SIM-Nation: 76.6 Million Mobile Subscribers in Pakistan? Is this good?
Adil Najam has written an insightful and thought provoking piece on Pakistaniat.com about the real impact of mobile phone growth in Pakistan: SIM-Nation: 76.6 Million Mobile Subscribers in Pakistan? Could this be right? Is this good?.
Here’s an excerpt but please follow the link for full story. The comments are interesting too and the tendency is that “developmental effects have far outweighed any negatives that one might be able to bring up”.
As readers of this blog may recall, I wrote a series of posts about the economic and social impact of telecommunication technology growth in Pakistan.
Should we be really be impressed - in a development perspective - if the number of mobile subscribers are high in a developing country? It certainly signifies good business for the industry, but what does it say about the country and national development?
There are those who argue in the literature that the rapid growth of such services in developing countries signifies the failure of governments in providing essential infrastructure. This argument is far more valid in the water sector.
The point of all of this is to wonder whether cellphone uptake actually translates to an increase of net developmental productivity - i.e., are people able to do more and make more in terms of their livelihoods - or is it that it has become a new “necessity” and “cost.” (For example, “everyone needs a cellphone now because everyone else has it and not having one is a barrier to entry”). If, indeed, it is that a new “need” and “cost” has been created then that only means that the net “cost of living” has gone up. And, especially for the poor more and more of their disposable income is diverted to this “need” that may not be adding to their productivity or livelihood, but not having which would hurt them. This at a time when the cost of living is already high and economic survival at the individual level under stress.
TelecomPk.Net is a leading source of information and analysis about Pakistan Telecom industry.
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The growth of telecom sector has created hundreds of thousands of jobs in Pakistan directly or indirectly, lifted many out of poverty and increased the size and strength of the middle class in Pakistan. The last factor, the growth of the middle class, will have far reaching positive consequences if it continues as it has in the last 7-8 years. A sizable middle class is absolutely essential for building civil society and democratic institutions that empower the people and take the power away from a small elite that has ruled Pakistan since its inception.
I think this is the best news Pakistanis have had in a long time.
In Past, Being a part of one Pakistan’s telecom company, I can’t get impress by number of subscribers i.e 76.6 millions. This figure tells that half of Pakistan population is having mobile phone and active SIM, and statistics tells that 45% of Pakistans total population consists of 15 years or below youngsters. From here you can get idea that what will be reality.
No doubt, 76.6 million active SIM’s will be in Pakistan but not all in peoples mobiles. 33% will be in mobiles and 67% will be in wallets,ladies bags,draws etc etc :). What Telecom companies are doing and we were also ought to follow follow rules that when they gives SIM’s to Franchisee’s they loads Rs.30 or Rs.100 card and it gets activated on Switch. validity of this card is from 6 months to 12 months. means SIMs are still in Franchise but they are putting sand in PTA’s eyes they we have so and so active subscribers on Switch because PTA collects data from Switch to check active subscribers.
On other hands, I have seen most of people who buys SIM of Rs100 with balance of Rs200 and uses it and then throws it. because they can use 200 balance with 100 Rs. This SIM validy remains active on Switch for 1 year. How we can consider this as Active Subscriber. and there are lot lot people in Pakistan who have craze to keep all companies SIMs so they can call cheaper.
COnsidering all these points, 76.6 active subscriber word is not suitable. PTA should call it as 76.6 Active SIMs on Switches of companies. If they want to get clear picture of active subscribers then first they have to assure that SIM sold is on subscriber number and ID. then they can compile ID # data and consider 1 ID as 1 subscriber regardless of how many numbers are showing against his name. Then we ll get clear picture.
Exgerating figures is Marketing tool of Telecom Companies. Same they are doing with Nationwide Dialing Codes (NDC) like 0300,0301,0302,0304,0345,0344,0345 etc. with 7 digits. Just add these codes of all companies and compare with their subscribers. you ll see that subscribers are much less than codes they have taken from PTA. They all are in race to show citizen that we have more codes and more subscribers. Not bothering about their service. these all concerns needs to be address at PTA level so they take corrective action. These codes made such a big jumble for people that we often make call to wrong number due to ignorance of correct code.
Hey, you missed the h in http in the link to sim-nation.
BR Johan
Johan - thanks for pointing out the missing h, I fixed it.