PTCL is looking for various options to offer Video conferencing and GNOP, said Mr. Walid Irshad, President and CEO of PTCL during an interview with Sabah uddin Qazi for Huawei’s Win-Win Magazine.
PTCL may go with Huawei to use IPTV platform to create home to home video conference, revealed President PTCL
Indian Home Ministry is apparently set ready to give security clearance to Telenor Group for hiking its stakes in Unitech Wireless up to 74 percent, but that comes with a condition that none of the staff who have worked in Telenor Pakistan will be employed in India.
NEW DELHI: The home ministry is set to give security clearance to Norwegian telecom firm Telenor to hike its shareholding in Unitech Wireless, by
up to 74%, on the condition that none of the staff who have worked in Telenor Pakistan —100% owned by the Telenor group — are employed here.
The Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) had last month deferred a decision on allowing Telenor to hike its stake in Unitech Wireless following reservations of security agencies on the Norwegian firm’s strong presence in Pakistan and Bangladesh. Both nations serve as a launchpad for various terror attacks here.
While the worries over Telenor’s operations in Bangladesh, where it holds 62% of Grameenphone, are not so pronounced, both IB and RAW were highly suspicious about the security implications of Telenor’s presence in Pakistan through a 100%-owned subsidiary of the Norwegian parent company.
It was in the light of the security agencies’ fears that allowing the same firm to operate here could be detrimental to national interest that FIPB had put off a decision on the Unitech Wireless’ FDI proposal at its early June meeting.
MHA has since examined the security agencies’ views on the matter in detail, while keeping in mind reputation and stature of Telenor, which has presence in 14 countries across Europe and Asia and has also revolutionised rural telephony in countries like Bangladesh through Grameenphone.
With the government determined that a wrong message should not go out to FDI investors, the home ministry has come around to the view that Telenor should not be held back from picking up to 74% stake in Unitech Wireless simply because it has a successful presence in Pakistan.
At the same time, home ministry officials were categorical that the security concerns of the agencies needed to addressed while granting the go-ahead. It is against this background that MHA came up with a reasonable solution that no employees who at anytime were part of its Pakistan operations are moved to the Indian subsidiary.
This means, staff currently working in countries other than Pakistan but have served there at some point of time will come under the ‘ban’. Though a manager working here can always be sent to Pakistan, he or she would not be allowed to return to the Indian arm of Telenor.
Keeping human assets of the Indian and Pakistani arms of Telenor separate is expected to take care of risks such as spying and subversion.
MHA will be submitting to FIPB its views favouring a conditional security nod for Unitech Wireless’ FDI proposal ahead of the next meeting of the Board. This would pave the way for a final FIPB clearance, allowing Telenor to hike is stake in Unique Wireless to up to 74%.
Telenor has 49% stake in Unitech and now requires FIPB nod to complete its deal for 67% stake. This would give Telenor management control and 4 of the 7 seats on the board of directors. Telenor-Wireless combine is expected to start services later this year. Unitech has a pan-India licence and has secured spectrum in 21 of the 22 telecom circles.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009 By Jawwad Rizvi LAHORE: A leading telecommunication company, which launched DSL (digital subscriber line)
and IPTV (cable TV) services with a bang, has failed to provide these services to customers in most areas of Lahore.
The failure is the result of the Pakistan Telecommunication Company Ltd’s outdated network and lack of modern technology, it is learnt.
When contacted, a PTCL spokesman said there were exchange upgrading issues, causing problems for the people.
PTCL’s Executive Vice President Jamil Khwaja said for providing the best telecom services to the customers, the PTCL was expanding and upgrading its network in Lahore.
In that regard, the company had upgraded the cable network and provided ONU facility to Canal Bank Housing Scheme, Rizwan Gardens and surrounding areas for the satisfaction of customers, enabling them to utilise and enjoy telecom services smoothly.
“Now the customers of these areas can obtain broadband facility conveniently. The PTCL will upgrade its network step by step all over Lahore,” he said.
Khwaja said PTCL’s broadband was the fastest Internet service in the country and ADSL2-Plus technology had been provided on current land lines.
Kashif Iqbal, a resident of Samanabad, applied for IPTV service from the company. However, the PTCL does not provide IPTV connection only and it is necessary for the consumers to take both DSL and IPTV services.
On Kashif’s application, the company men installed DSL modem at his residence, but they refused to give IPTV connection, saying the network cable reaching his house was connected with the fibre optic cable, which does not support IPTV connection. A company official told him IPTV service could be provided only through copper cable.
Kashif told The News he had actually applied for IPTV connection due to problems faced by the private TV cable network in the area.
“The TV cable service in my locality was not good and remained suspended usually,” he said, adding he learnt from someone the PTCL was providing good IPTV service at cheap rates.
“I applied for it but the company installed DSL modem only which was not of use to me,” Kashif said, adding after refusal from the company he submitted an application for removal of DSL modem.
In another incident, a resident of Cantonment area, Shoaib Ali, applied for DSL student package on July 6. However, DSL service manager and DE of the telephone exchange at Cant refused to provide the service, saying the telephone exchange could not be upgraded.
The exchange was built in 2001 and was based on ONU-I technology which was not fit for DSL technology. Shoaib said they also told him that some 22 PTCL exchanges under their control were outdated which could not support DSL. Shoaib said the company official instead asked him to purchase PTCL-V phone and change his telephone number.
The failure is the result of the Pakistan Telecommunication Company Ltd’s outdated network and lack of modern technology, it is learnt.
When contacted, a PTCL spokesman said there were exchange upgrading issues, causing problems for the people.
PTCL’s Executive Vice President Jamil Khwaja said for providing the best telecom services to the customers, the PTCL was expanding and upgrading its network in Lahore.
In that regard, the company had upgraded the cable network and provided ONU facility to Canal Bank Housing Scheme, Rizwan Gardens and surrounding areas for the satisfaction of customers, enabling them to utilise and enjoy telecom services smoothly.
“Now the customers of these areas can obtain broadband facility conveniently. The PTCL will upgrade its network step by step all over Lahore,” he said.
Khwaja said PTCL’s broadband was the fastest Internet service in the country and ADSL2-Plus technology had been provided on current land lines.
Kashif Iqbal, a resident of Samanabad, applied for IPTV service from the company. However, the PTCL does not provide IPTV connection only and it is necessary for the consumers to take both DSL and IPTV services.
On Kashif’s application, the company men installed DSL modem at his residence, but they refused to give IPTV connection, saying the network cable reaching his house was connected with the fibre optic cable, which does not support IPTV connection. A company official told him IPTV service could be provided only through copper cable.
Kashif told The News he had actually applied for IPTV connection due to problems faced by the private TV cable network in the area.
“The TV cable service in my locality was not good and remained suspended usually,” he said, adding he learnt from someone the PTCL was providing good IPTV service at cheap rates.
“I applied for it but the company installed DSL modem only which was not of use to me,” Kashif said, adding after refusal from the company he submitted an application for removal of DSL modem.
In another incident, a resident of Cantonment area, Shoaib Ali, applied for DSL student package on July 6. However, DSL service manager and DE of the telephone exchange at Cant refused to provide the service, saying the telephone exchange could not be upgraded.
The exchange was built in 2001 and was based on ONU-I technology which was not fit for DSL technology. Shoaib said they also told him that some 22 PTCL exchanges under their control were outdated which could not support DSL. Shoaib said the company official instead asked him to purchase PTCL-V phone and change his telephone number.
ISLAMABAD: Universal Service Fund (USF) signed contracts for providing basic telecom services in Nasirabad with
CM Pak and Broadband Services in Multan Telecom Region with World Call. CEO CM Pak, Qian Li and CEO World Call, Babar Ali Syed signed these contracts with CEO Universal Service Fund, Parvez Iftikhar. Secretary IT, Naguibullah Malik witnessed the signing ceremony as the chief guest. staff report
ISLAMABAD (July 29 2009): National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) has signed contract with cellphone companies, including Mobilink, Telenor Pakistan and Warid Tel, for verification of the computerised national identity cards (CNICs) through SMS.Nadra has initiated the facility under which people can attain the verification of CNIC through SMS.
Subscribers will have the facility to verify the CNIC by sending SMS at 7000. In first phase, Mobilink, Telenor Pakistan and Warid Tel were included in the facility, while negotiations with two more companies, Ufone and Zong, are in progress.
The agreement was signed in an impressive ceremony held at Nadra headquarters, which was attended by senior officials of Nadra and mobile phone companies. Bilal Shiekh of Mobilink, Aamir Ibrahim of Telenor Pakistan and Syed Babar Ahmed of Warid Tel signed on behalf of their companies, while Chief Administrative Officer Brigadier Kamal Aziz (Retd) represented Nadra.
This unique facility is devised for the convenience of general public, which can be utilised by any person desirous to verify credentials of the person with whom they are making business deals or they can verify the CNIC submitted by their employees, household workers and maids.
Nadra took this initiative due to prevailing law and order situation and to curb the menace of identity theft. Brigadier Kamal Aziz (Retd), in his address, said that verification would be done in real time communication with Nadra's National Data Warehouse, using Nadra and mobile phone companies strong network infrastructure.
He said, the CNIC number, which needed to be verified, would be sent through SMS at special number "7000", and in response, Nadra would provide details associated with that CNIC such as name of the person to whom the CNIC allotted in Urdu along with his father's name and in case of a married women her husband's name, or subsequently any other content.
Federal Interior Minister Rehman Malik formally opened the service of verification of CNIC through SMS on July 24. This service will enable the police and other law-enforcement agencies to verify the CNIC of any suspect at checkpoint any time, besides help common people to avoid the bids of cheating by mischievous people as they can verify the CNIC of any person on SMS.
The CNIC verification would be CNIC number (which is to be verified) on special numbers "7000" for general public and "7001" for the law-enforcement agencies. In response, Nadra will provide the details associated with that CNIC such as the name of person to whom that CNIC Number stands allotted (in Urdu) along with any other content deemed appropriate by Nadra pertaining to the CNIC at nominal charges of Rs 10+tax.
Microsoft and Yahoo! today unveiled a 10-year deal to create an online search and advertising partnership in an effort to challenge Google, the world’s biggest internet search engine. Under the agreement, Yahoo! use Microsoft’s new Bing search engine on its own sites, while Yahoo! will act as the exclusive global sales force for the companies’ premium search advertisers. Yahoo! will get to keep 88 per cent of the revenue from all search ad sales on its site for the first five years of the deal, and have the right to sell ads on some Microsoft sites. Yahoo! estimated the deal will boost its annual operating profit by $500 million and save it about $275 million on spending since it will not have to invest in its own search technology. The deal has been announced more than a year after Yahoo! rejected a $47.5 million (£29 million) takeover bid from Microsoft and Yahoo!’s attempt to strike a search advertising deal with Google fell apart under regulatory scrutiny. Microsoft is counting on Yahoo!’s search engine, which ranks as the second largest in the world with a global market share of 8 per cent, to pose a more formidable challenge to Google, which holds 67 per cent of the global audience, according to the most recent data from the research company comScore. In the US, Google’s share is 65 per cent, compared with 20 per cent for Yahoo!. Despite spending billions to upgrade its search engine, Microsoft still held just a 3 per cent share worldwide and 8 per cent in the US in the comScore rankings. There is a chance a deal combining the powers of the second and third-ranked search engine companies would be blocked by antitrust regulators. Shareholders of both Microsoft and Yahoo! have been urging the two to strike a deal for some time. 
Mobinil, Telecom Egypt and Vodafone Egypt have submitted their respective bids to acquire Link Egypt, Broadband unit of Orascom Telecom. According to OT’ CEO, Khaled Bichara, two other unnamed firms have submitted bids before the deadline, which may include Etisalat, as perceived by analysts.
Orascom had announced in February 2009 to sell out 100 percent stakes of Link Egypt, in order to focus on primary Telecom business.
Earlier reports had clued that Link Dot Net Pakistan will be part of this sale out; however, strategic merger of Link Dot Net and Infinity contradicted the phenomenon.
Bichara said five firms had already completed due diligence on Link Egypt, and that OT and consultant EFG-Hermes would begin examining the bids.
Via Wireless Federation