State of Telecom Industry in Pakistan

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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Telecom companies have started using  Twitter and other social media platforms for effective customer service and brand promotion. The quality of how companies use these new media channels varies a lot. I wanted the readers to take a look at how customer service should be done - as shown by T-Mobile -  and the mistakes that Mobilink and Ufone are making.

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We created our facebook fanpage recently to update our readers on their facebook feeds and in the span of two months we have reached over more than 400 fans. Thank you all, we value your support and interest.

We would like you all to interact with us and other fans on our page and share your opinions, concerns or whatever is on your mind. Now you can also post discussions, pictures and videos relating to the state of telecom industry in Pakistan and share it with others.

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This is a quick recap of the year for Telecom industry in Pakistan. Here are some of the positive developments of 2009.

1. Broadband shows signs of improvement with more subscribers, competition and lower rates.
2. Easypaisa paves the way for mobile financial services.
3. Online SIM checking service 667 and 668 for overseas Pakistanis
4. Better online maps and navigation become available for Pakistan.
5. Social media use among mainstream Pakistanis keeps growing.
6. Telecom companies actively use Facebook & start tweeting.
7. Plenty of ICT events and opportunities for networking.
8. PTA pushes to get SIM issue resolved.
9. Mobi2weet introduced.
10. Zong catches up and launches Blackberry.

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Here are the key points, taken from Morgan Stanley Mobile Internet report of Dec 15, 2009.

The mobile Internet is ramping faster than desktop Internet did, and we believe more users may connect to the Internet via mobile devices than desktop PCs within 5 years.

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Mashable has interesting commentary about the role of iPod touch. In the context of the mobile platform wars, the contest is often framed as “the iPhone” versus Android, BlackBerry and the rest of the smartphone market. However, even if the iPhone is the only phone that Apple sells, there is another device that runs on the iPhone OS: the iPod touch. In fact, according to the mobile analytics firm Flurry, the iPod touch might even be Apple’s secret weapon when it comes to long-term results and platform retention. Flurry makes this argument in its November Industry Pulse report.

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Just a decade ago, traditional media such as print, radio and tv dominated the marketing budgets. Today its a completely different world: two-thirds of the world’s Internet population visit a social network or blogging site and the sector now accounts for almost 10% of all internet time, according to a recently released report by Nielesen Media. With the rise of online media (Internet) and in particular the user generated social media (blogs, Twitter, Facebook) there has been a clear shift in the way marketing messages are created and consumed. Smart companies now pay equal attention to social media as they do to other methods of communications and marketing. In case of  telcos in Pakistan we have recently seen Telenor embracing social media to engage its customers and to create buzz through bloggers. This post is a review of Telenor Pakistan’s efforts to promote its brand using social media.

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The social media is taking over the world fast and furious. Found out this interesting video on social media revolution. Sharing it with you all.

What do you say, Is Social Media a Fad?

InMobi is a fast growing global mobile advertisement network. InMobi has been a sponsor to Telecompk.net for a while and we had the chance to sit with InMobi CEO and ask a few questions about the future of mobile advertising and opportunities in this exciting space.

How is InMobi different from its competitors?
Instead of focusing on being different we’d much rather focus on doing things better. What has helped us grow to this point is our focus on solving real customer needs and our value proposition to our partners. InMobi has consistently focused on providing higher quality and monetization levels for our publishers and greater return-on-investment (ROI) for advertisers, many of whom are trying the mobile internet medium for the first time, or for the first time in our region.

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Here’s an interesting application which shows that telcos such as Telenor continue to experiment with new media advertisements to engage certain demographics. What do you think? Is this where other brands will go as well?

Djuice, the youth oriented brand of Telenor is using Facebook to connect with its customers. See an example below where Djuice answer questions about how to block unwanted / annoying sms messages. Makes a lot of sense as Facebook is where most of Djuice users are likely to hang out.

Telecom sector has been at the forefront of various social initiatives in Pakistan. Now Warid has launched GIVE, a corporate social responsibility program which allows its customers to support charitable causes with convenience of regularly giving via their phone (monthly auto deduction facility). As Warid describes it, GIVE allows customers to choose the registered charities of their choice, invite friends & share their feedback for other charities they are willing to support. I think this is a great idea and very useful facility for busy people to connect with the causes that matter to them.

Here’s more information on how GIVE works.

1. What is GIVE?
GIVE is a Corporate Social Responsibility exercise to promote a unique effort of Warid i.e. dedication to a charitable cause of customer’s choice. The mechanism has been built in as a feature that allows customers to choose the registered charities of their choice, invite friends & share their feedback for other charities they are willing to support.

2. What is the difference between other donation campaigns and GIVE?
GIVE is a unique effort by any telecom operator in Pakistan, which provides a continuous commitment to a charity in the form of monthly auto deduction facility.

3. How do I register to support a charity?
Simply type REG & SMS to GIVE (4483) and our user-friendly menu will guide you through.

4. What would be the monthly donations to a charity?
PKR 20+tax will be deducted monthly on registering with a charitable cause.

5. Will I be charged for any message I send to short code GIVE other than the monthly donation registration charges?
Yes, you will be charged PKR 0.50+tax for each message you send to GIVE (4483).

6. Can I join multiple charities at one time?
Yes, with this unique service you can donate to multiple charities through one platform.

7. How much will I be charged for registering to any other charity?
For each charity you wish to support you will be donating PKR 20+tax/month. For example, if you wish to support 2 charities you will be charged PKR 40+tax/month and so on.

8. What if I have insufficient balance or my number is blocked on the date of my monthly donations?
Your donation services will be automatically discountinued & you would have to re-register to contribute to your charities.

9. Will I be sent a notification every month of successful contributions of my donations to a charity?
You will be informed only once at the time of registration for a charity & not on monthly basis.

10. How can I invite my friends to support a charity?
Our simple and user friendly help menu of GIVE will provide you an option to invite friends. Enter your friend’s number in the provided format & an invitation will be sent to your friend indicating that you have invited them to support a charity.

11. What is ”I want this cause”?
Through this exclusive feature you can reach the GIVE team by recommending the charity organisation of your choice to be included in this initiative.

12. What is ”MY GIVE”?
MY GIVE is an option through which you get the names of charities you are currently supporting.

13. Is this service for prepaid & postpaid customers?
Yes, both prepaid & postpaid customers can donate easily to charities of their choice.

14. Which charities are currently supported?
GIVE supports non profit organizations. Preferred causes are those, which are associated with health, education, environment and rehabilitation of calamity hit areas with currently, Depilex-Smile Again on board. Depilex-Smile Again provides burnt victims excellent medical facilities by surgical processes & helps them in reverting to their normal lives.

15. What if I want to discontinue my donations?
Our simple and user friendly help menu of GIVE provides you an option of Opt Out of monthly donations to charities of your choice. After a confirmation message is received, you will not be charged any monthly donations. For Postpaid if the donor opts out before the bill run, the donation to the charity would appear in the upcoming bill only.