PAK BROADBAND USERS ENJOY LOWEST TARIFF IN SAARC REGION

Islamabad—Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has carried out a benchmark study on broadband tariff and concluded that these are very competitive in the country as compared to other regional states. The basic objective of the benchmark study was to assess and compare level of broadband tariffs prevailing in Pakistan against other countries and to identify the areas where further improvements can be made for the benefit of operators and users.

As per regulator’s latest annual report, the broadband tariffs of regional states such as India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Nepal and Bhutan were analyzed and reviewed. The broadband tariff in Malaysia were also analyzed and it was found that broadband tariffs were competitive here in the country.

The report said the study was based on the broadband tariffs offered by different operators in each country on unlimited or limited data basis. Each country’s broadband profile and operator-wise tariff details were analyzed and compared with same or closest package available in Pakistan. However, one area connection is that despite competitive tariffs Pakistan penetration rate is lowest among peer countries like Malaysia, India, Sri Lanka and Maldives.

It was also pertinent to highlight that Global Broadband study was carried out by University of Oxford last year which ranked Pakistan at 60th position ahead of India and Indonesia which were given 62nd and 63rd position respectively. Malaysia was ranked at 48th position out of 66 countries. Broadband quality study has defined two waves of broadband services meeting modern requirements which has download and upload speed of 3.75Mbps and 1 Mbps for the period starting from 2000 to 2009 and meeting tomorrow, requirement with download and upload speed of 11.25Mbps and 5Mbps starting from 2010 till 2015.

Pakistan which was placed in leapfrog opportunity in 2008 has now been upgraded in today’s applications threshold category whereas India was placed at leapfrog opportunity for both the years, the report concluded.—APP

Source: www.pakobserver.net

KARACHI (December 21, 2010) : Naeem Zamindar has taken charge of Wateen Telecom as its CEO as per a press statement issued by the company. Zamindar brings an outstanding track record of building successful companies, spanning 20 years across USA and Pakistan. He is a founding team member of Mobilink, and was a key member of the leadership team that grew Mobilink to become the leading telecom company of Pakistan.

As the VP of Strategy, Business Development and Programme Management Office, he led the initiative of making Mobilink an integrated telecom company by enabling the nation-wide fiber optic network and through the acquisition of four companies that now form the Broadband Business Division.

In his last assignment at Mobilink as the Head of the Broadband Business Division, he was responsible for the successful launch of Mobilink Infinity. Recently he has been running Zamindar Capital, a consulting and investment firm that specialises in leveraging technology to leapfrog social and economic development.

Zamindar's track record of scaling successful companies like Mobilink, will certainly enable him to lead Wateen to the next level of growth and opportunity. He has also been an Investment Manager at Intel Capital in the Silicon Valley where he worked on 29 venture capital investments focused on building companies in the internet/new media and wireless broadband space. He is considered to be a leading thought leader in the Wimax world, being invited as the keynote speaker at many international wireless broadband conferences. He qualified as a CPA from the State of Washington and is an MBA from INSEAD.

It was also announced in the press release that Zohair Khalique will be joining the Board of Director's of Wateen. The dynamic Khalique is the former CEO of Mobilink and is regarded as one of the most dynamic CEO's to have chaired an organisation in Pakistan. He brings with him 26 years of senior general management, strategy and Board level experience with Price Waterhouse, ICI plc, Motorola Inc and Orascom Telecom.-PR

Source:www.brecorder.com

PTCL INTERNET USERS WEARY OF POOR SERVICE

ISLAMABAD (APP) - The internet users of Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) are facing severe problems as the company has failed to provide them with better connectivity services.

Talking to APP, people said that the company claims to be the most reliable and largest converged services carrier, providing all telecommunications services from basic voice telephony to data, but the reality is different.

Whether it is at work in any city of Pakistan or at home in a small village, PTCL claims to be present in every corner of the country to serve its customers. After launching PTCL Broadband (DSL) service, the company also launched a new 3G Wireless Broadband internet service by the name of 'EVO Wireless Broadband', which is based on world’s proven CDMA 2000 technology. It claims that now people can enjoy up to 3000 kbps high speed internet at home, office or on the road. But on the contrary, service users complain that internet service provided by PTCL is very poor.

Kamran Ali, who works in a private office said, “I have a connection of 1 mbps PTCL broadband but I am facing problems. My downloading speed is only 25kb/s to 60kb/s, that is totally unbearable.” Another broadband customer said that despite its tall claims, the corporation had miserably failed to address speed and connectivity issues of internet users. “Most of the time I remain disconnected from internet service during a day,” he said.

The PTCL EVO offers this 3G Wireless broadband internet through USB and PCMCIA adapters directly to laptop and desktop computers, but unfortunately, it is not easy to use and creates many disruptions.

Though PTCL says it is providing an opportunity to the people of Pakistan to experience advanced technology and became familiar with this type of service but on the contrary people who have used these services are now switching to other networks.

Mehak, a student of M.A said, “sometimes the main internet server remains too busy that I get no response. Even I find it difficult to open my mail.” Her friend Ayesha said that she was very disappointed with PTCL Broadband DSL service and was planning to switch to other companies.

When connected the concerned PTCL officials were not willing to give any comments about the service.

Modified From: The Nation
Source: www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/Business/13-Dec-2010/PTCL-internet-users-weary-of-poor-service

ORASCOM LAUNCHES TEXT DONATION FOR FLOOD RELIEF

KARACHI (November 25, 2010) : The deadly flood waters in the Sindh Province of Pakistan have receded, but the devastating impact on life there will continue for months to come. Orascom Telecom Holding SAE (OTH), the parent company of Mobilink (the largest GSM operator in Pakistan) and Transworld (Pakistan’s first and only privately owned submarine fiber optic cable operator) and Obopay, the mobile money solutions pioneer, have partnered to establish a text-to-donate relief effort in the United States to provide continuing funds to the region in order to rebuild both the infrastructure and the lives of those affected by the disaster.

Where text-to-donate programmes following the disaster in Haiti typically took 90 to 180 days to reach the right resources in the country, this new offering can provide much more rapid funding to the cause. Obopay's text-to-donate service has technology similar to that, which was used to spur donations to the Haitian earthquake relief last year.

One key difference, however, is that by making the credit or debit card and the bank account the source of funding for the text rather than the telecom bill, Obopay's text-to-donate enables donors to contribute much larger amounts, as opposed to the $5 and $10 limits allowed through telecommunications companies. The money can also be put to use by relief organizations quickly.

Modified From: www.brecorder.com

2011 TO BE THE YEAR OF THE TABLET

TORONTO - With the BlackBerry maker Research In Motion (RIM) launching the PlayBook early next year, the tablet is set to become the next big device in the new year.
With the roaring success of Apple’s iPad which has sold in millions since its launch in April, the BlackBerry maker Research In Motion (RIM) has joined major players in the electronics industry to rush into the market with their versions of the tablet.

In 2011, consumers will have multiple choices - from Apple’s iPad, to Samsung’s Galaxy Tab, Dell’s Streak, Hewlett Packard’s Slate 500, Toshiba’s Folio 100 to Android tablets.

Apart from RIM, laptop maker Acer, PC maker Asus and Toshiba and cell phone makers Nokia and LG too are set to enter the tablet market.

Because of their easy portability, the tablet market is set to shoot over 19.5 million units this year itself and cross 54 million next year and 208 million in 2014, according to Forbes.

”Tablets fill the void between smart phones and laptops,” Forbes quotes Jason Oxman of the Consumer Electronics Association as saying.

”This could easily be called the year of the tablet. Apple kicked off the craze in January when it unveiled its iPad. By the time the iPad went on sale in April, the device had racked up so much buzz (and pre-sales) it was clear Apple had produced another hit.

”The electronics industry took notice. With the holidays approaching, everyone from PC makers to cellphone manufacturers, monitor suppliers and booksellers is racing to release some version of a portable, touch-screen computer,” Forbes says.

The tablets vary in their prices, weight, size and operating systems. At the lower end, France’s Archos tablets will cost from $100 to $300, while HP’s Slate 500 is priced at $799 as it is aimed at business people.

Pocket-sized Archos tablets are also the smallest in size, varying from 2.8 inches to five inches. In comparison, Toshiba’s Folio 100 will almost be a giant with its display size of 10.1 inches and weight of more than 1.5 pounds. Apple’s iPad is 9.7 inches in size and weighs 1.5 pounds.

BlackBerry’s PlayBook is seven inches in size and weigh much less than the iPad. To distinguish the PlayBook from other tablets, the BlackBerry maker has developed a new operating system for it. Most of the other tablets will run the Android operating system.

By: IANS
Source: www.khaleejtimes.com

BANGLADESH TO LAUNCH 3G NETWORK IN 3 MONTHS

Telecommunication Minister Rajiuddin Ahmed Raju said that Bangladesh will launch 3G mobile phone networks in three months, the Daily Star reports. Teletalk, the state-owned mobile operator, will roll out the 3G services, followed by private operators. This 3G network will be developed with Chinese assistance and users will get services at prices lower than India, Raju said at a press conference at the Press Information Department marking Bangladesh's winning the membership of International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

Telephone Shilpa Sangstha (TSS), the state-run telephone equipment manufacturer, is working on producing low-cost laptops in a span of six months. The prices of laptops would range from BDT 10,000 to BDT 15,000. The minister dwelt on a wide range of issues such as digitalisation, 3G network, e-service, telephone and internet density, VoIP and communication satellite. It is a new application service and Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) is now formulating a guideline on 3G services, the minister said. The minister said the government is now in talks with the Chinese government to borrow USD 211 million to develop the capacity of Teletalk.

Source: www.telecompaper.com/news/bangladesh-to-launch-3g-network-in-3-months

ORASCOM TELCOM Q3 PROFIT BOOSTED BY MOBINIL GAIN

Orascom Telecom said its net profit for the third quarter ending 30 September jumped 130 percent from a year earlier to USD 951 million, helped by USD 822 million in gains from its new shareholders agreement at Mobinil. Excluding the gain, third-quarter net profit from continuing operations was USD 112 million, with Mobinil now accounted for through the equity method, rather than fully consolidated.

Orascom Telecom's subscriber base increased 16 percent over the same period last year, to reach more than 103.3 million customers, versus 99.1 million in June. Revenues for the first nine months of the year reached USD 3.1 billion, up 1.6 percent over the same period of 2009 as a result of strong growth in most GSM operations.

Modified From: www.telecompaper.com

Emergency Broadband to Flooded Pakistan

UN Telecom Body Brings Emergency Broadband to Flooded Pakistan

New York, Nov 2 2010 5:10PM One hundred new broadband satellite terminals have been installed in remote, flood-ravaged regions of Pakistan to restore vital communications and support medical treatment of local people in grave need, the United Nations agency for communications technology said today.

“At this time, it is critical to reach aid to the survivors, especially those living in remote, difficult-to-access areas, Hamadoun Touré, Secretary-General of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU).

The broadband satellite terminals deployed by ITU will help communications with the outside world as well as provide telemedicine capabilities,” Dr Touré added.

The satellite terminals, installed by an ITU emergency communications team that worked closely with the Pakistani government, also enabled medical aid workers in the field to communicate with referral centres, the agency said

The technology will allow diagnostic support and real-time consultation with medical specialists in far-off hospitals anywhere in the world, it added.

With vast tracts of fertile agricultural land inundated and nearly 20 million people affected by Pakistan’s worst floods in living memory, water-borne diseases and malnutrition remain serious concerns and authorities and aid workers struggle to provide regular medical attention to displaced populations.

Sami Al Basheer Al Morshid, Director of ITU’s Telecommunication Development Bureau said that the satellite terminals would be especially helpful in communicating with the far-flung mountainous areas of the upper Indus Valley, where the need for medical attention is becoming even more acute with the onset of winter.

Wednesday, 3 November 2010, United Nations Press Release
Source: www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO1011/S00051/emergency-broadband-to-flooded-pakistan.htm

PAK, CHINA TO LAUNCH COMMUNICATIONS SATELLITE IN 2011: ENVOY

Beijing, Oct 20 (PTI): Pakistan is closely collaborating with China to launch a joint space communications satellite next year that will be a milestone in their friendship, the country’s envoy here said today.

The new satellite called Paksat-1R will bring immense economic benefits to Pakistan, Pakistani Ambassador to China, Masood Khan, said.

He made the remarks while addressing an official function here to mark the anniversary of the establishment of the China Great Wall Industry Corporation (CGWIC).

The agreement to launch the satellite and set up a joint communications project was reached during Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari’s visit to China in 2008.
The CGWIC, established in 1980, is the sole commercial organization authorized by the Chinese government to provide satellites, commercial launch services and carry out international space cooperation.

It is actively involved in the international marketing of products and services using space technology.

As China prepares to develop Mars exploration technologies for starting a joint mission with Russia in 2011, Ambassador Khan expressed the hope that a Pakistani astronaut will travel aboard a Chinese spacecraft one day

Source:http://news.in.msn.com/international/article.aspx?cp-documentid=4479526

HOW MOBILE NETWORK OPERATORS MANAGE WIRELESS DATA DEMAND

Mobile carriers are facing pressure from increasing data usage. At the same time, the customers expect wireless data prices to go down. The flat pricing models are going away because of the load on the networks. I saw this interesting post on GigaOm and wanted to share the summary. You can expect similar trends in future in Pakistan and other emerging telecom markets as well.

Cell towers in the home
As smartphone users return home after using mobile broadband networks all day, do most of them revert over to Wi-Fi or do they stay on carrier networks? Results will vary, but carriers are taking steps to further offload data traffic with femtocells. These devices act as small cellular base stations: Phones connect to the femtocell, but network activity is then routed over a home broadband connection, which reduces wireless network demand. AT&T began offering a femtocell last year, and both U.S. CDMA carriers, Verizon and Sprint, do as well. The biggest challenge for consumer acceptance may be in the pricing model: Consumers often have to purchase the device (at a cost of up to $250 in the case of Verzion), or get a free femtocell and pay a monthly fee.

Improved idle features (with a bonus)
Nokia Siemens Networks announced a successful joint test with Qualcomm of an updated cellular standard that reduces wasteful network signaling traffic. Called Cell_PCH or Fast Dormancy, the updated standard increases wireless network efficiency up to 50 percent by placing a handset in an idle state when not using wireless data. This standard tackles one of the two largest network congestion issues, according to wireless analyst Chetan Sharma. By maintaining a minimal level of connectivity in a reduced power state, Fast Dormancy can also help offset the “Achilles heel” of mobility: battery life.

Go Wi-Fi Go!
One of the simplest methods to increase the supply of wireless mobile broadband network services is to get users on localized Wi-Fi networks. That’s a key reason AT&T purchased Wi-Fi provider Waypoint (and its 80,000 hotspots) in 2008 and explains why Verizon Wireless began partnering with Boingo last July to offer free Wi-Fi for its customers. How much can such network offload help with data demand? Take AT&T’s midtown Manhattan hotspot as an example. According to Jeff Thompson, CEO of Towerstream, which monitored the hotspot, the Wi-Fi zone experienced single days with more than 1 terabyte in usage, not to mention 21 million connections in a quarter. Every “bit” on the Wi-Fi network helps reduces demand on the carrier’s 3G network in this case, providing an opportunity for chipmakers.

Pay for what you use
Love it or hate it, the end of unlimited data plans are near. Now that carriers have a few years of smartphone user data to predict data demand, wireless plans are getting adjusted accordingly and economic barriers will keep some users under certain levels of data usage.

By: Babar Bhatti, 21st Oct 2010
Source: telecompk.net/2010/10/21/how-mobile-network-operators-manage-wireless-data-demand/

IT advisor to the President, Latif Khosa resigns

Advisor to the Prime Minister on Information Technology (IT) Sardar Muhammad Latif Khan Khosa on Tuesday tendered his resignation to President Asif Ali Zardari.

Lateef Khosa met President Asif Ali Zardari at presidency and tendered his resignation from the office of Advisor to PM on IT during the meeting, family sources said.

Source: www.pakistanviews.com/politics/prime-minister-advisor-on-it-latif-khosa-resigns.html

DELIVERING HIGH-SPEED WIRELESS INTERNET CONNECTIONS OVER LONGER DISTANCES

PROBLEM: Wi-Fi uses frequencies that can't carry a signal more than a few tens of meters. TV stations, on the other hand, use a portion of the radio spectrum that lets signals travel long distances, and the end of analog television has opened up unused slices of the spectrum between stations. They could be used for wireless Internet service, but it has been difficult to take advantage of these so-called white spaces without causing interference, because the exact frequencies used by TV stations vary geographically.

SOLUTION: Ranveer Chandra made the Microsoft campus in Redmond, WA, his laboratory for the first large-scale network to demonstrate the potential of using white spaces to deliver broadband wireless. Links in the prototype network can span up to two kilometers. To avoid treading on the toes of TV broadcasters, his system uses GPS to determine its location; then it checks the Web to find out what stations are active in the area. Chandra's devices can also listen for nearby transmissions from wireless microphones, which use the same bands. When a conflict is detected, they switch to a backup slice of unused spectrum on the fly.

If such a system gains currency, "all of us should be connected and better connected, and not just here in the U.S.," says Chandra. Spectrum regulators from Singapore, India, Brazil, and China have all come to visit his prototype network to explore the potential for white-space signals to connect large rural areas with minimal infrastructure.

By: Tom Simonite
Source: Technology Review (Published by MIT)
http://www.technologyreview.com/TR35/Profile.aspx?Cand=T&TRID=979

Pakistan Reaches the 100 Million Cell Phone Users Mark

Pakistan has finally touched the 100 Million mark of mobile subscribers, with cellular mobile tele-density of over 60%. A recent press release from PTA revealed this milestone achieved by the telecom sector of Pakistan.

Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani congratulated the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority for achieving 100 million subscribers mark.

Transworld congratulates the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA), all cellular service providers and related industries on achieving this significant milestone. We hope that the Pakistan telecom industry continues growing and achieving significant milestones.

By: Arsalan Mir
Modified From: http://telecompk.net/2010/10/01/pakistan-100-million-mobile-susbcribers/

ICT Directors Restored By Lahore High Court

The Lahore High Court disregarded the orders of Mr. Sardar Latif Khosa, the Prime Minister’s advisor on IT & Telecom, of suspending the 6 ICTRDF directors.

The decision to restore the directors came after the hearing of their petition. These included Mr. Sikandar Taqi, Mr. Wahaj Siraj, Mr. Zafar Usmani, Dr. Amir Mateen, Dr. Sohail Naqvi and Dr. Mansoor Sarwar.

It is said that the National ICT is suffering from government apathy. An excerpt from Dawn News gives the impression of ICT being bullied by the Ministry of Information Technology and the Federal Government, ignoring what its board members had to say.

The ICT and R&D Fund suffered further setback when former minister in-charge Sardar Latif Khosa in the last few days sacked all six board members from the private sector.

The sacked directors of the board moved Lahore High Court, Rawalpindi Bench for their restoration.

“The members are selected through a process. All six can’t be dismissed in one go without charges,” said the official.

Among other decisions that annoyed many in the ministry and the telecom industry was Mr Khosa’s decision to appoint a temporary CEO that, according to official sources, was not standard operating procedure.

By: Arsalan Mir, 23rd Sep, 2010
Modified From: www.telecompk.net

3G SERVICES TO BE LAUNCHED IN PAKISTAN SOON

3G telecom services would soon be launched in Pakistan with a lot of work on its policy directives already completed, IT and Telecom Secretary Nagibullah Malik said on Monday.

Speaking at a seminar organized by Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) in collaboration with HUAWEI on ‘Demands for 3G and beyond,’ Malik said the policy on 3G licenses would be issued soon, enabling Pakistan to launch the new technology.
He said three things are important for 3G services: policy stream, regulatory regime and business model. He added that we are better-off than India and other regional countries in telecom services.

PTA Chairman Dr Mohammed Yaseen said the telecom sector of Pakistan has seen unprecedented growth since the deregulation of the industry. Currently our teledensity stands at 63 percent and we are well on our way to cross the 100 million mobile subscribers mark in the near future.

The past two years have also witnessed broadband growth of 150 percent. Due to these results, Pakistan has been placed 6th in terms of quarterly growth and 10th in terms of annual growth in the global broadband market by a leading web source on broadband statistics.

Yaseen said the number of mobile users has reached 99 million. Average Revenue Per User (ARPUs) also indicated upward trends. Owing to these developments it is high time that 3G technologies are introduced in Pakistan.

He said the inception of 3G services would create demand for new applications and content, thus casting a positive impact on different segments of the economy. It may be mentioned that PTA has already done sufficient preparation to be able to launch the service within a few months of issuance of the policy directive by the government. PTA has also organized a number of introductory seminars in this regard.
3G mobile broadband is an important step in the modernization of mobile telephone system. With the launch of 3G, Pakistani cell phone subscribers will be able to transmit and receive high speed data through their mobile phones. High speed data means possibility of video calls, internet browsing and downloading at a much higher speed which also includes usage of data intensive applications.

Later during the seminar, MoUs were also signed for infrastructure sharing between PTA and cellular operators of Pakistan.

However, cellular companies showed reservations in opting for 3G technology. They believe it is not the right time to introduce the service. All cell phone service providers are of the view that 3G technology is going to be expensive, both for the customer as well as the provider.

Source: http://www.paktelecom.net/pakistan-telecom-news/3g-telecom-services-to-be-launched-soon/

PTCL STRIKE HAMPERING BUSINESSES

KARACHI: The ongoing strike of the PTCL employees for the past one month has compelled businessmen and industrialists to switch over to other wireless communication (phone and internet services) in order to stay in touch with their local and foreign buyers.Industrialists said the government seemed reluctant to play any role in resolving the conflict, which is hampering business activities. “PTCL is also losing both the revenue and its clientele,” they added.

Korangi Association of Trade and Industry (KATI) Chairman Razzak Hashim Paracha said that 42,000 phones were reportedly dead in the city alone.

“Around 800 phones in Korangi area are down right now for the last one month,” Razzak said, adding that he had written a letter to the prime minister seeking his intervention for resolving the issue between the PTCL management and workers immediately.

He said due to the unavailabilty of PTCL DSL lines, many industrialists especially exporters had acquired wireless broadband being offered by various private companies as they could not afford to lose their buyers.

North Karachi Association of Trade and Industry chairman Sadiq Mohammad said that 2,000 units had been at the mercy of PTCL as the development work for the last three years in the area had almost destroyed the landline system. “Perturbed by the PTCL many industrialists have switched over to wireless mode of communication,” he added.

F.B. Area Association of Trade and Industry Chairman Shahid Ismail said that out of 2,000 units, the connectivity services including telephone, fax and internet etc., had been out of order in 30-40 per cent units in the area.

“This is a high time for the wireless internet and phone providers after getting demand as many businessmen have hired their services,” he said.

Salim Parekh, the chairman of SITE Association of Industry (SAI), said the industrialists now preferred to switchover to wireless, mobile services from providers other than PTCL. “It will be revenue loss for PTCL when the trust deficit converts into total switchover from PTCL to other service providers,” he added.

He said PTCL was not receiving complaints against the recurring interruptions and reported faults in PTCL services. “The ongoing strike has given another reason for PTCL officials in SITE area to seek excuses for not attending the faults.”

Many members of the association including Diamond Textile (Pvt) Ltd, Al-Azmat (Pvt) Ltd, Razak Silk Mills (Pvt) Ltd, Zeenat Shirt Factory, Nawab Brothers Steel Mills (Pvt) Ltd, Futehally Chemicals (Pvt) Ltd, Z.K. Industries etc., are also complaining of recurring faults and no relief has been retrieved to them so far.

He said the these businesses are some of the biggest taxpayers and contribute economically in the form of a great percentage of all Pakistani exports and deserve fair treatment, possibly with the pressure of government of Pakistan and Privatisation Commission in terms of promised improved services.

By: Aamir Shafaat Khan, 3rd Sep, 2010
Modified From: www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/business/switch-over-to-wireless-mode-begins-ptcl-strike-hampering-business-activities-390

TRANSWORLD FLOOD RELIEF EFFORTS

Pakistan has been devastated by the worst floods in over a century; causing the loss of 1,760 lives and affecting at least 18 million Pakistanis, with roughly eight million left reliant on aid handouts to survive, according to the UN. Thousands of homes have been lost and major losses to infrastructure have been incurred.

In trying times like these, the Pakistani telecom and IT community has stepped up to the challenge and is actively conducting fund raising and relief operations in order to help those affected. Transworld, continuing in Orascom’s Corporate Social Responsibility traditions has launched its own fund raising and relief operations. Besides corporate donations from Transworld, its employees have also contributed liberally towards relief activities for the flood affectees. The funds thus generated have been used to purchase food and other staple items including medicines and necessary supplies which have been distributed via the rescue teams of Pak Army in different areas of Pakistan.

Transworld plans to continue its efforts in the future, as the next steps will include rehabilitation and rebuilding efforts across the country.

CONSUMER BEWARE: PTCL EVO REV B SPEEDS ARE NOT WHAT PTCL IS ADVERTISING

PTCL has recently introduced the EVO NITRO Rev B in Pakistan with fanfare and big claims. We want to alert consumers about the misleading ad shown below.

This banner from the web page touts broadband speed up to 9.3 Mbps. Based on our own experience of the PTCL EVO speed, we are skeptical.

What we see below the banner on the web page looks more like a Marketing Bulletin used in organizations to promote the products launched, or yet to be launched, among its employees. It seems that the web admin at PTCL has done a good copy-paste job here.

If you read what they have put on the web page carefully, you will find that the instructions sent to employees or made for the marketing team are been posted verbatim on the web page for consumers!

The copy mastery is confirmed with the hyperlink with which they intend to link to a list of designated banks on the PTCL website which is redirected from PTCL web-mail. Take a look at this image: (Click for larger image)


Here is the list of features posted by PTCL (for the consumers)
- Cruise with Matchless Speed of up to 9.3 Mbps.*
- Enhanced user experience
- Faster web browsing
- High Quality Video Streaming
- Unlimited Downloads
- Faster uploads
- Plug & Play—Instant Connectivity
- USB compatible with laptops & Desktops
- Average data rates vary between 1.25 Mbps- 3.75 Mbps
- Backward compatibility & seamless roaming on Rev A Network (up to 3.1Mbps) in 99 cities across the country
- Device Upgrades available for existing Evo customers.
- Caution on Speed

In reality, these download rates depend on factors such as modem capability, location, distance from communication tower and number of simultaneous users. To sum it up: don’t have high expectations from this.

By: Arsalan Mir and Babar Bhatti - August 17, 2010
Modified from: http://telecompk.net/2010/08/17/consumer-beware-ptcl-rev-b-speeds-are-not-what-ptcl-is-advertising/

CELCO’S RESTORING NETWORKS IN FLOOD-HIT AREAS: PTA

The cellular services providers are making efforts to restore the telecommunication network in flood-hit areas, said a Pakistan Telecommunication Authority official in an interview with The News.

The fibre optic cable network of PTCL and Wateen Telecom in Khyber Pakhtonkhwa (KP) was cut off severing link between numerous towns of the province, PTA said. Due to the deluge a total of 53 Base Stations Controllers (BSCs) and 2,703 Base Transceiver Stations (BTSs) have been affected at Peshawar, Nowshera, Dir, Mardan, Charsada, Swabi, Jahangira, Swat, Bara, Timergara, Mingora, Bannu, Kohat, D. I. Khan, Kurram Agency and Khyber Agency.

Access in the affected areas was difficult but the service operators made utmost efforts to restore 43 BSCs and 2,239 BTSs. Remaining sites are being accessed by the technical teams and shall be restored as soon as possible.

Another official of a cellular company informed that telecom network on both banks of Indus River is yet to be fully restored. Flood, broken roads, and collapsed bridges are hindering the repairs. Ufone spokesperson Moazzam Ali Khan said Ufone has been able to keep 99 percent of network running throughout the country.

“Out of around 6,000 only 25 sites are down at the moment; most of the effected sites have already been restored,” Khan said.

“The floods have caused staggering damages to infrastructure in rural Punjab and KP,” said Telenor Head of Corporate Communication and Responsibility Affan Haider.It was hard to keep the network going with no electricity and fuel, but most of the sites were restored within days, he said. “The scenario in Punjab and Sindh is much more fluid, with floods continuing to play havoc we are cautiously watching and maintaining our current network access and are geared to intervene in case of any issues,” Haider said. Warid spokesperson said that most of the infrastructure damaged due to floods in KP has been restored. The flood damaged the cellular services equipment, electric power system, generators and fuel tanks, boundary walls, floors and tower bases.

Modified from: http://propakistani.pk/2010/08/12/celco-restoring-network-in-flood-hit-areas-pta/

TELENOR DISCONNECTS NAYATEL

Telenor Pakistan has given termination notice to Nayatel, an Islamabad based ISP for its 34Mbps Internet Service, which means a loss of Rs 10 million in annual business for Nayatel.

The move came after Nayatel disconnected its redundant connection to the Internet backbone via TW1, reducing its physical redundancy.

Businesses in the capital (including many GSM providers) relied on Nayatel backbone for providing Internet connectivity via EDGE/GPRS. With TW1 gone, the redundancy of a second physical network was gone hence the Telenor disconnection. There have also been reports of other GSM operators to follow suit soon.

Telenor is sensibly following the practice of procuring transit bandwidth directly from the source and has shifted to TW1, which provides IP bandwidth with redundancy in Major Cities. Going directly to the source is both cost effective and resilient, optical networks have the capability to provide infrastructure to support new business technologies like 3G.

Although Nayatel has international connectivity via SMW3 and SMW4, its dependence on a single infrastructure in order to get traffic from Karachi to Islamabad is a risk. On the other hand, TW1 uses Mobilink's Fiber Optic infrastructure and has recently acquired connectivity from Multinet in order to ensure complete redundancy.

Source:http://groups.google.com/group/telecom-grid-pakistan/browse_thread/thread/d1a4146fc8b06aa8

FACEBOOK HITS 500 MILLION USER MARK

Social media website Facebook has passed the 500 million worldwide users milestone. To mark this achievement, Facebook launched an application dubbed 'Facebook Stories'. The app is a collection of stories shared by the social networking site's users about the impact Facebook and their contacts have had on their lives. Facebook Stories users will be able to share their own stories, as well as read hundreds of others, categorized by themes and locations around the world.

Each Facebook user has on average 130 friends and shares 70 bits of personal information -- including home movies and family photos -- every month. With 500 million users detailing their moods and passions online, Facebook is more than a social networking site. It's a global phenomenon that's shaping the way people communicate.

Facebook has half a billion users. That's huge for a planet of less than 7 billion people. In fact, if Facebook were a country, it would be the third most populous nation after China and India.

What grew as the pet project of Mark Zuckerberg, when he was a student at Harvard, has exploded -- gaining eight new users ever second for the past 15 months. Facebook has changed the way many people communicate -- letting its millions of users share personal thoughts and images with their network of friends.

Still, Facebook is so popular that public figures have taken notice. President Barack Obama is credited with using the power of Facebook during his 2008 campaign. Even Pope Benedict has a profile -- sharing updates in eight languages.

FACEBOOK BANS PTCL IP: ANOTHER CASE OF PTCL MISMANAGEMENT

You might be aware of the recent problems being faced by PTCL and PTCL based ISP's whereby while trying to log on to Facebook (and Twitter) they get redirected to random pages and get logged on as somebody else, while some PTCL customers have reported issues with Google and Flickr, as well. People who tried to log in with their username / password were randomly re-directed to other users’ accounts, where they had full access to do whatever changes they wanted, including but not restricted to changing their passwords and personal information.

Several cases have come to light where customers sign in and once signed in; they see the home page of another user in front of them. After several complaints regarding this, Facebook is showing a "Bad IP" error, meaning that the PTCL IP address has been flagged with inappropriate behavior. PTCL authorities have had no comments as yet, and the problem, far from being resolved, is increasing steadily as more and more users are realizing that the fault does not lie with Facebook or Twitter, but with PTCL.

Please also note that this problem seems to specifically be affecting PTCL as not a single Transworld customer has faced this problem and no security compromising instances have been reported by any of our customers or users.

Alcatel Lucent- ACE cable

Alcatel-Lucent announced a the turnkey contract valued at over USD 500 million for the new Africa Coast to Europe (ACE) submarine cable. France Telecom-Orange said in a statement that the 20 members of the ACE consortium have signed the agreement for the construction and maintenance of the cable, which will run between Penmarch in France and Cape Town in South Africa. In its planned configuration, the 17,000km, fibre-optic cable will offer an initial 40Gbps capacity and be operational in the first half of 2012. It will connect 23 countries, either directly in the case of coastal countries or indirectly for landlocked countries.


This will be the first international submarine cable to land in Mauritania, Gambia, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Sao Tome and Principe, and Equatorial Guinea. For Senegal, Cote d'Ivoire and Cameroon, which are already connected to the SAT3-WASC-SAFE cable (also co-owned by France Telecom-Orange), ACE will secure communications traffic while providing the additional capacity necessary for future growth. ACE will also provide the Orange subsidiaries in eastern Africa and Reunion with an alternative for routing telecommunications traffic to Europe via western Africa. The northern segment of the cable will also diversify transmission arteries between France and Portugal. The participants in the ACE consortium, headed by France Telecom-Orange, are Baharicom Development Company, Benin Telecoms, Cable Consortium of Liberia, Orange Cameroun, Companhia Santomense de Telecomunicacoes, Cote d'Ivoire Telecom, Expresso Telecom Group, Gambia Telecommunications Company, International Mauritania Telecom, Office Congolais des Postes et Telecommunication, Orange Guinea, Orange Mali, Orange Niger, PT Comunicacoes, the Republic of Equatorial Guinea, the Gabonese Republic, Sierra Leone Cable, Societe des Telecommunications de Guinee and Sonatel. Alcatel-Lucent will deploy its advance submarine line terminal (1620 Light Manager) working at up to 40Gbps and using phase shift keying-based modulation formats with coherent detection to deal with transmission impairments in an automated manner. Alcatel-Lucent will also supply its branching units and will implement its 1678 Metro Core Connect in the 21 planned landing points.

Source: Telecompaper
www.telecompaper.com/news/article.aspx?cid=739057

Orascom to bid for Vodafone Egypt stake

Orascom Telecom will bid for Vodafone Group's 55 percent stake in Vodafone Egypt if it is put up for sale, reports Bloomberg. In an interview with Al Mal newspaper, Orascom chairman Naguib Sawiris said that Orascom would 'strongly compete' for the stake if Vodafone decides to sell. The remaining 45 percent of Vodafone Egypt is controlled by Telecom Egypt. Vodafone's 55 percent is valued by analysts at around GBP 3 billion (USD 4.36 billion).

SOURCE: Telecompaper
http://www.telecompaper.com/news/article.aspx?cid=737043

Mobile VoIP users to surpass 100 million by 2012

Mobile VoIP services will develop significantly faster in developed markets due to the direct correlation between 3G roll outs and the take up of mobile VoIP, according to a study by Juniper Research. This is the case even though mVoIP traffic volumes may eventually be higher in developing markets due in part to the calling patterns of migrant workers. Mobile VoIP users will exceed 100 million by 2012 and over half of mobile VoIP users will reside in North America and Europe. Juniper Research senior analyst Anthony Cox said that by 2012 mobile VoIP will be available over both 3G and Wi-Fi networks. It is anticipated that several more traditional operators will have joined 3UK and Verizon in the US and developed relationships with mobile VoIP players such as Skype, he said. The study found that alliances between mobile VoIP players and traditional operators may provide the best option for today's incumbent operators to address the advent of mobile VoIP. Revenues from the circuit switched voice market will continue to diminish over the next five years, although this will not accelerate. A high percentage of mobile VoIP carried over applications will be via Wi-Fi networks, bypassing operators' networks altogether. Such traffic will result in some lost revenues, amounting to around USD 5billion by 2015.

SOURCE: Telecompaper
http://www.telecompaper.com/news/article.aspx?cid=737043

CONNECT 2010

Transworld participated in Connect 2010, the 5th Information & Communication Technology Exhibition and Conference which was held from the 8th to the 10th of May at Expo Centre Karachi. The TWA stall was exceptionally well designed and centrally placed and was the centre of attraction at the event.


The Federal Minister of IT and Telecom Sardar Muhammad Latif Khan Khosa inaugurated the stall at the event, he was joined by the Minister of IT for the Sind Government, Mr. Raza Haroon.


The marketing team engaged in PR and promotional activities, while the sales team liaised with other companies and pursued prospective leads. The event proved to be a success as our stall experienced constant traffic and was covered by many leading news channels such as PTV, ARY News, CNBC, Geo News, Dunya, Waqt, Samaa, APNA, News 1, Royal TV, Express News, Aaj and Business Plus.

TELECOM TIMELINE

2002
State-owned monopoly PTCL has earned over USD 1 billion revenue in FY2001-02.
Internet bandwidth availability increased to 400 MB/s and 250 cities connected through fiber optics.
Under an Ordinance, the division was upgraded into Ministry of Information Technology & Telecommunications (MoITT) in order to govern the IT and Telecom sector.
Inter operator SMS implemented.
46 licenses issued for Radio Based Services.
76 No Objection Certificate (NOCs) were issued for telecom equipment.


First DSL service launched by MicroNet in Islamabad and Rawalpindi.
Total 80 licenses issued for Value Added Services.

2003

Two new Cellular Mobile Licenses awarded to Telenor and Warid telecom against an amount of US$ 291 million each through open auction.
12 LDI (Long Distance and International) and 77 LL licenses issued to 33 local and international companies
141 licenses issued for value added services and 84 licenses issued for radio based services
Video Conferencing allowed through hiring leased lines from PTCL
Telecommunications Sector declared an Industry
Total card pay phones in Pakistan reached 184,669.
12 long Distance and International (LDI), 76-Fixed Local Loop (FLL) and 92 Wireless Local Loop (WLL) licenses.
Mobile sector exhibits growth of 108%.

2004

Fixed line working connections reached up to 4.5% in July 2004.
Cellular penetration crossed the fixed line penetration in July 2004
Total number of mobile subscribers in Pakistan reached 12.5 million by end of June 2005 bringing mobile density to 8.3% crossing fixed line teledensity, which is 3.43%.
During 2004-05, telecom contributed Rs. 67.1 billion in the national exchequer in terms of taxes and fee. FDI in telecom sector amounted to US$ 494 million making it one-third of the total FDI in the country.
Over 2.1 million internet subscribers existing in Pakistan.

2005

Total telecom revenue standing at Rs 192.6 billion.
Telecom sector contributed Rs. 77.1 billion in the national exchequer in terms of taxes and regulatory fee.
183,063 additional direct & indirect jobs created in the telecom sector.

2006

Total Teledensity of Pakistan reached 26.19% in June 2006.
Etisalat takes over PTCL’s management.
Total teledensity of Pakistan reached 26.19% in June 2006.
Total telecom revenue was Rs 236 billion.
China Mobile investment is US$ 704 million for expansion of CMPak networks.
2.3 million Mobile subscribers added every month.
The telecom sector received above US$ 1.8 billion FDI, 35% of the total FDI.
Over one million jobs created since the deregulation of the telecom sector.

2007

Pakistan had almost 128 ISPs concentration across Lahore, Islamabad, and Karachi.
Cellular subscribers in Pakistan reached 76.6 million.
6,000 cities/towns/villages have mobile saturation.
Total investment in the LDI sector grew up to US$ 603 million.
Total LDI outgoing minutes from Pakistan grew to 1.3 billion minutes.
Total fixed line connections stood at 4.8 million where as the teledensity is 3.04%.
387,490 PCOs including WLL based PCOs working across Pakistan
Broadband subscribers reached 71,000 and 65% of Pakistani broadband users enjoy DSL broadband technology.
Total number of Internet subscribers crossed 3.5 million and total number of users crossed 17 million.
The total teledensity of AJK & NAs was 20.1 in 2006-07 as compared to 3.6 in 2005-06.
Overall growth in teledensity in the region due to deregulation is 450%.
Mobilink continues to lead the market with the greatest share of consumers and corporates.

2008

Mobile subscribers were 89.9 million.
According to the PTA, Mobilink continues to lead the market with 28.47 million subscribers, followed by Telenor (19.38 million), Ufone (19.30 million), Warid Telecom (16.65 million), Zong (5.5million) and Instaphone (0.32).
WiMAX Wireless Devices Connections are available from 256Kbit to 1Mbit.
Mobilink launches WiMAX service,Infinity.
Pakistan Telecommunication Authority reported over 22 million internet users.

2009

Broadband subscribers increased to 600,000 subscribers in the country.
Fixed teledensity is 3.3, which was just 2.32 in year 2000.
Mobile saturation currently is 10 million people in the country.

Source: CIO Pakistan, May 6th 2009
http://ciopakistan.com/2009/05/here%E2%80%99s-a-look-at-the-progress-the-telecom-industry-has-made-between-2002-to-2008/

TRANSWORLD INVITES YOU TO CONNECT 2010

Connecting
Everyone, Everywhere



Transworld's submarine fiber optic cable is the backbone of every major internet Service Provider and Telecom Company in Pakistan.

Catering to the need for Global connectivity, 24/7/365.

Our aim is to seamlessly connect you to the world; Anytime, Anywhere.

Visit us at:

Hall No. 2
Karachi Epxo Center
Timings: From 10:00 am to 6:00 pm
8th to 10th May, 2010

10 MOBILE TECHNOLOGIES TO WATCH IN 2010 AND 2011

Gartner, Inc. has identified 10 mobile technologies that will evolve significantly through 2011 in ways that will impact short-term mobile strategies and policies. “We are highlighting these 10 mobile technologies that should be on every organization’s radar screen,” said Nick Jones, vice president and distinguished analyst at Gartner. “These mobile technologies were selected because they will evolve in ways that affect corporate strategies, significant numbers of customers or employees will adopt or expect them, or they will address particular mobile challenges that organizations will face through 2011.”

The 10 mobile technologies to watch in 2010 and 2011 include:

Bluetooth (3 and 4) Two new Bluetooth versions will emerge by 2011:

Bluetooth 3 will introduce 802.11 as a bearer for faster data transmission, and Bluetooth 4 will introduce a new low-energy (LE) mode that will enable communication with external peripherals and sensors. Both versions will include other technical improvements to improve battery life and security. Gartner believes that Bluetooth 3 will facilitate corporate and consumer functions demanding large bandwidth (e.g., downloading images and videos from handsets). Bluetooth LE will enable a range of new sensor-based business models in industries such as fitness, healthcare and environmental control and will be used by handset and PC peripherals to enable new functions, such as PCs that autolock when users move away from them.The Mobile WebBy 2011, over 85 percent of handsets shipped globally will include some form of browser. In mature markets, such as Western Europe and Japan, approximately 60 percent of handsets shipped will be smartphones with sophisticated browsing capability and the ability to render conventional HTML sites in some manner. The growth in smartphones with relatively large and high-resolution screens will encourage greater numbers of people to access conventional websites on mobile devices, and will make it possible to deliver some B2C applications using conventional Web tools without adaptation. In mature markets, the mobile Web, along with associated Web adaptation tools, will be a leading technology for B2C mobile applications through 2012, and should be part of every organization’s B2C technology portfolio.

Mobile Widgets

Widgets are installable Web applications that use technologies such as JavaScript and HTML. Many handsets support widgets running on their home screens, where they are easily visible and accessible. Despite the lack of standards, widgets provide a convenient way to deliver simple, connected applications, especially those involving real-time data updates (such as weather forecasts, e-mail notifications, marketing, blogs and information feeds). Because widgets exploit well-understood tools and technologies, they have lower entry barriers than complex native applications, and thus can be a good first step to assess the demand for an application on a specific platform before undertaking expensive native development.

Platform-Independent Mobile AD Tools

Mobile platforms will become more diverse through 2012 although consolidation will not have started, and, in some markets, five or more platforms may have a significant presence. Therefore, tools that can reduce the burden of delivering installable applications to several platforms will be very attractive. Platform-independent application development (AD) tools cannot deliver a “write once, run anywhere” equivalent to native code; however, they can significantly reduce the cost of delivering and supporting multiplatform applications that provide a more sophisticated experience than the mobile Web and operate outside signal coverage.

App Stores

App stores will be the primary (and, in some cases, the only) way to distribute applications to smartphones and other mobile devices. App stores also provide a range of business support functions, such as payment processing, that assist smaller organizations. Gartner believes that app stores will play many roles in an organization’s B2C and B2E strategies. They will be a distribution channel for mobile applications and a commercial channel to sell applications and content (especially in international markets), and they will provide new options for application sourcing. Many applications will exploit ecosystem cloud services.

Enhanced Location Awareness

By the end of 2011, over 75 percent of devices shipped in mature markets will include a GPS. GPS will be the primary, but not the only, means of establishing handset location. Wi-Fi and cell ID systems will remain important in situations where GPS is unavailable or unreliable. The popularity of location-aware handsets will enable a wide range of B2E and B2C location-aware applications, and will serve as a foundation for more-sophisticated contextual applications in the future. However, organizations must be sensitive to local privacy regulations, ensure that applications that expose location are “opt in,” and remain on alert for new risks and concerns that will be raised by location awareness.

Cellular Broadband

During 2010 and 2011, the availability of multimegabit wireless broadband performance will continue to grow as mobile networks enhance their broadband performance. Continuous improvements in wireless broadband performance will increase the range of applications that no longer require fixed networking, and make cellular broadband a more effective fallback when fixed connections fail. Embedded cellular networking will become a standard feature of many corporate laptops, and will enable new types of network-connected devices and business models, such as e-books and media players.

Touchscreens

Touchscreens are emerging as the dominant user interface for large-screen handsets, and will be included in over 60 percent of mobile devices shipped in Western Europe and North America in 2011. Touch-enabled devices will also make increasing use of techniques such as haptics to enhance user experience. Organizations developing native handset applications may need to exploit single and multitouch interfaces and haptics to give their applications a compelling and competitive user experience.

M2M

Many network service providers increased their commitment to machine to machine (M2M) in 2009, so a good range of both national and multinational M2M service options will be available in mature markets during 2010 and 2011. Although the M2M market is very fragmented, it’s growing at over 30 percent per year. Low-cost M2M modules will enable a wide range of new networked devices and business models. Key applications include smart grid, meter reading, security/surveillance, automotive systems, vending and point of sale, remote monitoring, and track and trace.

Device-Independent Security

This isn’t strictly a single technology, but refers to a collection of security technologies, application technologies and sourcing options that enable the provisioning of applications that are secure, but less tightly tied to specific devices and platforms, and that, in many cases, do not require security tools to be installed on the client. It includes thin-client architectures, applications as a service, platform-independent forms of network access control (NAC), portable personality, virtualization, and hosted security services, such as “in the cloud” virus scanning. Device-independent tools cannot provide the rigor of fully installed security, but a blend of several of these tools can enable CIOs to deliver applications that can run on a wider range of devices while reducing security risks.

Source: IT Insight, 24th March 2010
http://www.itinsight.info/2010/03/gartner-outlines-10-mobile-technologies-2010/

PTCL GETS NOTICE OVER POOR QUALITY OF SERVICE

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 Quality of Service (QoS) Survey conducted recently by PTA. PTA has given 30 days time to PTCL to submit a reply. Based on the outcome, PTA, under the Telecom Act, reserves the right to proceed legally.

The QoS survey 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 licencees are providing telecom services as per service quality standards of the license.

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

Chairman PTA, Dr. Mohammed Yaseen said that ensuring quality service to consumers has always been a priority of 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.

Source: IT Insight, 4th February 2010.
http://www.itinsight.info/2010/02/ptcl-gets-notice-over-poor-quality-of-service

SEA-ME-WE-4 Outage to Affect Internet and Telcom Traffic

The SEA-ME-WE 4 cable linking Europe with the Middle East and South Asia was cut on Wednesday, 14th April in the Mediterranean Sea.

It became inoperable due to a “shunt fault” approximately 1,886 kilometers from Alexandria towards Palermo, Italy in the S4 section of the cable.

A shunt fault occurs when the submarine cable insulation is damaged and a short circuit occurs when it comes into contact with water. While repairs are underway it is likely that the outage will take a further 4 days at a minimum and might take up to 10 days depending on weather and sea conditions.

Until 12 PM on April 24th 2010, SEA-ME-WE-4 was operating with limited capacity, however, since then, all west bound traffic from Egypt onwards has been shut down, meaning that all traffic to Europe and US (from Pakistan) may face higher latency but not blackout due to redundant/alternate pipes available for usage, though service providers have to bear extra cost because of shift of all traffic to secondary pipes.

In a telephonic communication a Transworld official told ProPakistani that Transworld has bought additional capacity, worth millions of dollars, for eastbound routes, initially landing at Singapore via Japan to United States and then to Europe. This will increase the route distance hence the latency, but traffic will not be impacted at large, said the official.

Transworld and PTCL are only operators selling international voice and data traffic in Pakistan.

Transworld is the sister concern of Mobilink and a project of Orascom and has major operators such as Wateen, Worldcall, Wi-Tribe, Nayatel etc on its network.

Source: Aamir Attaa for ProPakistani, 24th April 2010
http://propakistani.pk/2010/04/24/sea-me-we-4-repair-may-take-another-4-days/