excellent position in terms of broadband penetration per household, higher than parts of Europe. This is a mature market, where growth will be fueled by a proposition made up of value added services such as the ‘digital home’ and IPTV.”

Etisalat has also recently announced the availability of fixed-line broadband services of 8 Megabits per Second (Mbps) and 16 Mbps for customers who are connected to its next-generation fibre network (FTTH). Etisalat aims to connect the entire city of Abu Dhabi to fibre by mid of 2009, making it one of the first cities in the world to be fully connected by FTTH and the first city and capital in the Middle East to have full FTTH connectivity.

Etisalat is also preparing to provide UAE customers with mobile broadband services using HSPA+ which will enable downloads in excess of 20Mbps.
“Smartphone and broadband subscribers are driving the Internet market today and this is why in the UAE and across the Middle East, Africa and Asia we are continuing to invest in next generation infrastructure and services to provide the highest quality to our customers,” Bin Obood concluded.

ITU Acknowledges Improving ICT Access in Emerging Markets During his presentation, Nasser bin Obood addressed the recent ITU ICT Development Index (IDI) in which 154 countries from around the world were ranked based on various factors including the use of, and access to, telecommunications and Internet services.

“The UAE is the country of the future and our investments in next generation technologies are helping to grow the nation’s international reputation as a hub for trade and commerce as well as tourism,” bin Obood continued. “We are taking this expertise and best practice and sharing this across Africa, Asia and the Middle East, helping to improve access to the Internet and positively contributing to national economies.”

The UAE improved eight positions in the latest IDI study, which was published in March 2009, to 32nd place, making it the highest ranked nation from the Middle East and Africa region. It also improved its ranking in terms of ICT usage, with its score growing 300% to be positioned 22nd in the world.

Each of Etisalat’s subsidiary markets also saw significant increases in their international rankings, with Pakistan (Etisalat has a 26% stake in incumbent operator PTCL) seeing the largest improvement of any country in the world jumping 19 places.

Moov has helped Benin grow 14 places in the league tables, and Canar supported Sudan’s growth (13 places) through its investment in fibre optic technology. Saudi Arabia, serviced by Mobily, improved 8 rankings whereas the Ivory Coast and Gabon, both serviced by Atlantic Telecom’s Moov, grew their position by 6 and 3 rankings respectively. Other markets improved by at least one position.

Etisalat today announced it has successfully completed a key stage in its roadmap to bring next generation mobile broadband connectivity to the Middle East. In trials in the UAE, the telco has recorded average download speeds of 20.37Mbps.

Etisalat plans to offer mobile broadband connectivity using High Speed Packet Access solutions (HSPA+) which enable download speeds of up to 28.8Mbps and uploads of up to 18.0Mbps in the second half of 2009. Today, Etisalat’s network supports download speeds of up to 14.4 Mbps and upload speeds of up to 5.7 Mbps.

The results of the trial were announced at the South Asia, Middle East and North Africa Telecommunications Council, during a meeting in Beirut today. Etisalat’s Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, Nasser bin Obood, represented the UAE-headquartered telecommunications group, where he also presented Etisalat’s vision for the future of mobile broadband and its efforts at proliferating the technology in the Middle East region.

“Mobile broadband has an important role to play in the Middle East region and we will see a significant growth in uptake in services,” said Nasser bin Obood, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer at Etisalat. “This is why we have put in place a technology roadmap, including HSPA+, to ensure our customers across the Middle East will have access to the latest services first.”

At the recent GSM World Congress in Barcelona, the GSM Association predicted there will be 1bn HSPA subscribers worldwide by 2012. Informa Telecoms & Media predict there will be approximately 48.3mn mobile broadband subscribers in the Middle East by 2012, of which 42.4mn will be using HSPA.

Discussing the technical merits of Etisalat’s infrastructure solution, Saeed Al Zarouni, Senior Vice President, Mobile Engineering for Etisalat UAE said: “The HSPA+ solution we selected is backward compatible which suppors a gradual introduction of equipment in a smooth and cost-effective manner. With HSPA+ Etisalat is capable of launching more attractive mobile broadband value-added services which will reinforce its leading position in the Middle East and North Africa region.”