The Growth of Cell Phone Industry in Pakistan
By Talal Hussain Malik • Jun 14th, 2008 • Category: Misc • (3,741 views) • 8 CommentsTelecommunication is, perhaps, the only field in our country which has improved and got cheaper at the same time with the passage of time. When PTCL first launched its services, getting a telephone connection was quite a task. Connections were given on priority basis but today you can get the PTCL Wireless connection without getting into any formalities. On the other hand, to a great extent use of PTCL has been replaced by the cell-phones.
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. To many it is a necessity and to others a necessity as well as a means of entertainment.
The rapid growth of the cell-phone industry has its pros and cons. Whereas, it has made the communication easier and cheaper, it has also given birth to some social evils that didn’t exit in the past, consider the wrong use of cell-phones and the increase in street crimes.
There is a great deal of competition among the companies offering cell-phone services, the negative aspect of which is that the companies are doing all out effort to extend their network before the market heads toward saturation (though still quite far). Another result of this competition is the introduction of different Packages to attract the users. That how cell-phones have negatively affected the society, consider the Night Free Package offered by a company from 12 a.m. to 7 a.m. is this package being used in a positive way at large?
It is debatable whether a cell-phone connection should be available to every person or not. In some countries, at least I know of the USA, you have to undergo a lengthy process before you can avail this facility. Previously, the cell-phone companies didn’t bother about the unregistered SIMs, the repercussion of which finally gained the government’s attention as it has taken measures to block the unregistered SIMS.
Concrete steps should be taken to prevent the wrong use of cell-phones. Much can be done by registration of SIMs, disallowing a person to keep more than one SIM, and abolishing the night free like packages. Without a doubt, cell-phones have brought a remarkable change in our society and its proper use calls for our responsibility. For example, consider the selection of ring tone and the selection of Silent or General Mode as the situation requires. How many times the full volume ring tone of a song has disturbed you while you were offering your prayers in the mosque? You might also have heard ring tone with Qura’nic verses which is such a wrong thing to do as so many times people only give missed calls in which case the meaning of the verse changes as the verse is not recited completely. Much can be improved if only we start realizing our responsibilities.
Last 5 posts by Talal Hussain Malik
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Talal Hussain Malik
In the quest of life, is it “Nothing ventured, nothing gained?” or “Nothing ventured, nothing lost?” I'd venture to find..
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June 14th, 2008
“proper use calls for our responsibility.”
LEARNING TO BE RESPONSIBLE IS YOUR DUTY - SERVICE PROVIDERS CAN’T TRAIN YOU TO BE A MORE RESPONSIBLE PERSON OR A BETTER HUMAN BEING. CAN THEY?
YOU ARE TOO JUDGEMENTAL - DO YOU THINK GROWN UP PEOPLE MAY DECIDE WHAT IS RIGHT AND WRONG? HAVE YOU HEARD ABOUT THE CONCEPT SUCH AS RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES?
Y’ALL SOUND LIKE PRIMARY SCHOOL “MASTER JEES” OR BETTER STILL THE HALF EDUCATED IF NOT OUTRIGHT HALF ASSED “MULLAH” TALKING TO HIS KIND SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE.
June 14th, 2008
the packages of 12am to 7 am are being used to find a soul mate, but often being used for under-cover activities like prostitution, crime etc
June 14th, 2008
Our telecom Sector is basically going through Cut Throat competition. This LNO (Late Night Option) was first introduced by Mobilink under Limited Time Offer tag. Basic purpose of this offer was to attract customers for limited time and then go back on routine packages. But in just few days, Ufone and Telenor followed same strategy to safe guard their customers too. Now all companies are offering same service and its not possible for any one company to stop this option. It will result in switching Prepaid customers to other networks.
So, this limited time offer become permanent right now. If all these companies will make cartel then they can set their desired rate otherwise they have to follow cut throat competition.
June 14th, 2008
Mr. Aftab you are right in saying that they cannot train us to realize us our responsibility but they surely can restrict us. If Islam had not restricted you from Haram, would you really be able to restrict yourself from every Haram act?
June 14th, 2008
Malik Sahib, all I am trying to say is that we have to learn to live responsibly with the freedoms that are available now finally. For me it is difficult to comprehend the demands of putting restrictions; there will always be certain things that might be in contradiction to my sense of propriety which can not mean that the others must be restricted by authority. Like I said a sense of responsibility must be developed.
I personally don’t like to wear my religion on my sleaves and I have developed for my personal conduct an ethical guidelines which can be described in two words. RIGHTS & RESPONSIBILITIES. I do not commit crimes because I CONSIDER IT MY RESPONSIBILITY NOT TO INFRINGE UPON SOMEONE ELSE’S RIGHTS. I am not in the business of doing deals with my God; my good deeds are not done for rewards but because I CONSIDER IT MY RESPONSIBILITY AND RIGHTS OF OTHER PEOPLE THAT MY CONDUCT SHOULD BE OF SOME VALUE, AT LEAST IT SHOULD NOT HURT ANYONE. You know what I am trying to say? Good must be done for the sake of goodness and not for a place in paradise or seventy virgins. I can do without this enticement.
Saleem Khan’s point is valid and this is the beauty of competition; I would like to see such “cut throat” competition in other sectors, too.
If these services provide an opportunity to people to find mates, or “Soul Mates” like Farid Massod suggests, why not? it takes two ‘to tango’. It is better to do “this” with consent of someone rather than bug people in search of such ventures (I hope you find this also a better solution to save us the unsolicited obnoxious calls). If it is used for “prostitutions”, it’s even a better and more efficient use of scarce resources.
Have great, great rest of the evening!
June 15th, 2008
All carriers in the US give free minutes after 9 pm till 6 am. The problem isn’t the packages, its what people make of them !
June 16th, 2008
Right!
June 27th, 2008
Worldwide mobile phone sales grew 21.5 percent year on year to 251 million units in the third quarter, with India and China driving growth, according to research from Gartner.
Gartner predicts that sales for the year will fall just shy of one billion phones. Sales should reach 986 million units by the end of the year, the research group said.
Europe, one of the most mature mobile phone markets in the world, showed just 1.9 percent growth over the same quarter last year.
Asia Pacific experienced the most dramatic gains, with sales of 80.8 million units during the third quarter, an increase of 54.7 percent over the same period last year. That significant growth happened despite a decline in sales of 4.7 percent in Japan compared to the third quarter in 2005. An increase in retail outlets and better distribution channels in emerging markets such as Indonesia, Philippines and India significantly offset that loss though, driving growth in the region.
Other regions of the world also reported solid growth. In Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa, sales grew 19 percent compared to last year, to 48 million phones. North American sales reached 40.8 million units, up 12 percent. Sales in Latin America grew 13.7 percent over the same time last year, to 29.8 million phones.
Gartner reported that the smaller phone makers will increasingly struggle to compete against the giants. In the third quarter, Nokia, Motorola and Samsung together accounted for 68 percent of phone sales.