State of Telecom Industry in Pakistan

Mobile devices are increasingly subject to many of the threats that plague personal computers. Now a leading security researcher has presented a new way to detect malware on mobile devices. According to this article, the new approach  can catch even unknown threats and can protect a device without draining its battery or taking up too much processing power.

Researchers have begun to identify ways to protect devices from malicious software. But traditional ways of protecting desktops against threats don’t translate well to smart phones, says Markus Jakobsson, a principal scientist at Xerox PARC and the person behind the new malware detection technology. Read more »

For a nation, there is no power as constructive as its people’s ideas and their courage to make a difference. Like Allama Iqbal has said;

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The success of iPhone has not only changed the way phone companies and handset makers operate but also impacted other media channels. For instance, companies are now racing to build marketplaces for TV programs that act much like iPhone apps, able to interact with social-networking services, play games, call up movies and other Web content—all using a remote control, rather than a computer equipped with browsers. With PTCL and Wateen in the smart TV game, its only a matter of time before we see more of this.

I previously wrote about some initial steps that Verizon took. with social apps as widgets. Yahoo was also an early contender with a technology for TV applications it calls widgets. The TV applications are designed to exploit new consumer electronics devices with Internet connections that are beginning to appear in homes in significant numbers. More from this article:

Vudu, a startup that offers a streaming movie service; DivX, known for a popular format for storing digital movies; Boxee Inc., which offers software that lets users view Internet content on TVs; Roku, which sells a set-top box for receiving Internet content; and Syabas Technology, which announced a set-top box at CES.

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Recently PTA organized a conference on the topic of promoting local content. This event was sponsored by Motorola. It appears that a new ICT policy is in the works.

I wish the press release had more information and specific details about the local content providers and their applications. It would also be useful if they could share the plan for commercializing these apps. I am interested in finding out more about the channels through which these apps will be available and what will be the cost structure. How will the govt or PTA contribute?

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A ‘Meet the Product’ bloggers session was arranged for the launch of Easypaisa Mobile Account yesterday evening. Around 30 bloggers from different arenas attended the event. The session was so full of energy that it not only remained meeting the Mobile Account but exploring its features, its reach to the unbanked and discussing the unmatched success of easypaisa in just four months from its launch.

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Guest post by Ali Abbas

It has been a long time since I have blogged which happened due to a number of factors and the most contributing one was lack of time! Well guess what? I am finally back and it is no surprise that the Telecom – Student scenario is still at the exact same spot where I left it. Upcoming telecommunication graduates are all worried and tensed biting nails and spending all their time in cursing the world for being so mean and not generating enough job opportunities! Yesterday I met a university junior after a long time and all he could talk about was the troubling thought of job shortage in Pakistan and complaining about all the options being “saturated” and dried up.

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We had recently talked about Telecordia facing a hard time for its entry in India and facing scrutiny by Indian government. As mentioned earlier, Telenor also had to go through this. The latest is that Telecordia will be getting entry on the same conditions entry Telenor was allowed. The excerpts of the news item from The Economic Times gives the details.

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Guess what is the background of the event shown below? Other than prayes, are we doing the right things to make Pakistan an “Information Based Society”? Talking about local content is fine but I have been hearing about that for many years. What about local peering and IX?

The news release which accompanied this picture tells us that PTA will hold an exclusive conference on ‘Promoting ICT Sector’ on February 25, 2010. This conference is being organized in view of the importance of local content and applications for future promotion of ICT industry and infrastructure.

I hope there is some action from this other than plain talk.

Guest Post by Naveed-ul-Haq, Member, ISOC Pakistan Chapter. Assistant Director (ICT), PTA.

Editor’s note: Mr. Naveed-ul-Haq attended the fourth annual Internet Governance Forum meeting in Egypt in November as an ambassador of The Internet Society (ISOC) , Pakistan Chapter. We thank him for sharing his experience and views with us.

While living in today’s world of technological modernization where humans and devices are in continuous interaction with each other, Internet evolved as a unique innovation that now has became a necessity. This evolution didn’t happen overnight, it has an historic link with ARPANET (a defense based project initiated in 1963 to exchange data packets over computer network). Then after 25 years of research and development of standards, Internet came into use of common man during early 90’s.

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This WSJ article on Telcordia shows how telecom is also getting caught up in the intense politics of South Asia. Telcordia had helped with mobile number portability and now that has come under scrutiny by Indian government. Quite funny. We had heard the same kind of concerns about Telenor. Is this an isolated instance or does this mean more trouble for telecom vendors who are doing business in South Asia?

Telcordia Technologies Inc. sold its software to several cellphone companies in Pakistan a few years ago, just as it has done in 14 other countries. Now that fact is making life difficult for the U.S. company in Pakistan’s archrival, India. Telcordia makes back-end software for wireless and fixed-line networks.

Millions of Indian cellphone users are awaiting the chance to switch wireless providers while keeping the same phone number. Telcordia, which is based in Piscataway, N.J., was one of two companies the Indian government selected to provide crucial services to carriers in the transition to so-called number portability.

But in recent months, India’s Home Ministry has raised objections that partnering with Telcordia could compromise national security, effectively putting the company’s plans on hold.

The Indian ministry noted its concerns that Telcordia “has presence in Pakistan,” according to notes from a January meeting of the Foreign Investment Promotion Board, the government body that reviews foreign investments.

Read more about this after the break.

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The State Bank of Pakistan has reported a decline or 34.4% in foreign investments during July-January period as compared to same period last year.

Dawn reports that fall  is observed in telecom, financial, cement, oil and gas exploration and automobile sectors.

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Reports are circulating that Microsoft plans to introduce long-awaited new software (Windows Mobile 7) for powering cellphones in Barcelona this week as the company seeks to regain ground lost to rivals like Apple Inc. and Google Inc. in the mobile market. Compare Apple which went from zero to over 13% smartphone share, MS only gained 1% more from 2006 till now, its a dismal performance. It has been a rough time. Microsoft acquired a startup Danager along the way, fired most of its Windows mobile team last year and botched up data backups for Sidekick. WSJ reports:
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