Government to Invite Foreign Telecom Players for 3G Auction

In a bid, the government has finalized a plan to invite new foreign telecom players to participate in the auction of next generation services spectrum (3G), reported Business Recorder.

On first week of January 2014 all telecom stakeholders had been called for a meeting by the government to finalize the plan for inviting foreign investors to participate in the 3G auction process. The contract between PTA and Value Partners Management Consulting Limited (VPMCL) for consultancy services was already signed last week. 

The Authority and VPMCL consultant for 3G auction are engaged in preparing Information Memorandum (IM) and are expecting that process to complete by January 20, 2014 as information of Broadband services, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in telecom and subscribers had been updated and the previous IM for 3G auction had been reviewed already.

It is also decided that before preparing final IM, different models for launching 3G by several countries would be studied. Sale of 3G licenses would be completed in the next two months, official said.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif approved a policy directive making all existing cellular mobile operators (CMOs) and new entrants eligible to participate in the spectrum auction for Next Generation Mobile Services in Pakistan. A good foreign direct investment is expected because allocation of the spectrum will be technology neutral where auction winners will encourage and facilitate local manufacturing, transfer of technology and research and innovation in telecom sector of Pakistan, which would have positive results on the overall economy, besides creating job opportunities.

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2013 Year in Review for Telecom Sector - 2014 in Focus

Year 2013 remained almost flat with no major development in the telecom sector, not to mention a few milestones in the second half, it set stage for the next year though.

Experts see 2014 with a lot of optimism, anticipating that it will be better than the previous five years. Spectrum auction and a possible review of the ICH policy and cancellation of ICH is anticipated. 

PTA, telecom industry and economy will get a big boost from the spectrum auction and push for a better mechanism to regulate the industry as changes in the regulatory policy are expected, says a government official. The spectrum auction would be completed in the first quarter of 2014 and almost every operator is ready to launch the services as permission for the test launch has been given already, he added.

Major developments in 2013 include the initiative towards addressing the issue of unverified SIMs by rolling out biometric devices at franchises and customer support centers through joint efforts of both Cellular Mobile Operators (CMO) and PTA. Further spectrum auction for next-generation mobile services through hiring of international consultants and first practical step by PTA to curb grey voice traffic in Pakistan.

Although the new government is continuing some policies of the previous leadership yet new leadership and the telecom regulators have done a great job by injecting positive sentiments into the industry. However they should further look to create a positive environment as well.

Some think that five mobile operators are just too many for a market like Pakistan. The consolidation of Warid Telecom is seen as another significant development in 2014. Mobilink Inifinity handed over its network to Qubee already and left the WiMAX market. While, Wateen and Qubee decided to consolidate operations forming the second largest broadband service provider in Pakistan, with over 200,000 subscribers.

For security reasons the practice of suspending cellular services, continued and Video sharing website Youtube remains ban but still brings in considerable traffic and data usage.

Selling almost 130 million cellular connections by the industry is another milestone achieved by Telecom operators.

No major developments took place in the first half of the year making it no different from the previous year. Things, however, changed in the second half when the telecom regulator appointed new leadership after the new government took charge following May 11 general elections. With a new chairman, member technical and member finance, PTA showed significant progress on all pending issues. Further it will take up all outstanding issues, such as recoveries and pending cases in new year.

As per source, direct and indirect jobs are expected from app development to the launch of new services considering an increase in infrastructure investment and a lot of activity in the telecom sector.

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Bangladesh Cable Operators Demand Ban on Pakistani TV Channels

JI leader Abdul Quader Molla’s hanging and rising tension between the two countries may face ban on all Pakistani television channels by a body of cable operators in Bangladesh to deprive Bangladeshi's of Pakistani television.

The Cable Operators Association of Bangladesh (Coab), threatened on Thursday to off-air all Pakistani television channels in Bangladesh, reported Thedailystar.net 

If the ban is imposed, Pakistani investors in Bangladesh will face uncertainty and this would result in complete breakdown in fast deteriorating ties between Pakistan and Bangladesh.

Bangladesh’s commerce secretary took the youth in confidence by saying that higher authorities have been conveyed the demand for suspending trade relations with Pakistan. He was also quoted as saying “We will decide in a day or two about the participation of Pakistani stalls in the trade fair”.

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Wateen participates in the International Conference on Information and Computer Technology (ICICT 2013)

Wateen Telecom successfully concluded its participation in the International Conference on Information and Computer Technology (ICICT 2013), that was held at the Institute of Business Administration (IBA) Karachi on the 14th and 15th of December 2013. Wateen Telecom was a gold sponsor for the event this year.

ICICT is a broad-based, dynamic and fully reviewed conference that aims to capture the new researches in the field of Information and Communication Technologies. This year the main objective of the Conference was to provide a platform for researchers, engineers, academicians as well as industrial professionals from all over the world to present their research results and development activities in Information and Computer Technology.

This conference was an excellent opportunity to exchange ideas and to build future partnerships and work together to achieve success by building mutually beneficial connections within the region.

The conference has gained international recognition due to the number of renowned scholars that attend as the keynote speakers. It provides a platform to enhance the interaction of local and overseas researchers. The conference was inaugurated by the President of Pakistan, Mamnoon Hussain. Wateen Telecom was represented at the event by Mr. Hamid Mohiuddin - GM Enterprise Business Unit, Mr. Fuzail Hussain - Manager Enterprise & Carries Sales and Mr Owais Ullah Khan. A number of internationally renowned IT experts and research scholars also participated in the conference.

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Lumia 1020 Gets your wedding covered free of cost!

Nokia Pakistan has announced a contest like no other. As the wedding season approaches, Nokia is giving its fans the chance of a lifetime, to eternalize the special moments of their wedding day with Nokia Lumia 1020.

Nokia Lumia Wedding Chapter is a unique way to show the true power of a 41-megapixel camera in capturing those smiles, glances and laughter which make wedding memories blossom forever.

To register for the contest, please click on the following link and follow the instructions: https://www.facebook.com/NokiaPakistan/app_433653003323666

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InfoTech Group, Sponsors ASEA (African Securities Exchange Association) Conference 2013

InfoTech Group, a leading financial technologies software solutions provider for financial markets, participated as a gold sponsor at the recently concluded ASEA Conference 2013 held in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. ASEA (African Securities Exchanges Association) is an organization of all the African Capital Markets.

The conference was conducted in order to drive focus on the continent’s economic future and addressed the key role of capital market in the region. Leading key opinion leaders, policy makers, Central Bank Governors, African securities exchanges experts, policy makers, financiers and journalists participated in the conference.

Commenting on the occasion, Naseer A. Akhtar President & CEO of InfoTech said, “The ASEA Conference is an excellent opportunity for InfoTech to build future partnerships with new businesses. It’s a tremendous success and achievement for us to build mutually beneficial connections. Our visibility in the region will bring more investment and revenue and our group is delighted to be a part of such a great initiative for betterment of the developing world. We at InfoTech group are delighted to be part of such an initiative.”

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Zong Awarded the Long Distance International License

China Mobile Pakistan-Zong, Pakistan’s fastest growing Telecom Network, is proud to announce the attainment of the LDI license after reaching an agreement with Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA). Both entities signed the LDI License agreement at an event held to announce this latest development. CMPakwas anxiously waiting to get the LDI license, as the company plans to launch new services for the benefit of its customers.

The LDI license will now allow Zong to provide cost effective and efficient international call and SMS services to its customers as previously it provided these services through collaboration with different local partners.

Expressing his delight on the occasion, Mr. Sikandar Naqi, Adviser to chief, Zong said, “At Zong, we believe in continuous progress and innovation, which in turn means better services and facility for our esteemed customers. This agreement with PTA for the LDA license is just another example of our dedication towards providing better and efficient services to our subscribers. Through such endeavors we show our commitment towards taking the telecom services in Pakistan to the next level.”

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Fan Yun Jun, chairman and CEO, Zong said, “This journey towards the acquisition of the LDI license was an uphill task which started back in 2007.Congratulations to the Zong team in charge of the license procurement, as their hard work and determination has finally paid off. I would also like to thank the officials at PTA who have made this all possible. The LDI license is another jewel in our crown and it will lead us and our customers towards a new avenue of business and services. I hope our team is all geared for this latest challenge.”

Zong has been taking giant leaps in the competitive market of telecom services by introducing customer centric services for different segments of mobile phone users along with expanding its network at an exponential rate. With the preference of 53% customers in 2012 in the entire industry, Zong remains the telecom operator of choice in Pakistan. With the passage of time, Zong has not only managed to attract a fair share of the market through innovative services but has also invested billions of dollars in Pakistan.

 

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PTA Selects Consultant for Auction ​of Next Generation Services Spectrum

In order to enable and provide customers with diversified voice and data services, next generation mobile services are embraced by most of the telecom operators around the world.

In Pakistan, for the provision of consultancy services for the auction of next generation services, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and Value Partners Management Consulting Limited (VPMCL) has signed a formal contract at the PTA headquarters reported The Express Tribune on Thursday.

According to the PTA’s Request for Proposals (RFPs) and Terms of References (ToRs), competition and complete transparency in the auction is the responsibility of the selected consultants for the entire process of spectrum auction. They would further provide inputs, recommendations and professional analysis.

VPMCL is a consortium of consultants from the US, UK, Singapore and Spain. Under the directive of the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecom, VPMCL was declared successful after the completion of evaluation process for the selection of a consultant of international repute.

According to PTA, mobile phone users in Pakistan would be able to transmit and receive high speed data through their handsets.

In order to modernize the mobile telephone system in Pakistan, the auction of next generation mobile services was a necessary step.

As compare to the current GPRS/Edge networks available to us right now, with next generation mobile services consumers would enjoy video calls, internet browsing and downloading at relatively higher speeds.

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Glow by Warid NCA Art Competition

Students of National College of Arts Lahore while developing pieces of art, during ‘glow graffiti contest’ on the theme of ‘Dostike Rung - United Youth of Pakistan’– the youngsters  being together for a progressive Pakistan - promoting peace, friendship, patience and harmony.

There are over four thousand youngsters from top hundred universities and colleges across Pakistan who arecoloring the same message, covering 800 canvases and 400 wallsall together.

It’s the largest demonstration of youth activity in the country which is supported by the Pakistan’s top cellular youth brand GLOW by Warid. After Lahore this graffiti & mural art contest will reach other parts of the country including Islamabad, Faisalabad, Multan and Karachi.

More pictures can be seen here https://plus.google.com/u/0/+MahfoozAhmad/posts/iern8U91ti7

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A Year in Pakistan Search: Google's Top Searches of 2013

PTV Sports Live, Aashiqui 2 & Chennai Express search Queries Top the 2013 trending list 

• Election Commission of Pakistan was the surprise top ten search in Pakistan reflecting the local enthusiasm for elections this year
• Following his untimely death, Paul Walker became the most searched celebrity in Pakistan this year
• In gadgets, Samsung Galaxy S4 topped the charts and grabbed the attention of Pakistani techies

Google announced its annual Year End Zeitgeist, a look at 2013 through the collective eyes of the world on the web, offering a unique perspective on the year's major events and hottest trends based on searches conducted in Pakistan.

This year's trending searches show growing interest in Sports, Bollywood movies, News, Elections and Turkish Dramas. On the other hand, the top people search indicates that Pakistanis follow a variety of local and international personalities where the top 3 people searched for were Paul Walker, Jiah Khan and Nelson Mandela.

Following sports online remained Pakistan’s top trending search and reflects the love for cricket as well as other sports among Pakistanis. Aashiqui 2, a Bollywood blockbuster earned the second top search spot with the movie’s songs being a massive hit among the Pakistani youth. Chennai Express bagged the top third search position and again reflects the strong inclination towards Bollywood movies in Pakistan. Bigg Boss 7, Indian reality show hosted by popular Bollywood star Salman Khan and Dunya News, local news channel rounded up the top five search trends in Pakistan this year.

Badar Khushnood, Google Pakistan Country Consultant says, “Google is predominantly the first place Pakistanis turn to follow their favorite sports, catch up on the latest news, find out about their favorite movie and stars or discover new things and people. The year-end Zeitgeist is a cultural barometer that gives us a real snapshot of the big events, online content preferences and growing trends in Pakistan for 2013.”

In people search, the latest international events and happenings dictated the top searched for people in Pakistan in the year 2013. The untimely death of the young actor of Fast & Furious acclaim, Paul Walker who lost his life in a tragic car accident became the most searched for personality. Followed by Jiah Khan, a Bollywood actress that committed suicide a few months ago and the death of the world renowned humanitarian, Nelson Mandela made him the third most searched for person on Google. Overall, the top 10 people search in Pakistan in 2013 reflects the fan following of both celebrities and politicians in Pakistan.

Trending Searches for 2013

1.    PTV Sports Live

2.    Aashiqui 2

3.    Chennai Express

4.    Bigg Boss 7

5.    Dunya News

6.    Zindagi Gulzar Hai

7.    Jang newspaper

8.    ECP

9.    Krrish 3

10.  Mera Sultan

Trending People for 2013

1.    Paul Walker

2.    Jiah Khan

3.    Nelson Mandela

4.    Maryam Nawaz

5.    Shradda Kapoor

6.    Altaf Hussain

7.    Imran Khan

8.    Alia Bhatt

9.    Sara Bharwana

10.  Suraj Pancholi

In addition to showcasing what people were curious about in Pakistan, Google Zeitgeist tools also offer insight into which topics captured the world’s attention in 2013. Top search terms from over fifty countries appear on Google Zeitgeist webpage, googlezeitgeist.com -- from most-searched travel destinations in Brazil, to trending Australian celebrities, to most-searched Egyptian Olympians, to top tech gadgets in Japan and everything in between.

Top 10 Global Trending Queries for 2013

1.          Nelson Mandela

2.          Paul Walker

3.          iPhone 5s

4.          Cory Monteith

5.          Harlem Shake

6.          Boston Marathon

7.          Royal Baby

8.          Samsung Galaxy S4

9.          PlayStation 4

10.       North Korea

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Popular Game "Subway Surfers" is Now Available on Lumia Devices

The increasingly popular game Subway Surfers is now available on Nokia Lumia devices with new features. Kiloo Games and Sybo Games have announced the release of their highly rated Subway Surfers game on the Windows Phone 8 platform.

This famous endless runner game features characters Jake, Tricky & Fresh who run, jump, slide or surf their way through various levels collecting coins and power-ups, with the goal to get as far as they possibly can from the inspector. In their way are obstacles, oncoming trains and the inspector and his dog.

The game is available for free on the Windows Phone Store and can be downloaded from the link below.

http://www.windowsphone.com/en-us/store/app/subway-surfers/bedff828-2697-4cc
5-8661-1206d15e3e0c

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Pakistan Bans Sale of Mobile Phones Without PTA Approval

Due to growing terrorism-related activities and security threats with the use of cellular devices, the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) has banned the sale of mobile phones without its prior approval.

The telecom regulatory authority sent a letter to the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), instructing custom officials to ban consignments of cellular phones if specification details design and IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) have not been submitted by the importer to the PTA.

For all manufacturers and importers of cellular phones, submission of these specification details to the PTA has been made mandatory to get approval under section 29 of the Pakistan Telecommunications (Re-Organisation) Act, 1996.

PTA official confirmed that sale had been banned without the PTA’s approval of mobile phone type and IMEI number. He added that only PTA's approved consignments of cellular phones would get clearance at ports. 

All the concerned companies and custom officials have been informed that cellular phone manufacturers and importers are now bound to provide all technical details of the phones to the national regulator.

Cellular phones without IMEI numbers and their use in criminal activities made PTA take this strict decision of imposition of ban without its prior approval.

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Wateen to Provide Networking Support for HBL's Disaster Recovery Center

Wateen Telecom is collaborating with Habib Bank Limited to procure, install and configure networking equipment for disaster recovery data centre, also arranging for training of HBL engineers. This solution includes Nexus switching, high end firewall with Intrusion Prevention System, and ISR G2 routers, with a 24-hour service-level agreement (SLA).

Habib Bank was searching for a solution that was reliable, scalable, and easy-to-manage, while meeting strict regulatory and security regulations and guaranteeing a complete and speedy recovery in the event of a disaster. As a Cisco Gold Certified Partner, Wateen Telecom has met the requirements for attaining the broadest range of expertise across multiple technologies by achieving Cisco advanced specialisations in unified communications, routing and switching, security, and wireless LAN. Wateen will procure, install and configure the solution based on Cisco Hardware.

Wateen Telecom will offer Habib Bank Limited twenty-four hour support and hardware replacement for one year. Commenting on the agreement, Wateen CEO Mr. Naeem Zamindar said, “In the banking and financial sectors, the availability and stringent security of customer data is absolutely paramount. We at Wateen are delighted that HBL has recognised our ability to provide backup and recovery solutions with the utmost security and resilience.”

The project itself will be completed in three months duration. Wateen Telecom plans to further build on its relationship with Habib Bank Limited in other areas, including data VPN, voice and video.

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NADRA Devises Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) to Stop Fake Voting

National Database and Registration Authority NADRA has launched a foolproof system to prevent rigging in election through electronic voting machine (EVM). The system aims at ensuring transparency and rigging free elections ensuring that each voter will be able to cast only one vote.

Instead of using magnetized ink which amounts to rupees 2.5 billion, with the help of electronic thumb verification the new EVM solution will incur only 40 percent of total cost, claimed NADRA Chairman Tariq Malik on Thursday.

Although Malik is scheduled to give detailed briefing on EVM to Chief Election Commissioner Justice Nasirul Mulk and members of ECP next week, some of the main features of EVM are mentioned below:

The first component of EVM is “Voter Identification Unit” which would carry out a voter’s identification from his CNIC registered at the respective polling station.
On successful identification, voter authentication process would be initiated through which fingerprints of voters will be verified from the NADRA database. On authentication, the voter will be allowed to cast the vote through a vote casting unit.
The second component of EVM is the “Vote Casting Unit” which would map the voter’s constituency and display the list of candidates.
Selection of a candidate by the voter will be recorded in the local database as well as on a printed ballot. During this process, the voter will be assisted through multimedia.
The third component of EVM is the “Result Management Unit” whereby once polling is done, the vote casting unit will print a list of candidates along with the number of bagged votes. This system-generated list will be reconciled by presiding officer through manual counting of printed ballots in presence of polling agents nominated by their respective candidates.
Malik is scheduled to give detailed demonstration and briefing on EVM to Chief Election Commissioner Justice Nasirul Mulk and members of ECP next week. - See more at: http://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2013/12/12/news/national/nadra-comes-up-with-solution-for-rigging-free-polls/#sthash.kDTOmWCo.dpuf

First component of EVM

Voter Identification Unit: carries out a voter’s identification from his CNIC registered at the respective polling station.

Voter Authentication Process: On successful identification, fingerprints of voters will be verified from the NADRA database.
 
Second component of EVM
 
Vote Casting Unit: Displays the list of candidates after mapping the voter’s constituency

Recording and Printing: Records and prints voter's selection of a candidate

Third component of EVM

Result Management Unit: A list of candidates along with the number of bagged votes will be printed once polling is done. This system-generated list will be reconciled by presiding officer through manual counting of printed ballots in presence of polling agents nominated by their respective candidates.

The first component of EVM is “Voter Identification Unit” which would carry out a voter’s identification from his CNIC registered at the respective polling station.
On successful identification, voter authentication process would be initiated through which fingerprints of voters will be verified from the NADRA database. On authentication, the voter will be allowed to cast the vote through a vote casting unit.
The second component of EVM is the “Vote Casting Unit” which would map the voter’s constituency and display the list of candidates.
Selection of a candidate by the voter will be recorded in the local database as well as on a printed ballot. During this process, the voter will be assisted through multimedia.
The third component of EVM is the “Result Management Unit” whereby once polling is done, the vote casting unit will print a list of candidates along with the number of bagged votes. This system-generated list will be reconciled by presiding officer through manual counting of printed ballots in presence of polling agents nominated by their respective candidates.
Malik is scheduled to give detailed demonstration and briefing on EVM to Chief Election Commissioner Justice Nasirul Mulk and members of ECP next week. - See more at: http://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2013/12/12/news/national/nadra-comes-up-with-solution-for-rigging-free-polls/#sthash.kDTOmWCo.dpufThe first component of EVM is “Voter Identification Unit” which would carry out a voter’s identification from his CNIC registered at the respective polling station.

On successful identification, voter authentication process would be initiated through which fingerprints of voters will be verified from the NADRA database. On authentication, the voter will be allowed to cast the vote through a vote casting unit.

The second component of EVM is the “Vote Casting Unit” which would map the voter’s constituency and display the list of candidates.

Selection of a candidate by the voter will be recorded in the local database as well as on a printed ballot. During this process, the voter will be assisted through multimedia.

The third component of EVM is the “Result Management Unit” whereby once polling is done, the vote casting unit will print a list of candidates along with the number of bagged votes. This system-generated list will be reconciled by presiding officer through manual counting of printed ballots in presence of polling agents nominated by their respective candidates.

Malik is scheduled to give detailed demonstration and briefing on EVM to Chief Election Commissioner Justice Nasirul Mulk and members of ECP next week. - See more at: http://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2013/12/12/news/national/nadra-comes-up-with-solution-for-rigging-free-polls/#sthash.kDTOmWCo.dpuf

The first component of EVM is “Voter Identification Unit” which would carry out a voter’s identification from his CNIC registered at the respective polling station.
On successful identification, voter authentication process would be initiated through which fingerprints of voters will be verified from the NADRA database. On authentication, the voter will be allowed to cast the vote through a vote casting unit.
The second component of EVM is the “Vote Casting Unit” which would map the voter’s constituency and display the list of candidates.
Selection of a candidate by the voter will be recorded in the local database as well as on a printed ballot. During this process, the voter will be assisted through multimedia.
The third component of EVM is the “Result Management Unit” whereby once polling is done, the vote casting unit will print a list of candidates along with the number of bagged votes. This system-generated list will be reconciled by presiding officer through manual counting of printed ballots in presence of polling agents nominated by their respective candidates.
Malik is scheduled to give detailed demonstration and briefing on EVM to Chief Election Commissioner Justice Nasirul Mulk and members of ECP next week. - See more at: http://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2013/12/12/news/national/nadra-comes-up-with-solution-for-rigging-free-polls/#sthash.kDTOmWCo.dpuf

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