PTA to start 3-G mobile phone licensing this year

ISLAMABAD (February 07 2008): The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) will start 3-G mobile phone licensing process this year, hoping that these modern services would be available in the country by 2009. For this purpose, auction of the spectrum would be carried out this year and licences would be awarded through competitive bidding.

The 3rd-generation mobile services will enable consumers to use Internet with high speed, make video calls and other value-added data services. Pakistan has now 77 million mobile phone subscribers, 2.1 million Wireless Local Loop (WLL) and 4.7 million fixed line consumers.

Enumerating the developments in the telecom sector the unprecedented growth in this area has impacted the overall economy of the country in many direct and indirect ways.

Leading international telecom operators and investors have acquired stakes in Pakistan telecom sector, showing utmost confidence in the telecom policies and regulatory environments of the country. Regarding licensing in AJK, five mobile companies were awarded licences for AJK and Northern Areas (NAs) and they had started their services in these areas.

The Authority deposited Rs 1.2 billion with the AJK Council and NAs Secretariat on account of Initial Licence Fee (ILF) collected from mobile phone operators. PTA had also launched the second phase of deregulation of fixed line services in the area in September 2007 that received overwhelming response with total 81 applications for various licences, including Long Distance International (LDI), FLL, WLL and others.

The recent launch, of Wimax services, has positioned Pakistan as the leader in the region to initiate wireless broadband services, and the subscribers to this service would be able to make video calls and telephony through special handsets.

At present, two operators--Wateen Telecom and Mytel--are offering WiMax services in most parts of the country, whereas other operators, including Burraq, PTCL, Z-WLL and Cyber Internet, are busy in the deployment of WiMax networks. During 2007, PTA surveyed services of Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and mobile phone operators through latest automated equipment.

The recent results show that the services of these companies have considerably improved when compared with the previous survey results. Companies which are not meeting the standards in specific areas have been directed to bring their service quality up to the desired level.

Source: Buss Recorder

PTA to introduce new network system for cellular operators

ISLAMABAD (December 21 2007): The government will introduce new numbering system for cellular operators by January 2008, enabling them to expand their customer base without going into the trouble of introducing new network access codes, sources told Business Recorder.

Under the new system, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority will replace the existing seven digits with eight and network access code will be reduced from four to three digits. With the implementation of new system, they aid that the cellular operators would be able to accommodate a large number of subscribers at one access code without opting for new one. Presently the mobile operators could have one million subscribers at one network access code and to accommodate more they have to go for new one.

Mobile companies, they said, will start subscribers' awareness campaign from January next year. The new numbering plan for eight digits with three number access code, they said was designed to resolve the problem of frequent allocation of network access code to various mobile operators to meet the needs arising out of phenomenal growth in the cellular mobile sector.

It was also aimed at enhancing numbering plan capacity to create enabling environment for new local loop licensees to share the numbering resource without any constraints, they added.

They said that all the stakeholders, telecom operators, have agreed to the new numbering plan. A consultation, paper, they said was prepared a year ago and all the stakeholders were taken on board about the idea of new numbering plan for the benefit of the telecom sector and above all for cellular operators.

Now, they said all the stakeholders have agreed and cellular companies will run awareness campaign among the subscribers by January next year to switch them over to new system.

Pakistan plans to cover 90 percent of the population by 2015, which would be around 185.6 million, whereas the present tele-density for both the fixed and the mobile lines will also grow. At least one service, landline, WLL or mobile has to be catered fully.

They said that the expected growth in the telecom sector will multiply the need for geographic and non-geographic numbers leaving out the existing numbering plan short of capacity in a couple of years. The numbering plan needs to be revised to accommodate the surge.

The change from seven to eight digits for mobile and fixed line services were necessitated because the telecom sector is undergoing transformation from circuit switching to packet switching. New technologies promise cost-effective roll out solutions leading the way to cheaper solution for the end user, providing an edge to the operators to launch the services with comparatively small Capex and lower operational costs.
Source: http://www.brecorder.com/index.php?id=6 … p;supDate=

PTA TAKES COGNIZANCE OF COMPLAINTS AGAINST PTCL PACKAGE

Islamabad: Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has directed PTCL to refrain in future from announcing any pre-activated package without customers’ consent and without prior approval of the Authority.

These directions came in the wake of PTCL announcement of “Pakistan Package” on December 1, 2007 wherein the package was activated on all PTCL numbers and they were to be charged at Rs. 199 per month.

Taking cognizance of the consumer complaints, PTA has directed PTCL not to charge Rs. 199 from those subscribers who are unable to opt out of the package and have NWD bill of less than Rs. 200 per month in the corresponding months.

It has also directed PTCL to reduce the time period of subject package to 60 days with no extension. As announced by PTCL it was a limited time offer which was extendable and now it would be available for only 2 months. This decision is taken to ensure healthy competition and to safeguard consumers’ interest.

The Authority has further said that PTCL is directed to refrain from launching/announcing any promotion or tariff package without prior approval of the Authority by submitting complete details of such package(s) to the Authority at least ten (10) days in advance and also to refrain from pre-activating such packages without customers’ prior consent.

It may be mentioned that the Authority has always appreciated innovative packages from the operators; however, it also has to ensure that the same should not disturb consumers’ interest and fair competition.


(Khurram Ali Mehran)
Deputy Director (PR)

http://www.pta.gov.pk/index.php?option= … p;catid=94