Arooj Fatima
Many times in a day I see someone talking to himself with weird gestures as he moves through the throng of people; he is no mad man but yet another user of a mobile phone. Cellular phones have spread among the masses as venom proving as addictive as heroine or marijuana. From street hawkers to multinational business owners, all have one element in common: a cell phone.
It all started back in the era of most initial discoveries and developments, Graham Bell invented an innovative mode of communication: phone. Nevertheless back then it was nothing but merely a string connected to two cups but it was enough of a spark for generations to come. Not very long ago, when the cell-phones were introduced in Pakistan they had the status of a luxury owned by the limited few who could afford it. However, today, in a span of a few years cell-phones are in easy access of everyone.
What is telecommunication? It is the assisted transmission of signals over a fixed distance. The main purpose for this is communication as the name suggests. The main way to communicate in the world of today is by using electronic transmitters - telephone, computer, radio, television. One of such equipments which use electronic transmitters is cell phones. Over the years, all over the world there has been a great increase in the use of the mobiles. There can be various reasons to this - the growing need of mobility, the falling rates of mobile sets, the easy accessibility etc. In Pakistan alone; there were 90 million users in September 2008, double that of 2006. Then there was a smaller increase in the next month: 90.5 million subscribers as of November 2008. Telecom companies contributing 5% to the GDP of Pakistan, also creating 220,000 high paying jobs and generating 6% of revenue for the Central Board of Revenue.
There are 6 mobile companies in Pakistan. Namely: Instaphone, Paktel, Mobilink, Ufone, Warid and Telenor. Instaphone and Paktel emerged in 1991. Instaphone was a digital service but the very first, making it a pioneer. Paktel came by the end of 1991. It provided AMPS services (digital) until 2004, when it converted to GSM. In 2003, Paktel was sold to the owners of Instaphone and much recently (2007); Paktel was sold to a china mobile company and was renamed and rebranded as ZONG. Mobilink was the first GSM provider in Pakistan and received much appreciation. It was introduced by the Motorola Company in 1994 and then later was sold to ORASCOM - an Egypt based company. All the telecom companies after this were on the GSM technology. Ufone followed Mobilink in 2001. It is a subsidiary of Pakistan Telecommunication Company Ltd (PTCL). After the privatization of PTCL, Ufone is now owned by Etisalat. In 2005, Warid started its journey in Pakistan. It is a venture of the Abu Dhabi Group. Telenor tagged behind right after Warid in 2006. It is the last of the six companies that hold a license to operate in Pakistan. It is a company of Norway. The company achieved its breakeven in early 2007 and is now ranked as 2nd largest GSM Company in Pakistan.
Mobile phone companies have undoubtedly contributed a lot to the GDP and are the only ones surviving the regression in my country. A sudden boost has been given to the business of telecommunication since late 2006 and cell phones are now considered more or less as a status symbol. The greatest influence of mobile phones is on the youngsters- now often seen one handed while the other hand being "glued" to their ear. Mobile companies have offered such calling packages; disguised into lower calling rates usually evolving the whole night, just another monopoly for a flourishing business. "By lowering barriers to connectivity, the mobile industry can connect the unconnected in Pakistan. The activation tax is a significant barrier for people looking to own a mobile phone and represents a constraint for operators seeking to expand into rural areas," said Mr. Conway who is an expert with telecommunication analyis in Pakistan. "With 50 million mobile user's 30% penetration, Pakistan now is a leader in mobile usage in South Asia. The next step is to build on that achievement by eliminating the activation tax and securing further economic and social benefits for the Pakistani people."
In Pakistan, perhaps telecommunication is the soul field which has actually become better yet cheaper at the same time. PTCL connections too at the very beginning were difficult to get but now that time has passed, connections are not given on priority bases and without much formalities.
The author is a student of mass communication and a freelance writer. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Arooj_Fatima |
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