February 28, 2007

Country teledensity reached at 36% : Chairman PTA

Islamabad:  Chairman Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Maj. Gen. (R) Shahzada Alam Malik has said that with the introduction of Mobile Number Portability (MNP), the mobile phone consumers will get enhanced cellular services and it would bring healthy competition in the booming telecom sector.He was talking to media men after the signing of frame agreements of Telenor Pakistan with Siemens and Nokia, here today.

The Chairman said that all preparations are being finalized to launch the pro-consumer service of MNP on March 23.  Pakistan would be the first country to have this service in the region.  He said that after the MNP service is available, a mobile phone consumer could change his service provider any time while keeping the same number and code unchanged.

He said that PTA has played effective role in paving way for the fastest telecommunication growth of Pakistan in the region.  He said that PTA is ensuring that this growth continues unhindered and the Authority is committed to become a facilitator.

PTA Chairman stated that the telecom sector has contributed strongly to the countryâ??s economic growth.  The sector currently constitutes 2 percent of the GDP, which is expected to rise to 3 percent in the next three to four years.  Telenor Pakistan, Nokia and Siemens have played a major role in terms of investment and technology. Todayâ??s agreements add more milestones to the telecom success story.

He said that the cellular mobile pone subscribers have crossed the unprecedented number of 50 million with 1.5 million subscribers joining in each month.  The number of telephone lines available to each hundred persons (overall teledensity) has risen to 35.40 percent in December 2006 from just 3.66 in 2001-02.  Similarly, mobile phone density has reached at 32.66 in January 2007.  During October â?? December 2006 FDI worth 147 million dollars came into this sector, he added.

The Chairman said that PTA was pursuing telecom operators to improve their quality of service being offered to the consumers.

 

Khurram Ali Mehran

Deputy Director (PR)