Growing

From
3 to 300
branches

Trust, Commitment, Responsibility defines the values of our relationship with our customers,
whose loyal support has helped us achieve this milestone of growth.
From 3 to 300 - the focus of care continues.
 January 15, February 15, 2010

CONTENT
Content
Editor's Note
CONTENT
Editorial 8

Reader's Response
Letters to the Editor 9

Interview
LCD, LED sales surpass our expectations: Farooq 37
CEO KHL Usman A. Sheikh 50

Telepedia
Provincial VAT Act 2010: 15pc VAT on tele-services proposed 10
Celcos questioned for compromising quality 12
2009: PTA surveyed tele-services 13 Cover Story
Ufone to rob Ufoners once again 17 Page
PTA reports Mobilink's leadership prevails
Looming ARPU in 2009
19
24
48
Timeline of telecommunication in Pakistan 28
Education to eradicate unauthentic SMS 30
Why the big phone companies are dogs 35
Mobile phone user cross the 96.7 million mark 38
Will India trigger 3G on time? 42
When will 3G dawn? 43
Cost cutting measures 44

Cover Story
PEMRA under the shade of Corrupt Executive 48 Page

InsighT
50
PM applauses Huawei for services in telecom and IT 16
IT labs the beginning of a new chapter 18
KHL adding pride to the Made in Pakistan: Usman A.Sheikh
The digital domain of life 25
GST to eliminate under CEM on banking, telecom and insurance 36

Exclusive
World's tallest skyscraper in Dubai 20
PEMRA bursts on dummy airing quacks 30
10 Ways to save money in 2010 34
Twisting trends in texting 45

Events
Jazz exclusive partner of Avatar 14
Bank Alfalah champion for uphold traditional National Dangal 21
Wateen vs. Motorola a friendly cricket match 26
2010 International Consumer Electronics Show 83 Page
Tech Tools
The games that ruled 2009 46
Page
37 83
LCD, LED sales surpass our Bank Alfalah champion for uphold
Gaming weapons with their real counterparts 47 expectations: Farooq traditional National Dangal
Top 10 media players (MP4) of 2009 53
Mobile review 54
Current mobile 58
High range mobile 62
Low range mobile 63
Upcoming mobile 64
ZTE exclusive mobiles 66
Computer 67
Accessories 68
Laptops 70 Page
Top 10 favourite handsets of 2009 71
17
Mosaic
National 79 Ufone to rob Ufoners once again
International 84

Synopsis
Bank Alfalah joins hands Pak-Qatar' 72
Wateen speeds up WiMAX services 73
JAZZ Sim Lagao, Mazaay Uraao! 75
PTCL EVO: Refer a friend and get discount 76
PTCL Offers EVO PCMCIA for Rs. 999 77
National 88 Page
6
International 95
35 Why the big phone companies are dogs
 January 15, February 15, 2010

Editor s
N ote
Did the disastrous progress of
telecom sector end with 2009?
A number of varying opinions are circulating in the telecom sector
about the aftermath of last year - a year that triggered under multiple
internal and external threats. Is the year as successful as it has been
portrayed by the concerned authorities? Is the attitude of government
encouraging for a sector that generates maximum revenue? Who is
responsible for the downward performance of the sector? The cellular
subscribers will cross the mark of 100 million very soon, is negligence Zubair Ahmed Kasuri Editor-in-Chief
and corruption affordable in such a huge sector? Why the 3G license
auction has not been arranged yet? Who is responsible for the delay of Fatima Batool Editor
3G? Does a vital sector like telecommunication deserve ignorance?
2009 can not meet the expectations mainly due to the poor economy Usman Yaqoob
Director Marketing (Lhr)
of the country, decline in the spending power of layman, strengthening
M. Farooq Malik
value of Dollar against Pakistani Rupee, emerging threats of terrorism Manager Marketing (Lhr)
and insurgency, power failure, and of course the blockage of illegal and Rashid Hussain Mughal
unregistered SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) cards. Although the Marketing Executive (Khi)
cellular operators have tried their level best to provide their subscribers
with minimum call rates and maximum value added packages but the
ARPU (average revenue per user) did not improve.
Zafar Khan Afridi
The foreign direct investment (FDI) is huge in telecom sector. The Senior Graphic Designer
sector is not inter-linking millions but also providing impressive M. Naeem Mughal
opportunities of earning and learning to the masses in all nooks and Graphic Designer
corners but the attitude of government has remained hostile to the
benefactors. We have seen the imposition of excessive tax under the Khawar Shahzad
Manager Islamabad Office
camouflage of a number of services. Due to the protest offered by the
Azhar Javed
public, government removed the 20 paisa tax earlier imposed on per SMS. General Manager
No security is provided to the companies who suffer any kind of loss Muhammad Saeed
during internal insurgency. Neither assets nor investments are secure. Chief Photographer
The OICCI (Overseas Chamber of Commerce and Industry) has Mobile: 0321 - 8404389
presented the ISR (Investment Survey Report) of 2009 according to which
the business margins have gone through pressure and resulted in
declining profit and decreased investment. Lahore Office
The year has shown that those investors who were interested in 46J-Gulberg III, Lahore-Pakistan.
spending billions now prefer to spend carefully. Despite of increased Ph: +92-42-38350195, 042-35880183
risks, the deplorable situation is made worst by the discouraging attitude Fax: +92-42-35880183
in terms of high prices imposed by Pakistan Telecommunication Islamabad Office
Phone: +92-51-5892027 +92-51-8235066
Authority (PTA) under the tag of multiple services and up gradation.
Kasur Office
It is pertinent to mention that the results of the OICCI ISR depicted a Phone: +92-492-770820-763250
limited increase in FDI (foreign direct investment) by 0.97 per cent, Rs Karachi Office
148 billion in FY08 as compared to Rs 146 billion in FY07. However, this Phone: + 92-21-34602620
cautious but continued increase in investments comes as a positive
surprise, forecasts for the following year i.e. FY09 indicate that members Registration No
PCPB/105
plan to withhold investments by approximately Rs 55 billion - a
substantial decline of approximately 37 per cent. (Vol. 6 Issue:4)
“This clearly indicates that foreign investors who had over the years Price Rs: 300
continued to show confidence in the country are now cautious of URL: www.flare.com.pk
bringing additional capital for the time being - Rs 93 billion planned for Email: flare.mag@gmail.com
FY09.” Scanned by FotoScan
Tel: 042-37111906 - 37234042
There is much potential in the sector that can be exploited only
through positive and friendly policies. The delay in 3G services is not a
fault of PTA only but also of the government who has failed in devising
infrastructure. The government is failed in solving the very basic needs
of public. There is no electricity and security. PTA is trying to regularise
the sector but there is still room for improvement. It is shameful to see Zubair Ahmed Kasuri, publisher of FLARE
that the government has not appointed the Minister of Telecom and IT. leading telecom magazine, printed it from
How the ministry can fulfil its duty in the absence of the respective
Akkaz Printers, Shama Plaza, Lahore and
minister?
The New Year has dawn with the hope that the government will published from 46J, Gulberg III, Lahore.
sincerely try not to squeeze but to promote the telecom sector. India will
soon launch the 3G services and Bangladesh has also planned to start one
where other developed countries are already serving their people with
the latest technologies. Let’s hope that this year will jot down an
improved history of telecommunications!

8
Letters:Layout 1 1/21/2010 1:57 PM Page 1

9
 Telepedia Sohail Sarfraz Free download | flare.com.pk

he provincial 'Value Added Tax (VAT)

T Act 2010' has proposed 15 per cent

standard VAT on telecommunication
services, service provided by travel
Provincial VAT Act 2010:
15pc VAT on tele-services
agents, tour operators, event organisers,
transporters and others, as specified in the Act.
The supply of telecom services by a supplier
residing in Pakistan to a telecom supplier residing
outside Pakistan shall be zero-rated, the
provincial VAT Act 2010 adds.
A supply of services is made in province; for
providing services that are typically performed
proposed
directly in the physical presence of individual (if
they are performed in province); for services
provided by travel agencies and tour operators (if
the place of business from which the services are
performed is in Province); for services in the area
of culture, the arts, sport, entertainment or similar
services, including services of the event organiser
and related services, (if the place where the
relevant activity is performed is in province); for
hotel and restaurant services (if the place at which
the service is actually rendered is in province); for
transport and related services( if the place where
the services are performed in province); for
telecommunications services (if a person initiates
the service in province) and a supply of services
is made in province in any other case, if the
recipient is ordinarily resident in province.
Under the Provincial VAT Act 2010, a supply
of services that is made in Pakistan and is not
subject to tax under the Federal Value Added Tax
Act or a Provincial Value Added Tax law, other
than this Act, is made in province if the registered
office of the supplier, or of the supplier's VAT According to the place of taxation rules of the Provincial VAT
representative in Pakistan, is located in province. Act 2010, the supply of services is made in Pakistan if the
Place of initiation of telecommunications: The
person who initiates a telecommunications supplier is a resident of Pakistan. A supply of services is
services is the person who is identified by the made in Pakistan if supplier is a non-resident with a
supplier of the services as being the person who
controls the commencement of the supply; the
permanent establishment in Pakistan and the supply is
person who pays for the services or the person made through that permanent establishment
who contracts for the supply. The Provincial VAT
Act 2010 has also elaborated the progressive or supplier of the services. In this regard, if a outside Pakistan. A supply of services physically
periodic supply. Where a progressive or periodic registered person carries on economic activities performed shall be zero-rated. Leased goods
supply is deemed to be a series of separate both at a fixed place in province and at a fixed outside Pakistan for each part of a lease, hire,
supplies, the place where each such supply takes place outside Pakistan. licence, or other supply of the use of goods that is
place is determined separately. The person shall be treated as two separate treated as a separate supply, the supply shall be
Special rules where tax reverse charged to persons corresponding respectively to the taxable zero-rated if the goods are outside Pakistan for
recipient: The value of a taxable supply of services activities the person carries on at each place. The the whole of that period.
that is not made in Pakistan shall be, if the person outside Pakistan shall be deemed to have Services consumed outside Pakistan: A supply
of services that are typically performed directly
Telecommunication services means a service involving in the physical presence of individuals shall be
zero-rated if the services are performed outside
transmission, emission or reception of signals, writing, images, Pakistan. A supply of services shall be zero-rated
sounds or information of any kind by wire, radio, optical, or if the services are not directly connected with
goods situated in Pakistan at the time of supply
other electromagnetic systems including a provision of access and the recipient of the supply is a
non-resident who is outside Pakistan at the time
to global or local information network, but does not include the of supply and a supply of services
supply of the underlying writing, images, sounds or information shall be zero-rated if a person who is outside
Pakistan at the time of supply and who will
supplier and recipient are related persons, the made a supply of services to the person inside effectively use or enjoy the services outside
open market price of the supply, reduced by the province consisting of any benefit in the nature of Pakistan.
tax fraction of that price; or in any other case, the services (as defined for the purposes of this Act) A supply of services shall not zero-rated, if the
consideration for the supply. Tax payable by the that is received by the person in province through supply is of a right or option to receive a
recipient of a taxable supply of services that is not or as a result of the activities carried on by the subsequent supply of goods or services in
made in Pakistan shall be both output tax and person outside Pakistan. The time of the supply Pakistan or the services are supplied under an
input tax of the person. be determined on the assumption that a supply agreement with a non-resident but are rendered
If an adjustment event occurs in relation to a has been made; and the value of the services shall to an unregistered person in Pakistan.
supply of services not made in Pakistan that is, or be determined on the assumption that the supply Inter-carrier telecommunications service: A
would be because of the adjustment event, a was made by a non-resident outside Pakistan to supply of telecommunication services
taxable supply, the recipient of the supply of an associated person inside province. by a telecommunication supplier resident
services shall be treated as if he were also the The Provincial VAT Act 2010 has also in Pakistan to a telecommunications supplier
10 explained procedure on services consumed resident outside Pakistan shall be zero-rated.

 Telepedia Flare Report Free download | flare.com.pk

n a significant development, Pakistan

I Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has

issued show cause notices to five leading
mobile phone operators of the country on
their failure of improving their service quality
Celcos questioned for
across the country.
The notices have been issued on the basis of the
recently concluded Quality of Service (QoS)
Survey of mobile phone operators. The results
compromising quality
were also shared with the mobile phone
companies along with instructions to improve
their service quality. Later, a reasonable time was
also given to them so that they could improve
their network performance. However, it is found
that all mobile operators failed to achieve the
desired results. As a result, PTA issued show
cause notices to all mobile companies for failing
to maintain the quality as per the licence
conditions.
This survey included quality of voice and SMS
in 14 cities of Pakistan, AJ&K and Gilgit Baltistan
including all major highways. This exercise
conducted by PTA's enforcement teams with the
latest automated QoS equipment.
PTA has been conducting this survey
throughout the last year and shared results of first
three quarters with the operators with directions
to improve their services. The final comprehensive
survey was conducted in the fourth quarter of
2009.

This survey includes quality

of voice and SMS in 14
cities of Pakistan, AJ&K and
Gilgit Baltistan including all
major highways. This
exercise conducted by
PTA's enforcement teams
with the latest automated
QoS equipment
While talking about survey results, Chairman
PTA, Dr Mohammed Yaseen said that ensuring
provision of quality services to the telecom
consumers has always been a priority of PTA. The
objective of conducting QoS survey is to ensure
that the telecom customers are being provided
with top quality services, he added.
It may be noted that every year PTA defines its
targets and goals where QoS survey of all services
remains one of the major activities. The aim is to
ensure that the telecom companies provide quality
service as per the licence conditions and
instructions of PTA.
Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA)
has formulated two sets of Key Performance
Indicators (KPI's) to improve and monitor the
Quality of Service (QoS) of "Fixed Broadband" and
"GPRS/EDGE" networks.
The objective of introducing these KPIs is to
create transparency and set monitor-able
standards in fixed broadband and GPRS/EDGE
services hence ensuring consumers' satisfaction.
Extensive consultations with the relevant
operators and stakeholders were carried out for
the development of these QoS parameters. The
KPIs were finalised after discussing the varying
views in detail with all concerned bodies which
were incorporated in the final version.
12
The notices have been issued on the basis of the
recently concluded Quality of Service (QoS) Survey of
mobile phone operators. The results were also shared with
the mobile phone companies along with instructions to
improve their service quality
The KPIs have been developed through
keeping in view their applicability, possibility of
end-to-end testing (non-intrusive for network
under test), ease of measurement, ease of
understanding for a field testing person, similar
treatment of rural and urban regions in terms of
service offerings and a push for future
improvement in wireless broadband networking.
Senate hailed PTA for show cause notices
Senate Standing Committee on IT and tele-
com has hailed PTA's issuance of notices to five
mobile phone operators on failing to meet the
benchmark results of quality of service survey as
per licence terms and conditions.
The Committee considered this initiative as
beneficial for the mobile phone subscribers in its
meeting held to review the performance of Pak-
istan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) on
protecting telecom consumers’ rights.
Chairman PTA, Dr Muhammed Yaseen
briefed the committee on PTA's procedures of
monitoring Quality of Service (QoS) of all tele-
The KPIs' suite envelops parameters like network
availability, service availability, link speed, retain-
ability, bandwidth, contention ratio, round trip
time, tariff comparison, customer service
complaints, billing complaints and service
provisioning complaints, as appropriate.
It may be mentioned that GPRS (General
Packet Radio service) and EDGE (Enhanced Data
rate for GSM Evolution) are GSM wireless packet
data transfer standards commonly referred to as
2.5G and 2.75G respectively. Using these
networks; services like internet connectivity,
push-based email solutions with attachment
facility, pull-based services, instant messenger etc
are being offered to help in accessing personal or
official information while roaming locally or
globally. Better GPRS/EDGE networks are also
com services to ensure that the consumers’ rights
could be protected. He informed the committee
that Lirne Asia and other international forums
that monitor regulators' performance worldwide
have rated PTA as one of the best in the region
on regulatory measures.
Chairman of the Committee, Senator Idrees
Khan Shafi and other members including
Senator Salim Saifullah, Senator Zahid Khan,
Senator Moula Baksh Chandio, Senator Faisal
Raza Abidi, Senator Mrs. Farhat Abbasi and Sen-
ator Mrs. Fauzia Fakhar-ur-zaman have hailed
PTA's performance.
necessary for introduction of more innovative
value added services (VAS) in future.
PTA has been striving to serve the telecom and
ICT sector of Pakistan for its growth and
development through different initiatives.
Introduction of KPI's for Broadband Services is an
effort to achieve PTA's vision of "Protecting
Consumer Interest and Ensuring High Quality
ICT Services".

Free download | flare.com.pk
2009: PTA surveyed
tele-services
The parameters checked during the survey were Network
Accessibility, Service Accessibility, Access Delay (Call
Set Up Time), Retain ability (Call Dropping), Voice Qual-
ity and SMSs. Out of these parameters some were found
as
ast year Pakistan Telecommunication
L Authority (PTA) kept keen eye on the
performance of all those companies that
are offering telecom, whether cellular or
landline, services nationwide.
Quality of Service (QoS) Survey of Cellular
Mobile Operators was conducted through
NEMO TOOL by all the zones at Rawalpindi,
Islamabad, Gilgit, Muzaffarabad, Mirpur,
Peshawar, Abbottabad, Lahore, Faisalabad,
Multan, Quetta, Sibbi , Karachi , Hyderabad and
Sukkur.
The parameters checked during the survey
were Network Accessibility, Service
Accessibility, Access Delay (Call Set Up Time),
Retain ability (Call Dropping), Voice Quality
and SMSs. Out of these parameters, some were
found as improved while the others remained
unchanged.
During the reported period, the PTA carried
out a series of three surveys on pre-active SIMs
sale at registered sale points. In each survey, a
sample of around 20 - 100 pre-active SIMs,
where available, was collected from different
registered retailers.
During the survey, a total of 17 cities were
visited and 439 pre-actives SIMs were
purchased. It was found that after the issuance
of Enforcement Order to all the mobile
companies and the raids conducted by the PTA
field officers along with FIA, the situation
considerably improved.
The PTA also conducted CMTOs Call
Centres Survey in Lahore, Karachi and
Rawalpindi to check/verify internal verification
procedures of non-activated SIMs. The survey
revealed that Mobile companies were adhering
to PTA’s SOP.
PTA initiated an in-depth
survey with a reasonably
good sample size (for the
frequently visited countries)
for billing error rate, voice
quality, CLI display, call
completion ratios, SMS
delivery and corresponding
delays and also on
enhancing its KPIs
A joint survey by PTA and FAB was carried
out to check the power level of BTSs transmitters
and receivers and other parameters to ensure
compliance of clause 10 (1) of the “Protection
from Health Effects of Radio Base Station
Antennas Regulations, 2008”. The survey was
conducted from April 1, 2009 to June 30, 2009.
The results revealed that power level of all
the BTSs surveyed was within the limits. In
Flare Report Telepedia
order to gauge the Quality of Service (QoS)
being offered by cellular operators to Pakistanis
travelling abroad, PTA conducted a limited QoS
test (Phase-I) in 2006-07.
Later in 2009 PTA initiated an in-depth
survey with a reasonably good sample size (for
the frequently visited countries) for billing error
rate, voice quality, CLI display, call completion
ratios, SMS delivery and corresponding delays
and also on enhancing its KPIs.
During the period under review Quality of
Service Survey of ISPs was conducted by Zonal
Offices in seventeen cities. The comparison of
the results of ISP Survey 2007 and 2008 has been
given in Table - 3. In this survey a significant
improvement was observed in Quality of
Service when compared to the last year.
The survey result of Cellular Mobile Quality
of Service depicts that Warid has maintained
with a dignity its service accessibility in all cities
i.e. Islamabad/Rawalpindi 100 per cent, Gajar
Khan 100 per cent, Jehlum 97.95 per cent, Lahore
99.09, Faisalabad 97.56 per cent, Karachi 98.67
per cent, Hyderabad 99 per cent, Quetta 98 per
cent, Abbottabad 98.70 per cent, Nowshere 100
per cent, Muzafarabad 97.55 per cent, Kotli 100
per cent and Dadyal 98.33 per cent.
Telenor has remained incapable of
maintaining its service accessibility in
Islamabad/Rawalpindi 96 per cent, Jehlum
97.99 per cent, Lahore 97.50 per cent, Faisalabad
96.13 per cent, Nowshere 96.10 per cent, Kotli
97.76 per cent and Dadyal 96.33 per cent where
Ufone could not meet the mark in
Islamabad/Rawalpindi where service
accessibility is 96.98 per cent, Muzafarabad with
service accessibility 97.55 per cent and Kotli
with 96.66 per cent service accessibility.
It is pertinent to mention that none of the
cellular operator could meet the mark of voice
clarity i.e. more than three where none of the
celcos has crossed the benchmark of three where
Warid has shown highest voice clarity with 2.90
speech quality in Dadyal.
Now PTA is in action and trying its level best
to regularise the telecommunication services
and it is hoped that 2010 will be a new beginning
in the performance of cellular operators.
13
 Event Flare Report Free download | flare.com.pk

Hasan, Sheharbano Zaidi & Nadeem Mandviwalla Cricketer & Mobilink Brand Ambassador Wasim Akram
present at the Jazz 'Avatar' screening. at the Jazz 'Avatar' screening with family.

Guests in a cheerful mood present at the Muneeb Nawaz with Jazz Brand Ambassador Ali Zafar
Jazz 'Avatar' screening. at the screening of 'Avatar'.

Maria B, Wasif Mustafa & Najia Wasif at the Ahmed Butt, Waqar Hamza & Fawwad Khan (EP)
Jazz 'Avatar' screening. present at the Jazz 'Avatar' screening.

Head of Jazz Communications Ali Murtaza along with Fizza Ali expressing her views with Media at the
14 Jazz Brand Ambassador Ali Zafar. Jazz 'Avatar' screening.
 InsighT Flare Report Free download | flare.com.pk

rime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani

P said that telecom sector in Pakistan has

made enormous progress and the
performance indicators are showing
PM applauses Huawei for
services in telecom and IT
encouraging signs. He said tele-density, which
was merely 2.3 per cent in 1999-2000, has now
soared to 62.4 per cent, which is highest in the
South Asian Region.
The total number of fixed and mobile
subscribers has reached around 102.16 million
while broadband connectivity has increased to 0.5
million and is still showing a rapid increase, he
added.
The Prime Minister expressed these views in
a meeting with a delegation of Huawei
Technologies headed by its CEO, August Ye,
which called on him prior to the signing of
agreement between COMSATS Institute of IT and
Huawei Technologies at the PM's House in
Islamabad.
He said that information and communication
technology sector is considered as the engine of
growth and socio-economic development of
countries all over the world. He said now
development of the countries is being measured
in terms of their potential and performance in this
sector. New technologies and innovative IT
applications are transforming national and
international economies.
The Prime Minister said that in order to cater Islamabad: PM Yousaf Raza Gilani having a meeting with CEO, Hauwei Technologies August Yo
for the growing needs of telecom industry, at Prime Minister’s House.
quality human resource, especially, IT and
telecom specialists are of vital importance.
In this regard Government of Pakistan is
Under the agreement, Huawei will set up an integrated
placing special emphasis on enhancing the platform for telecom engineers and students of the twin
capacity of technical institutions, besides
undertaking Research and Development cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad to focus on Research
programmes in well-reputed institutions of
higher education in Pakistan, the cornerstone of
and Development activities, and to keep abreast of the
our education, and IT polices, he added.
The Prime Minister appreciated that Huawei
cutting edge technologies in the industry
Telecom is contributing significantly towards the
capacity building of engineering universities of promote sustainable technological development billion in 2009 and ranks top three in world
Pakistan. Huawei has already established an IT in the country. telecom industry.
Centre for Research and Development in the August Ye, CEO Huawei, assured the Prime On the occasion of signing ceremony between
University of Engineering and Technology Minster that Huawei being a reliable and trustful Huawei Pakistan and COMSATS Institute of
Lahore at a cost of over USD eight million. partner of the Government of Pakistan and its Information Technology for setting up the second
Gilani was informed that now Huawei Tech is telecom companies would continue providing joint IT centre in Islamabad at a cost of USD 4.7
rendering assistance to establish one more IT and advance technology in future. He informed the million, the PM said that increased cooperation in
telecom centre in COMSATS, Islamabad. The Prime Minister that Huawei established its science and technology between Pakistan and
centre will serve as the seat of advanced learning Pakistan office in 1998 and is now having China would further strengthen their ties and
and skill development of telecommunication technology cooperation with Pakistani benefit the people of both countries.
professionals. It will enable the students of organisations. The meeting was attended by Minister for
regional universities to well-equip with latest Huawei Pakistan is the leading telecom E2E Information and Broadcasting, Qamar Zaman
techniques and technologies. Kaira, Minister for Petroleum, Syed Naveed
In addition to these initiatives, Huawei The total number of fixed Qamar, Minister for Privatisation, Senator Waqar
Ahmad Khan, Secretary IT and Secretary
technologies have also committed to deliver the
IT and telecom equipment worth USD one million and mobile subscribers has Privatisation. Chinese Ambassador in Pakistan,
to improve the functionalities of Electronic reached around 102.16 Lou Zhaohui was also present during the meeting.
Under the agreement, Huawei will set up an
Government Directorate.
The Prime Minister said that Government of million while broadband integrated platform for telecom engineers and
students of the twin cities of Rawalpindi and
Pakistan recognises the valuable contribution
being made by our time tested and all times
connectivity has increased Islamabad to focus on Research and Development
friend China, and especially by Huawei to 0.5 million and is still activities, and to keep abreast of the cutting edge
technologies in the industry. Huawei’s existing set
Technology for capacity building in the field of IT
and telecom technologies. He anticipated that
showing a rapid increase up at UET Lahore has gifted it latest telecom
synergy with Huawei Technologies would equipment and laboratory. Over 3000 students
strengthen Pakistan's R&D capabilities and hoped solution provider and has more than 1600 have received training at this centre.
that COMSATS Institute of information employees which are composed of over 1,400 Huawei is currently meeting 70 per cent needs
technology in collaboration with other regional Pakistanis. Huawei is the only vendor which of world's top 50 telecom companies including the
universities would make benefit of this new serves all the mainstream telecom operators of the BT, Vodafone, Telefonica, Orange and T-Mobile.
facility. country. In Pakistan it is providing telecom solution and
He asked the Ministry of IT to make concerted He further apprised the Prime Minister that equipment to PTCL, Ufone, Telenor, Warid, Zong,
efforts to promote ICT applications and to Huawei a world leading telecom solutions NTC, NLC and SCO.

16 provider has achieved a target of over USD 30
Free download | flare.com.pk
Ufone to rob
Ufoners once again
A number of customers may not need the package
especially those who check their balance once a day.
In case you check your balance twice a day, it means 60
times a month that is 60 multiplied by 0.12 (the charges
of balance inquiry plus tax) and you will be charged Rs
7.2 per month for checking your balance twice a day
where this service will cost you about Rs 12
akistan is a strange land where almost
P every boon is present in abundance.
However the utilization of opportunities
has remained controversial. In a
likewise pattern, the markets of Pakistan are
among those charming places of investment that
have been badly exploited.
In a brief span of 62 years the industries of
Pakistan have impressively flourished. The
textile industry, the agricultural sector, the
banking sector, the fields of information
technology (IT) and telecom are among the
departments that have made unique progress.
The progress of telecom sector is my point of
concern in this article. Those foreign companies
that once bothered to invest in the telecom sector
are nowadays making heaps of money.
Although the trend of foreign direct investment
(FDI) has decreased in 2009, the investments
made prior to 2009 have proved themselves a
success. Mobilink has remained successful in
scoring the lion’s share of telecom sector where
Warid, Telenor, Ufone and Zong are not far
behind in the race of celcos.
The telecom operators have adopted different
ways for making their path smooth.
Interestingly, Pakistan Telecommunication
Company Limited (PTCL) is the largest landline
operator where Ufone is the subsidiary of PTCL.
The practices of Ufone are different from those
of PTCL. I want to highlight a recent offer by
Ufone in the perspective of charges on balance
inquiries made by Ufoners.
Months back, Ufone imposed Rs 0.60 charges
on the balance inquiry. Regardless of the protest
registered by the users of Ufone nationwide the
company kept on the charges. And now after
subsequent delay the company has introduced
Flare Report Telepedia
“Call Summery Alerts” in order to strengthen its
revenue.
It is shameful to see that Ufone has adopted
such deceitful manners to generate revenue
while forgetting that the users of today are well-
aware of their rights and are not an easy prey.
Now Ufone is offering a package of obtaining
Delivery Reports of SMS at certain charges per
month. It is pertinent to mention that months
ago Ufone cut off the facility of delivery reports
in order to improve its network.
Ufone is introducing the service “Call
Summary Alerts” that offers call duration, call
cost and remaining balance at the end of each
call - a service that costs Rs 10 plus tax per
month.
A number of customers may not need the
package especially those who check their
balance once a day. In case
you check your balance twice
a day, it means 60 times a
month that is 60 multiplied by
0.12 (the charges of balance
inquiry plus tax) and you will
be charged Rs 7.2 per month
for checking your balance
twice a day, where this service will cost you
about Rs 12.
It is worth mentioning here that Warid offers
same service free of cost, i.e. at the end of each
call remaining balance is displayed along with
remaining SMS - in case the user is subscribed to
any daily or weekly SMS bucket.
Warid offers same service
free of cost, i.e. at the end
of each call remaining
balance is displayed along
with remaining SMS - in
case the user is subscribed
to any daily or weekly
SMS bucket
For subscribing you can call 127 and follow
the procedure to activate Ufone Call Summary
Alerts. After successful subscription, call
summary will be received in following format as
a flash message: Call Duration: …sec, Call Cost:
Rs… Balance: Rs..
In case you are not satisfied and want to
deactivate the service then call 127 and follow
the procedure to cut off the alerts. Rs 10 plus tax
is charged for monthly subscription
and in case the applicant has
less balance then Rs 3 plus tax is
charged for weekly basis. In case of having less
balance daily charges of Rs 0.50 plus tax are
charged.
In case you are subscribed to voice bundle
then you can not receive these SMS alerts until
your free minutes expire. It seems as if the
company has left the subscriber with no way to
escape.
I think it is time that Ufone must realise that
the subscribers are no more innocent. Now they
know what to pick and why. Today people are
very sensible and curious about their spending.
Ufone must remain fair in its dealings and
offerings in order to improve its tarnish
reputation.
17
 InsighT Flare Report
IT labs – the beginning
of a new chapter
There is a need of promoting IT in agriculture, livestock
industry, health and other sectors and a hope that 3.4 million
students to be benefited from IT Labs annually will play their
due role in the development of these sectors
he internet is “an international computer
T network through which computer users
all over the world can communicate and
exchange information and ideas.” It is
now widely used and has made the exchange of
information in all the arts and sciences easy and
fast. For the fastest and instant communication of
all kinds of documents and data of every kind, the
e-mail is in use within the framework of the
internet. The memory of the computer is one of
its main functions. All kinds of information and
facts can be stored in a computer for further use.
So a small disk or cassette can have material
that many books and hundreds of files might
contain. Whole libraries can be computerised.
Now, in our country, the record of all the
country’s identity cards is computerised. The
record of millions of hospital patients,
expenditure on defence and different government
departments and budget figures, besides other
kinds of details, is recorded in computers.
The telecom and IT exhibition held in Lahore
at a local hotel where large number of people
visited and showed marvellous interest to the
displayed items especially in laptops.
Development Times organised the event in
collaboration with Institute of
Telecommunication Engineers Pakistan.
Cooperation for the event was extended by
Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA),
Government of Pakistan and Engineers Study
Forum.
A sizeable number of organisations, IT
companies, universities and telecom groups were
exhibited in the Expo including, Punjab
Information Technology Department, Pakistan
18 Software Export Board Government of Pakistan,
Free download | flare.com.pk
be 90 per cent lower than a traditional all-PC
computer lab.
Punjab Chief Minister, Muhammad Shahbaz
Sharif while talking on the occasion said the
government has not only laid the foundation of a
revolution in education sector but millions of
students will also have an access to the changing
situation of the world and modern knowledge
through this project. He appreciated the efforts of
Additional Chief Secretary and Project Director
Javed Aslam, Chief Secretary Javed Mahmood
and the entire team for completing the IT Labs
project in a transparent manner and minimum
period.
He also inspected stalls set up by various
international and local IT companies in the fair
and evinced keen interest in it. He said that the
world has become a global village in the present
scenario, therefore, it is imperative to equip the
young generation with this technology for the
development of the country. He said that keeping
in view the importance of IT, the project of IT
The Chief Minister said that
computers and other
facilities have been
provided in these Labs
under a complete package
which includes provision of
computers, training of
master trainers, after sale
service and all other matters
Labs has been completed speedily.
The Chief Minister of Punjab said that an
Telecom Foundation Group, University of agreement had been singed with Microsoft in
Engineering and Technology Lahore, University 1998 for the promotion of IT in the province but
of Central Punjab, overseas companies and due to toppling of the democratic government by
leading software IT groups. a dictator, this project could not be completed. He
Theme of the conference was development said that now again an agreement is being made
and investment in telecom and IT sector which with Microsoft and soon a delegation will also
contribute a big share in the GDP of our national visit Punjab with regard to this agreement. He
economy, experts made technical presentations extended his gratitude to those international
on various subjects based on updates review and companies that have extended
cooperation for setting up IT Labs.
The Chief Minister said that
computers and other facilities
have been provided in these Labs
under a complete package which
includes provision of computers,
training of master trainers, after
sale service and all other matters.
He said that there is a need of
promoting IT in agriculture,
livestock industry, health and
other sectors and hoped that 3.4
million students to be benefited
from IT Labs annually will play
their due role in the development
of these sectors.
Lahore: The visitors take keen interest in the laptops displayed during A talented student Arfa Karim
an IT exhibition at a local hotel. who showed best performance in
futurist approach. IT sector and got Microsoft
The Punjab government has completed an certificate at a very young age paid rich tribute
uphill task of setting up IT Labs in minimum time to the Chief Minister of Punjab on the steps taken
in 4286 schools of the province. In Punjab, each for the promotion of IT in the province.
school will be furnished with a 15-seat computer Later, the Chief Minister gave away shields to
lab, which will be run on three desktop PCs and the government officers and representatives of
12 NComputing virtual desktops that will be the companies who took part in the IT Labs
connected to the PCs. In addition to reducing project whereas Arfa Karim presented shield to
purchase costs, electricity usage for these labs will the Chief Minister.

Free download | flare.com.pk Flare Report Telepedia

franchises).

PTA reports Mobilink’s The report also states that Mobilink holds the
largest share in terms of subscribers with 29.14

Cellular Revenue Share by Company

leadership prevails Warid

18.96%
Mobilink
39.20%

Telenor
24.27%

Instaphone Ufone
0.01% Zong 18.86%
3.90%

million subscribers at the end of June 2009. It is

worth highlighting that according to the
Authority’s website Mobilink has added more
than one million subscribers since July and its
subscriber base as of October 2009stands at
30.28 million.

Mobilink holds the largest

Mobilink, Pakistan’s market leader in cellular
services and part of Orascom Telecom Holding,
holds 39 per cent of the market share in terms of
revenue for the year 2009, according to the Annual
Report 2009 issued recently by the Pakistan
Telecommunication Authority
akistan Telecommunication Authority
share in terms of
subscribers with 29.14
million subscribers at the
end of June 2009. It is worth
highlighting that according
to the Authority’s web site
Mobilink has added more
than one million subscribers
since July and its
subscriber base as of
October 2009 stands at
30.28 million
Rashid Khan, President and CEO, Mobilink,
expressed satisfaction over the performance of
the company. “2009 was a tough year for the
operators and although competition has economy and the country as a whole. However,

P (PTA) has, within a few years, come a

long way towards achieving a highly
promising telecom sector even in a
difficult economic situation in the country.
Standing on the unprecedented growth
increased but Mobilink has still maintained its
performance.

Cellular Subscribers Market Share

Warid Mobilink
the support by PTA, Ministry of IT and
consistent efforts of the employees has enabled
us to successfully propel our operations in a
favourable strategic direction. I would also like

patterns of the past few years, Pakistan's 18.96% 30.88%

telecom scenario today presents a look of a
growing sector with the launch of a great many
state of the art services and modern telecom
infrastructure. The sector is maintaining good
foreign investment and generating significant
economic activity and huge employment
opportunities in the country.
Mobilink, Pakistan’s market leader in
Cellular Services and part of Orascom Telecom
Holding, holds 39 per cent of the market share
in terms of revenue for the year 2009, according
to the Annual Report 2009 issued recently by the
Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA).
In highly competitive sector, market share is
termed to be a strong parameter to show degree
of competitiveness in the sector. For a long time,
Mobilink remained the market leader with a
significant difference, both in terms of
subscribers and revenues with rest of the
Telenor
22.15% Ufone
21.20%
Instaphone
Zong
0.04%
0.77%
In addition to holding the lion’s share in
terms of revenue, other favourable performance
trends sustained by Mobilink and recognised by to thank our loyal subscribers who continue to
the report for the financial year 2009 include the trust Mobilink, making it Pakistan’s largest and
highest Average Revenue Per User, the largest favourite cellular family. 2010 is around the
number of post-paid connections (0.5 million), corner and we look forward to continue adding
largest coverage footprint with over 7,900 cell value to the lives of our consumers through
quality of service and innovation.”
19
sites and the largest franchise network (429
 Exclusive Flare Report
World's tallest skyscraper in Dubai
Today the United Arab Emirates achieves the tallest building ever created by the hand of
man... and this great project deserves to carry the name of a great man: Sheikh Mohammad
inally United Arab Emirates inaugurated
F the world's tallest building, namely, Burj
Khalifa, a glistening concrete, glass and
steel pinnacle rising 828 metres out of the
desert sands in Dubai on January 4, 2010 in the first
week of 2010.
Blistering fireworks rippled up and down the
massive structure after Dubai ruler Sheikh
Mohammad bin Rashed al-Maktoum officially
opened it. He renamed the building, previously
known as Burj Dubai, Burj Khalifa in honour of
United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Khalifa bin
Zayed al-Nahayan.
Sheikh Khalifa is ruler of Abu Dhabi, the
emirate which came to Dubai's help late last year
to the tune of 10 billion dollars to bail out troubled
property developer Nakheel, a subsidiary of Dubai
World.
"Today the United Arab Emirates achieves the
tallest building ever created by the hand of man...
and this great project deserves to carry the name of
a great man. Today I inaugurate Burj Khalifa,"
Sheikh Mohammad said.
Parachutists bearing the UAE colours of red,
green, black and white then touched down as a
giant portrait of Sheikh Khalifa was projected on an
outer wall of the structure which cost 1.5 billion
dollars to erect.
In the fireworks spectacle that followed
blossoms of flames crackled up and down the huge
building and out into the Dubai night sky, followed
later by lasers sweeping the horizon from the many
levels of tower.
Dubai hopes the opening of the Burj Khalifa -
the latest in a series of grandiose projects - will
burnish an image tarnished by its crippling debt
woes.
The needle-shaped tower, described by its
developer as a "vertical city" as it dwarfs existing
skyscrapers, boasts new limits in design and
construction.
Emaar Properties, the partly government-
owned developer, maintained the suspense about
the skyscraper's final height, saying only that it
20 exceeded 800 metres (2,625 feet). It said the tower
Free download | flare.com.pk
has more than 200 floors, only 160 of which will be a huge spire. To reach the final stages, concrete was
inhabited, while the remaining floors are for
services.
“Burj Khalifa has a total built-up area of 5.67
million square feet, including 1.85 million square
feet of residential space and more than 300,000
propelled to a height of 605 metres - a world record.
The emirate narrowly escaped financial
catastrophe last month as neighbouring deep-
pocketed Abu Dhabi threw it a last-minute
lifeline worth 10 billion dollars to pay imminent
square feet of prime office space,” Emaar said. debt owed by Dubai World.
This amounts to 1,044 apartments and 49 floors The group last month began negotiations with
of office space, served by 57 lifts. It also has a hotel its creditors with the hope of reaching an
carrying the Georgio Armani logo.
Emaar Properties, the partly
government-owned developer,
maintained the suspense
about the skyscraper's final
height, saying only that it
exceeded 800 metres (2,625
feet). It said the tower has
more than 200 floors, only 160
of which will be inhabited,
while the remaining floors are
for services
Bill Baker, a structural and civil engineer and
partner in Chicago-based Skidmore, Owings and
Merrill (SOM), which designed the tower, said it agreement over restructuring an accumulated
has set a new benchmark. debt of USD 22 billion amassed by its troubled
"We thought that it would be slightly taller than subsidiaries. Dubai's total debt, mostly that of its
the existing tallest tower of Taipei 101. (Emaar) kept state-owned companies, amounts to USD 100
on asking us to go higher but we didn't know how billion.
high we could go," he added. Abu Dhabi, and the Abu Dhabi-based central
"We were able to tune the building like we tune bank of the United Arab Emirates, has already
a music instrument. As we went higher and higher extended financial aid of USD 25 billion to Dubai
and higher, we discovered that by doing that since it announced early in 2009 that it needed to
process... we were able to reach heights much sort the debt problem of its firms. Dubai's
higher than we ever thought we could." economy was hard hit by the global financial
A spiralling Y-shaped design by SOM architect crisis, which turned off the tap on vital foreign
Adrian Smith was used to support the structural financing badly needed for its breakneck-speed
core of the tower, which narrows as it ascends.
growth.

Higher up it becomes a steel structure topped with
Free download | flare.com.pk
Bank Alfalah champion for uphold-
ing traditional National Dangal
CEO, Abu Dhabi Group, Bashir A. Tahir said, “Our
Group would continue to sponsor mega event of
sports for the betterment and promotion of youth in
Pakistan. Wrestling and wrestlers are integral to
Punjab’s culture”
he Bank Alfalah plays an active role in
T
promoting healthy sports activities in the
country and it has made a great
contribution to the promotion of the
games. Recently, Bank Alfalah sponsored Bank
Alfalah Cup 2009 One-Day International cricket
series and 6th State Bank Governor's Cup Cricket.
Bank Alfalah is also honoured to sponsor games
like polo, squash, golf, car racing and wrestling.
Our new generation is not aware of desi khusti
(wrestling) and Bank Alfalah has kept the old
tradition alive by sponsoring National Dangal
where large number of people comes from all
walks of life to see the event. The final of National
Dangal, Pakistan’s traditional style of wrestling,
held at the Punjab Stadium, Lahore. On the
occasion, the crowd participated enthusiastic and
gave Bank Alfalah credit for sponsoring such a
memorable event. People hope that Bank Alfalah
will continue to sponsor such events in future.
The competitions of local wrestling have
started in Lahore after a long time. This will help in
boosting the standard of traditional wrestling.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Abu Dhabi
Group, Bashir A. Tahir said that our Group would
continue to sponsor mega event of sports for the
betterment and promotion of youth in Pakistan.
Wrestling and wrestlers are integral to Lahore’s
culture. Some of the greatest wrestlers of the
Subcontinent are born in Lahore. Rustam-e-Zaman
Gama Pehlwan, Rustam-e-Hind Imam Bux,
Hameeda Pehlwan, Lala Raj Pehlwan, Kala
Pehlwan, Bholu Pehlwan, Ghaus Pehlwan, Billa
Pehlwan Cahbuksawar, Kala Pehlwan Sheeshagar,
Ikka Pehlwan and Achha Pehlwan are the
prominent wrestlers.
Before a wrestler steps into the pit, he turns to
his white-turbaned coach and teacher - the khalifa
Lahore: Fahd Pervez, CEO Equity Global, Hamid Mirza,
Head of Marketing, Bank Alfalah, Nadeem Pehlwan and Ejaz
Gill address the press conference on the occasion.
- to seek his permission. He asks in a voice that
everyone can hear, “Do I have permission Khalifa
Ji?” The khalifa picks up a bit of earth from the pit,
throws it at his student’s body and says, “As Allah
wills.” Every Sunday there is wrestling at Vayam
Shala, outside Texali Gate. There still remain many
people in Lahore who follow wrestling matches
and later talk about the contests of that day and of
days gone by when they gather at the old city’s
Flare Report Event
hamams and sweetmeat shops.
Lahore’s major wrestling contests before 1947
always used to be held in Minto Park. Large
coloured posters with pictures of the wrestlers,
ceremonial maces resting against their shoulders,
would be plastered on city walls. Wrestling
contests were given special names such as Shahi
Dangal – or royal wrestling match – or Kantadaar
Dangal, or the tightest of tight contests. A day
before the dangal or contest, under the auspices of
the munsif or judge of the show and the contractor
or thekedar who had organised it, a procession on
tongas was taken out through city streets, with the
principal wrestlers perched on the front seats
Lahore: Minister of State for Interior, Tasneem Ahmed
Qureshi gives away cheque to the winner Basheer Bhola.
wearing orange coloured and gold threaded
turbans. Junior and minor wrestlers would follow
in the tongas behnd. The great dangals would
engage Master Sohni’s Band which would be at the
head of the procession playing popular ditties of
the day. Fans would stand on either side of the
street cheering and raising slogans in praise of
their favourite wrestler. There would also be a
drumbeater in one of the front tongas making
announcements. People would also throw flowers
at the wrestlers.
The procession would stop at every major
intersection or chowk and the drumbeater would
ask for people’s attention and then say: “Kind
friends and supporters, in Data’s own backhard,
this city of yours, tomorrow is to be held a grand
wrestling match between Achha Gujranwalia and
Mad Elephant Akbar Pehlwan, patha of Mehni
Aianiwala. Other matches will feature Tony
Pehlwan and Rakhho Pehlwan, the Star of
Chichawatni, Jeeja Pehlwan, patha of Sajja
Pehlwan, and Noora Kulchafarosh. Hawai Jahaz
Pehlwan and Rocket Pehlwan will test each other’s
strength. The munsif’s decision will be final.
Anyone who tries to create trouble during the
matches will be handed over to police. Freeloaders
are requested not to bother coming.” Fixed
matches are known as “Noora Kushti” and can
lead to violent protests if the spectators, who have
paid good money to watch a fair contest, suspect
that they have been taken for a ride.
Bank Alfalah has rigorously tried to re-juvenile
the spirit of wrestling in Punjab and there effort is
applause by the enthusiastic audience.

21
 Exclusive Flare Report Free download | flare.com.pk

Dhabi Group sells shares of

Warid Telecom, Bangladesh
elecom major, Bharti Airtel, announced

T that it has agreed to acquire 70 per cent

stake in Bangladesh-based, Warid
Telecom. Bharti plans to make USD 300
million fresh investment in the company thus
taking the overall investment to USD one
billion. The new funding will be for capacity
expansion, coverage and innovative products.
Warid Telecom is a wholly owned subsidiary
of the Abu Dhabi Group and offers mobile
services across all the 64 districts of Bangladesh.
It has a total customer base of over 2.9 million.
Abu Dhabi group will continue to remain a
strategic partner with balance 30 per cent stake.
According to a statement issued by Bharti
Airtel, the acquisition would be partly by
purchase of existing shares held in Warid
Telecom International by Abu Dhabi Group for
a nominal consideration and balance by way of
issue of fresh shares at par.
"This landmark deal underlines our intent to
further expand our operations to international
markets where we can implant our unique
business model and offer quality and affordable
telecom services", saus Sunil Bharti Mittal, New Delhi: The son of Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, UAE Minister of Higher Education,
Chairman and Managing Director, Bharti Airtel. Sheikh Muhammad Nahyan Al Nahyan and Manoj Kohli, CEO Bharti Airtel, photographed during the signing
He adds at the same time, it is symbol of the ceremony of buying 70 per cent of stakes in Warid Telecom, Bangladesh.
growing economic cooperation between the
South Asian countries and we would like to
thank the government of India and Bangladesh Warid Telecom is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Abu
for their support and encouragement.
Dhabi Group and offers mobile services across all the 64
Airtel set up a new unit to districts of Bangladesh. It has a total customer base of
drive its foreign expansion, over 2.9 million. Abu Dhabi group will continue to remain
signaling its growth a strategic partner with balance 30 per cent stake
ambitions are intact despite
twice failing to reach a deal Dhabi group for an unquoted “nominal” sum years.
with South Africa's MTN. A and also from the issue of fresh shares at par.
The Dhabi group will hold 30 per cent stake and
Airtel set up a new unit to drive its foreign
expansion, signaling its growth ambitions are
day after agreeing to buy remain a strategic investor in Warid intact despite twice failing to reach a deal with
control of Bangladesh's Bangladesh. The group recently sold its assets South Africa's MTN. A day after agreeing to buy
Warid Telecom, Bharti said in Warid Africa to the Essar group.
While Airtel will have management and
control of Bangladesh's Warid Telecom, Bharti
said CEO Manoj Kohli would head the new
CEO Manoj Kohli would board control of Warid, the Dhabi group will international business group that would focus
head the new international place its nominees on the board. on expansion in emerging markets beyond

business group that would
focus on expansion in
emerging markets beyond
South Asia
This will be Bharti's second operation
outside India. The company launched its mobile
services in Sri Lanka in January 2009 on a state-
of-art 3.5G network.
India’s top mobile operator Bharti Airtel has
now officially announced the acquisition of 70
per cent stake in Warid Telecom, coinciding
with the Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh
Hasina’s visit to India.
22 Airtel will buy out shares from owner Abu
Airtel will invest an initial sum of USD 300
million to expand the operator’s network in
South Asia.
"Bangladesh was the first step forward, and
Bangladesh, and has plans to invest USD one by making Manoj the head of international
billion overall. Apart from India, Airtel also has business, they are giving a clear signal that more
operations in Sri Lanka and Seychelles. Bharti acquisitions are on the cards," said R.K. Gupta,
Airtel Lanka Pvt Ltd was launched in January managing director at Taurus Asset
2009 it claimed to have one million connections Management.
by June. "The Indian market is kind of heading
Bangladesh has a population of 160 million towards saturation and potential growth is
of which less than half are mobile (51.4 million becoming limited, and Bharti must have to look
mobile subscribers as of October 2009). Tele- at lesser developed markets where
density is at 32 per cent so there is large penetration is low," said Gupta, whose fund
potential for further coverage. Airtel’s manages about USD 420 million and owns
Chairman and Managing Director, Sunil Bharti Bharti shares. Deputy CEO Sanjay
Mittal, has said that they’re looking to replicate Kapoor will become the CEO for India and
the rural drive launched in India, and for South Asia when the changes take effect on
Bangladesh’s tele-density to double in a few April 1, 2010.

 Telepedia Farooq Malik
Looming ARPU in 2009
The ARPU of mobile phone sector was floating
around USD 2.20 (Rs 185) per month in 2009 - still a
matter of concern for cellular operators - whereas the
monthly ARPU was at USD 2.58 (Rs 204) by the end
of 2008
inancially speaking last year has
F remained a bad year. Although the credit
crunch was recovering but the overall
situation was not very healthy. The
subscriber number has no doubt increased but the
income made by the telecom sector has not
remained satisfactory. Among the main reason
for this trend are the unstable economy of the
country, weakening price of Pakistani rupee
against dollar and the vulnerable security state of
the country.
Cellular phone operators’ average earnings
from its subscribers failed to improve in 2009
despite constant decline in tariff of telephony
services, free minutes and SMS offers and
introduction of various value-added services.
The monthly Average Revenue per User
(ARPU), the most important indicator of
operators’ financial strength, has maintained its
downward trend on the unexpected reducing
utility of the telephony services by its subscribers.
According to the estimate of sector analysts
and officials of various companies, the ARPU of
mobile phone sector is floating around USD 2.20
(Rs 185) per month in 2009 - still a matter of
concern for cellular operators - whereas the
monthly ARPU was at USD 2.58 (Rs 204) by the
end of 2008.
Four out of five foreign-based cellular phone
operators conclude their financial year with the
end of the calendar year, not showing any
sustainability in the average income of
subscribers in the last three quarters as compared
24 to the previous year. Nonetheless the
consumption pattern of the services still lack
luster in the remaining last quarter according to
the various officials of the cellular phone
operators.
Every operator has its individual ARPU
calculated on quarterly basis on its overall
connections, consumption of different services by
its users - voice and non-voice. Unending
competition among the operators on price-war
and telephony services, economic slowdown,
impact of high inflation and load-shedding,
higher general sales tax (GST) on the services and
devaluation of the rupee against dollar were the
major causes translating utility of the services
towards decline gradually, as a matter of fact
majority of the prepaid connection holders are
low-income users.
Particularly the GST on the services was the
highest at 21 per cent in the first half of the
calendar year, which is the second half of the
Free download | flare.com.pk
financial year in the country, however the slight
cut in GST by 1.5 per cent to 19.5 per cent has cast
no sign of recovery on rupee despite companies
resorted to slash their calling rates.
The second most important factor is the rupee
depreciation against dollar, which has recorded
6.4 per cent decline from 2008. The dollar was
registered at Rs 79.16 by the end of 2008, which is
now at Rs 84.30 by 2009-end.
JS Research telecom analyst Mustafa Bilwani
said the operators’ inactive and dormant
subscribers have kept them in the red zone, which
has also ceased their monthly ARPU growth in
the current calendar year. He added the
contraction of subscribers’ base after rectification
of SIM’s database will help operator calculating
fair monthly ARPU and their cost of services that
may lead to positive earning growths in the
future.
Unending competition
among the operators on price
and telephony services,
economic slowdown, impact
of high inflation and load-
shedding, higher general
sales tax (GST) on the
services and devaluation of
the rupee against dollar were
the major causes translating
utility of the services towards
decline gradually, as a matter
of fact majority of the
prepaid connection holders
are low-income users
Bilwani added that operators ARPUs have
bottomed out after cut in calling rates, bundle
SMS offers and value-added services, which
would likely to sustain and start recovering in the
next quarters of 2010. Mobile banking and daily
SMS bundle offers have been introduced in 2009
that are expected to strengthen operators’ next
year. Besides, operators have earned handsome
money on the traffic of SMS on Eid and other
festivals and imposed 10 paisa charges on the
inquiry of balance on their network for generating
revenues in the closing years.
Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA)
commented in its analytical annual report 2009
that operators have to focus on more value-added
services in order to increase their income from
subscribers because higher voice usage through
calls is not sufficient for improving ARPUs.
The overall cellular phone connections have
risen to 96.7 million with the tele-density
touching 59.03 per cent by the end of November
2009. Mobilink subscribers base increased to 30.48
million followed by Telenor at 22.27 million.
Warid, Ufone and Zong users recorded at 18.71
million, 18.36 million and 6.862 million
respectively by the end of November 2009.
It is hoped that with the dawn of 2010 the
sector will see improved growth and increased
ARPU as the international economy is getting
stable and it is expected that the security and
economic issues of national concern will be
resolved soon.

Free download | flare.com.pk
The digital domain of life
You may wonder at what will be the first reaction of a
person who died some decades ago and is sent back to
the world. He or she may die of surprise. Alas they have
not survived to witness the greatest revolutions in the
history of mankind. The technological revolution of today
was not even exaggerated in the Hollywood movies.
The best thing human beings have come across is the
invention of cyber space
arth of today is far different and
E improved as compared to the planet
that existed centuries ago. Have a look
around and you will discover that the
world has transformed into something that was
unimaginable decades ago. The world of
communication, the world of advertisement as
well as the mode of business have emerged with
novel tactics.
You may wonder at what will be the first
reaction of a person who died some decades ago
and is sent back to the world. He or she may die
of surprise. Alas they have not survived to
witness the greatest revolutions in the history of
mankind. The technological revolution of today
was not even exaggerated in the Hollywood
movies. The best thing human beings have come
across is the invention of cyber space.
The world has literally transformed over the
last few years and the credit goes to internet.
Internet is not only the back bone of developing
countries but also outsource to the talent
reservoir of developing world. The luxury of
once has now become a necessity for success
and growth in every walk of life.
Pakistan is a developing nation where
political instability and turmoil has become a
common phenomenon. Despite of all the
problems faced by this nation, its growth in the
internet world is staggering and comparable
with the most progressive nation. Given the
direction in which the world is going, the trend
will only continue and accelerate.
According to the Morgan Stanley Report,
Pakistan is within the top five countries with the
highest addition of internet users. From 2006 to
2009, there has been more than 50 per cent
addition in the number of internet users.
Though internet penetration is still quite low in
our part of the world as not everyone can afford
a computer but internet cafes popped up
everywhere just like mushrooms to fill the void,
hence internet is within everyone’s reach and
for everyone’s benefit.
This growing trend can be witnessed in the
cellular sector where the number of subscribers
is increasing at an exponential rate. The boom
has definitely reached Pakistan or in other
words it worked as a big bang in Pakistan.
An anonymous philosopher once said,
“Legalise it or I will advertise it”. Dynamics of
marketing and advertising changed
phenomenally over the last few years. From one
national television and handful newspapers,
today countless channels and a good number of
newspapers along with numerous mediums of
communication have come into being.
Traditional marketing and advertising has
Flare Report InsighT
become stale and lack novelty. With a variety of
options and opportunities, the internet has
become the unique and innovative advertising
medium. The medium provides prospects for all
kinds of businesses and their respective
communication, but it also presents a mean to
flaunt the message incorporating creative
ingenuity and distinctiveness.
As the rules clearly state that there are no
rules in advertising but logic has it, a campaign
must appeal to the targeted audience and they
should be able to associate with it. In
conventional ways of advertisement:
• Message is delivered to the masses in a
static form involving negligible levels of user
interaction and not targeting specific audience.
• Not only is the time and cost to market
through these mediums is very high but it is
also impossible to measure its effectiveness.
• If any campaign is launched via such
mediums ignite negative reaction then it is
again costly to react, recall, revise and re-
launch.
Comparing the conventional mediums with
the digital ones it is clear:
• Provides targeted advertising and any
message can be customised according to the
target audience.
• Any campaign can be launched for
testing then revised and re-launched in a couple
of days.
• Furthermore, with verifiable and
transparent reporting tools, it is easy to measure
the effectiveness and performance of any
campaign.
Although the internet usage
is growing at a very fast rate
in Pakistan, marketers
mostly are unaware of the
advertising opportunities
associated with this
medium. Compared to other
nations, we are still lagging
in this domain
Although the internet usage is growing at a
very fast rate in Pakistan, marketers mostly are
unaware of the advertising opportunities
associated with this medium. Compared to
other nations, we are still lagging in this
domain.
Considering the fact that UK online
spending has exceeded spending on traditional
advertising mediums, Pakistan is nowhere in
par. With mostly telecom operators taking the
lead in this domain, it is time that organisations
take full advantage of this medium as well.
Together with print and television a brand
should be activated through internet. No matter
how much we disagree but it is true that
frequency sells and with the changing lifestyle
of an average Pakistani, how ingrained this
medium has become in our lives, digital
marketing is the next step which marketers have
to take. Pakistan has so far managed to play
significant role in the realm of information
technology and will improve its stature with the
passage of time.
25
 Event Flare Report Free download | flare.com.pk

Aqib Zulfiqar GM Finance Wateen Telecom pulls a shot Amir Rao Head of Motorola (Pakistan) during one of his
Fawad Malik Captain Wateen Team hits for a four. finest shots.
towards the boundary.

Fawad Malik Captain Wateen Team receives winner’s

Man of the match, Masood Butt receives trophy from Mr
Wateen team celebrates a crucial dismissal. trophy from Mr Rao Amir Head of Motorola (Pakistan) and
Rao Amir Head of Motorola (Pakistan) for his brilliant 85. Mr Aqib Zulfiqar GM Finance Wateen Telecom.

Mr Ali khan Captain of Motorola Team receives runner’s up Wateen Cricket Team in a group photograph. Both teams shake hands after the match.
trophy from Mr Rao Amir Head of Motorola (Pakistan) and
Mr Aqib Zulfiqar GM Finance Wateen Telecom.
26
 Exclusive Taimur Sikander
Timeline of telecom in Pakistan
Indeed, Alexander Graham Bell probably never imagined that his invention could one day
bring Pakistan and India to the brink of war, as almost happened on November 27, 2008,
when a jailed militant made hoax phone calls from his prison cell to the presidency
t the time of independence, Pakistan
A inherited a meagre 14,000 land lines.
Now, there are over 94 million mobile
phone connections in the country. The
huge growth in Pakistan's telecom sector is
characteristic of many developing countries. But
there are few other places where phone calls and
connections have had such an impact on a nation's
foreign policy, crime, pop culture,
entrepreneurship, and more.
From fixed line to mobile phone
Pakistan’s phone system was founded in
colonial times. The telecom base put in place by
the British Post, Telegraph, and Telephone
Department (later to become the Pakistan
Telegraph and Telephone Department or the T&T)
was primarily meant to serve the administrative
setup of the country. “The colonial infrastructure,
although limited, was there. It was efficient and
just needed expansion step by step,” explains
Mohammad Sharfuddin, a former assistant
director of the Pakistan Telecommunications
Limited (PTCL) who remained with the company
for 37 years.
Sharfuddin recalls that when he came to
Pakistan in 1949, Karachi, then capital of the
country, had five telephone exchanges in
operation: the Cantt Exchange, the Garden
Exchange, the Central Exchange on Bolton Road,
the Trunk Exchange on I.I. Chundrigar Road, and
the Park Capital Exchange at Sabzi Mandi. “All
had a 1,100 to 1,200 line capacity and you could
get a set and connection for about Rs 179,” he
recalls.
The 1980s saw heavy capital investment to
develop the telephone sector, which eventually
resulted in the formation of Pakistan
Telecommunication Corporation Limited (PTCL)
and the introduction of cellular mobile services in
the 1990s, albeit for only a limited period. It was
the first major stride that culminated, during the
last decade, in one of the biggest telecom booms
in the world.
In 1990s, three mobile telecom operators
(Paktel, Ufone, and Mobilink) were present in
Pakistan. However, exorbitant connection fees,
airtime charges, and billing on incoming calls kept
mobile penetration at a meagre 0.2 per cent until
28 the end of the decade. The Pakistan Telecom
Authority (PTA) introduced a calling party pays
(CPP) policy in 2001, which resulted in industry
competition that helped increase mobile
penetration to 5.28 per cent in 2004. The
introduction of two new telecom operators in
early 2005 led to fiercer competition, cheaper
connections, and affordable handsets. By July
2006, overall tele-density in Pakistan stood at 46.9
per cent, of which only 3.3 per cent was due to
fixed line services.
Dialling diplomacy
Of course, before leapfrogging into the mobile
era, phone connections in Pakistan have played a
major role in shaping society, influencing politics,
directing foreign policy and more. Long before the
Nawaz Sharif-Atal Bihari Vajpayee hotline (which
later became the Pervez Musharraf-Vajpayee
hotline) made headlines in the 1990s, the
telephone was being used by Mohammed Ali
Jinnah, the first Governor General of Pakistan, and
According to the message,
the calls could be a remote
trigger for a terrorist attack or
even a suicide bombing. The
fear that phones control
us – rather than the other way
around – is an indication of
how deeply embedded they
are in Pakistani culture and
society
India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru to
calm communal tensions in the post-Partition
environment. “Nehru was in fact the first
prominent leader to have called Jinnah after
independence,” recalls Mian Ata Rabbani, the first
aide-de-camp to Jinnah. “Riots, finances, and
border issues were all on the agenda,” he adds.
Two decades later, in 1970, the Americans
‘called’ upon Pakistan, this time to normalise its
strained diplomatic relations with China.
Pakistan’s then President Yahya Khan was
approached by US President Richard M. Nixon to
start a dialogue with China. President Khan
conducted his role of intermediary largely on the
Free download | flare.com.pk
phone, flying to the US and China after the
ground work for talks was laid.
Wing to wing
East and West Pakistan were also ‘connected’
in June 1970, President Yahya Khan laid the
foundation for satellite communication at Deh
Mandro, near Karachi, following a similar move
in the Chittagong Hill Tracts in East Pakistan. “I
am sure that satellite communication will play a
significant role in creating a feeling of unity and
openness among our people and in speeding up
the process of inter-wing integration,” Khan said
at the time. However, noble the intention by this
point the gulf between the two wings was too
great. Khan’s policy of governing the eastern wing
using telephonic channels failed to have any
impact. East Pakistan, agitated by the socio-
economic neglect by the central government in the
western wing, eventually slipped out of Khan’s
control as he tried to govern it over the phone. The
agitation flared into a bloody struggle and
eventually resulted in the formation of
Bangladesh on March 25, 1971.
Instanappings
But all was not fun and games as far as phones
were concerned. In 1991, Instaphone, a subsidiary
of Millicom International Cellular based in
Luxembourg, started the first mobile phone
service in Pakistan. The huge mobile phone sets
that came with the service were outlandish, a
status symbol that only the wealthy could afford.
But this luxury was to soon be the undoing of
many wealthy businessmen who were kidnapped
for ransom in droves. The police soon determined
that the kidnappers, armed with the new phone
technology themselves, could track and pinpoint
the location of high-value targets as well as use
mobile technology to better coordinate the pick-
ups. As a result of the spikes in kidnappings, the
mobile phone service was phased out by the
government of Pakistan in the mid-1990s, though,
sadly, kidnappings for ransom remained a
constant.
When Pakistan lost the World Cup cricket
quarter final to India in Bangalore, our players
received innumerable death threats - all via their
phones. Many changed their numbers and
requested police protection, but largely lived in
fear. Wasim Akram, the captain of the team who
Free download | flare.com.pk
was injured for the quarter final was the worst
affectee: his father was kidnapped. As had become
the norm by the mid-1990s, deliberations with the
kidnappers and the police continued over the
phone and Akram's father was released a day
later.
Politics over the phone
Meanwhile, politicians began to take
advantage of the reach of communication
technology. After fleeing Karachi for Britain in
1992, the chief of the Muttahida Qaumi
Movement, Altaf Hussain, ensured that his
presence was still felt in the country thanks to long
distance phone calls. In the mid-1990s, he kicked
off what are still regular ‘telephonic addresses’,
attended by thousands of party workers in pin-
drop silence. “The authorities keep cutting me off
and making noise on the line, but mostly we get
through,” Hussain said of his attempts to garner
support for the MQM during the 1996 elections via
phone addresses. Even in the present era of video
conferencing, Skype, and live streaming online,
Hussain's supporters’ old-fashioned technique of
attaching loud speakers to the receiver of the
telephone still draws huge crowds.
Calling a coup
While phone calls no doubt helped orchestrate
the many military coups that have punctuated
Pakistani history, the true potential of the
telephone in staging a coup was realised in 1999.
On October 12 that year, Nawaz Sharif, then prime
minister of Pakistan, tried to remove General
Pervez Musharraf as the army chief and appoint
Ziauddin Butt in his place. Musharraf, who was in
Sri Lanka, boarded a commercial airliner to return
to Pakistan, but Sharif had the Karachi airport
sealed to prevent the plane landing, routing it to
Nawab Shah Airport instead. But General
Musharraf phoned top army generals from the
plane, commanding them to oust Sharif's
administration. General Musharraf then assumed
power for the following nine years.
A threat on the line
Can one phone call forever alter the course of
a nation’s domestic and foreign policy? In
Pakistan’s case, the answer to that question is a
resounding yes. Days after the attacks on the Twin
Towers in New York on September 11, 2001,
General Musharraf’s intelligence director
reportedly received a late-night call in which the
US government threatened to bomb Pakistan “into
the Stone Age” if it failed to cooperate. The threat
was made by then US deputy secretary of state
Richard Armitage, who contacted the Pakistani
administration in the lead up to the invasion of
Afghanistan in 2001.
PTCL as the moral police
In the past decade – the era of mobile
connectivity in Pakistan – SMS text messages have
had the same social impact that fixed line phones
did in the 1970s and 1980s. The perceived power
of communication via SMS can be judged by the
government’s many attempts to monitor and
control text messaging. In 2003, for example, civil
rights activists cried foul when words such as
MMA, Shia, and Balochistan were blocked in
mobile text messages.
Again, in 2009, the promulgation of the Pakistan
Electronic Crimes Ordinance (legislation aimed at
curtailing cyber crimes) had many concerned – and
outraged – that they could face 14 years’
imprisonment for sending offensive text messages.
The ordinance barred using digital devices and
internet or communications services to criticise the
state or rulers. The Federal Investigation Agency
also formed a special cell to monitor text messages
for content that was offensive to the Pakistani
leadership – a move that caused widespread
concern about the FIA’s growing powers and the
infringement of the Pakistani public’s privacy.
At the same time, text messages were also used
in a revolutionary way, particularly during the
movement in 2007 to restore Chief Justice Iftikhar
Chaudhry, deposed from his post by General
Musharraf. On July 20, 2007, when the Justice
Chaudhry was first reinstated to his position, 400
million SMS messages were sent nationwide, which
according to the PTA is the highest number of
Taimur Sikander Exclusive
messages sent in one day in Pakistan.
Later that year, after General Musharraf
imposed emergency rule on November 3, bloggers,
activists and community organisers used SMS to
coordinate protests and send updates on the
political situation since most of the media channels
were blocked. Indeed, the threat of mobile phones
was such that the government used jammers at the
Supreme Court, protest sites, and the homes of
opposition politicians and lawyers.
Since then, SMS text messages have been a vital
tool for spreading knowledge about and organising
protests during lawyers’ movements to restore the
chief justice in 2008 and 2009.
Terrorists with telephones
While previously a tool for diplomacy, phones
most recently have strained relations between long-
time rivals Pakistan and India. Soon after the
Mumbai attacks of November 26, 2008, news of how
‘connected’ the terrorists were spread like wildfire.
According to eye witnesses, once the coordinated
attacks across Mumbai began, the terrorists were
constantly on their phones, sometimes juggling a
handset in one hand while firing off rounds with the
other. The terrorists also used BlackBerries to
monitor international reactions to their actions and
keep an eye on police response. A satellite phone
was found on the boat the terrorists allegedly used
to enter Mumbai, and much of their attack was
planned using voice over internet protocol (VOIP).
In the wake of the attacks, the discovery of five
cell phones helped establish links between the
Mumbai attackers and Pakistan-based militants.
One witness told an Indian court that the five
Nokia phones had been made in China and
shipped to Pakistan. Phone records were also
used to prove that the terrorists had been
‘handled’ by commanding militants in Pakistan.
Post-26/11, Omar Saeed Sheikh, a detained
Pakistani militant, further heightened Indo-Pak
tensions by placing hoax calls to President Asif
Ali Zardari and COAS General Ashfaq Parvez
Kayani using a mobile phone from his
Hyderabad jail cell. Pretending to be the Indian
Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Sheikh
called and threatened the Pakistani leadership.
Pakistani phones: then and now
There was a time when Pakistanis who
wanted to communicate had to head to the PCO,
or gather around the phone after ‘booking’ a call
with an operator. Nowadays, people are setting
up mobile businesses, conducting mobile money
transfers, i-reporting in the name of citizen
journalism, navigating via GPS, and even
sexting! As such, a history of the Pakistani phone
is a history of progress.

29
 Exclusive Flare Report
PEMRA bursts on
dummy airing quacks
The action was taken keeping in view the number of complaints
received by PEMRA about some FM radio channels that are airing pre-
recorded programmes of quacks (hakeems) that prescribe medicines
on dummy queries and use embarrassing language
t present there are over 80 operational
A FM stations in the country. These radio
channels are electronic media tool to
reach the masses in the nooks and
corners. These channels are airing different
programmes for the knowledge, entertainment and
amusement of the listeners. All FM radio stations
legally-bound to submit programming format
related to their broadcast and obtaining a no
objection certificate (NoC) before airing any
programme.
Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority
(PEMRA) has strongly denied that the Authority
relaxed rules to offer favouritism in FM Radio
Licensing and granted any FM radio licence
without due adherence to the procedures ordained
in PEMRA laws.
PEMRA has recently taken action against those
FM channels that are indulged in misleading the
listeners through unauthorised information. The
action was taken keeping in view the number of
complaints received by Pakistan Electronic Media
Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) about some FM
radio channels that are airing pre-recorded
programmes of quacks (hakeems) that prescribe
medicines on dummy queries and use
embarrassing language. These programmes are not
only disseminating vulgarity among masses but
also a matter of great health concern.
Executive Member, PEMRA, Dr Abdul Jabbar
has directed the General Managers of Lahore,
Karachi, Peshawar and Qutta to be vigilant and
make necessary action if anybody violation of the
role and regulation of the Authority.
In PEMRA Rules, 2002 it is clearly mentioned
under the category of Prohibition of broadcasts:
(1) The Authority, or an officer so authorised by
the Authority, may, giving reasons in writing,
prohibit any broadcaster from broadcasting or re-
broadcasting any programme, if the Authority, or
as the case may be the officer, is of the opinion that
such particular programme is likely to create hatred
among the people or is prejudicial to the
maintenance of law and order or is likely to disturb
peace and tranquillity or endangers national
30 security or is violating the terms and conditions of
Free download | flare.com.pk
cancelled unless the licensee has been given
reasonable notice to show cause and personal
hearing
Seizure of broadcasting or distributing
equipment- The Chairman, or an authorised officer
of the Authority, may order the seizure of a
the licence licensee's broadcast or distribution system
(2) Subject to sub-rule (1) of this rule, the officer,
after making such an order, shall inform the
Authority in writing within 24 hours, with his
reasons for passing the orders and all relevant
supporting material the Chairman shall decide
equipment or any other equipment which is used to
provide, assist or help to operate or broadcast a
programme, which has been suspended or
terminated by the Authority or which is in use for
illegal operation.
whether the matter requires the convening of an It was also told that PEMRA has rather took
emergent meeting and if in his opinion it does not, stern actions in the past and closed more than 150
the matter shall be put before the Authority in its illegal FM stations which were either involved in
next regular meeting illegal broadcasts or found igniting sectarian,
Suspension of the licence - the Authority may communal or ethnic strife through their contentious
suspend the licence of a broadcaster or cable TV content. Not only this, PEMRA has recently issued
operator, for a period not exceeding three weeks, two free of cost FM radio licenses to Government
on one or more of the following grounds, namely:- of NWFP, one at Mardan and the other at
i. The licensee has failed to pay the annual Peshawar, to counter propaganda campaign of
licence renewal fee; terrorists.
ii. The licensee has contravened any It was told that FM licenses are meant for the
provision of the Ordinance or rules made there community/local areas development with the view
under; to offer healthy information, entertainment and
iii. The licensee has failed to comply with any education and are also used as tools for socio-
condition of the licence; or/and economic uplift of masses that also generates
iv. If the shareholders of the licensee, being a employment opportunities. PEMRA has much
company, have transferred, whether in one or more consulted international practices in-vogue and thus
or a series of transactions, the majority of their following suit to bring healthy media reforms in
shares. Pakistan.

Provided that no licence shall be suspended or
PEMRA cracked down the cable TV gambling
Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) launched a crackdown operation
against the cable TV networks in the country which were propagating immoral and unethical activ-
ities through their respective networks.
These cable TV networks were promoting gambling through various illegal satellite TV channels
such as Love Music, Joo Music, Teletrack and Sur Sangeet. PEMRA enforcement team initiated crack-
down operation against such miscreants on January 6, 2010. In pursuance of this enforcement oper-
ation, various Cable TV Networks indulged in heinous activities were stopped and equipment used
thereof was seized in the cities of Lahore, Faisalabad and Gujrat.
It is pertinent to mention that PEMRA enforcement team initially warned such cable TV opera-
tor for refraining from illegal and unethical activities, however they paid no heed to the Authority’s
concern and continued violations for several weeks. The Authority eventually took serious notice
and decided to initiate crackdown operation to stop the menace of gambling from cable TV networks.
Moreover, the matter was also referred to the concerned police station for registration of a criminal
case under the PEMRA laws, Prevention of Gambling Act 1977 and other relevant laws against the
culprits.
PEMRA’s action against illegal, immoral and unethical activities of various cable TV networks
was highly appreciated by the general public.
 3G Comtech
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 Exclusive Flare Report
aking a commitment to save money
M in 2010 is the rare New Year’s
resolution that is easy to keep.
After a turbulent economic year, it’s a popular
one, too. A December survey from financial
service firm Edward Jones found saving
more money next year is the top
resolution for that a third of
consumers. Try these 10 strategies
for significant savings:
Pick a friendlier credit
card
“Being on the
wrong card can cost
people thousands
more a year in
interest rates and
fees,” says Schwark
Satyavolu, a co-
founder of
comparison tool
BillShrink.com. “Even if
you pay off the balance in
full each month, you could be
leaving hundreds of dollars on
the table in rewards.” Terms and
conditions are changing rapidly as
banks add fees and jack up interest
rates in preparation for new federal
regulations. After that date, compare your
options using a site like BillShrink.com or
CardRatings.com to make sure you have the best
card for your financial situation and spending
habits.
Track your cash
Shoppers can’t account for an average USD 21
spent each week, according to a September
survey by Visa (V). Tallied up, that’s USD 1092
per year in mystery purchases. Sign up for a free
financial management site like Mint.com or
Wesabe.com, which sync with your bank
accounts to automatically sort and track
purchases. You can also set budgets for
individual categories, and receive email or text
alerts when your spending nears that pre-set
limit. There are plenty of sites out there, so use
our guide to find the right one for you.
Join loyalty clubs
Retailers offer benefits in loyalty
programmes, knowing that most customers are
apt to forget their cards or otherwise miss out on
perks, says Larry Chiagouris, a marketing
professor at Pace University in New York City.
Don’t make that mistake: Keep cards in your
wallet or on a key-ring, or add the account
numbers to your smartphone. Loyalty
programmes can cover varied purchases,
including books, movie theatre excursions,
restaurant meals and even flu shots.
Hunt for coupon codes
The marketing strategy of offering coupon
codes to cement customer loyalty is increasingly
34 popular with retailers. Take advantage.
● Step 1: Type a
retailer’s name and “code” into Google.
● Step 2: Use the results to save
significantly on your in-store and online
purchases. (Headphone maker Skullcandy, for
example, recently offered code FROSTY50 for
shoppers to save 50 per cent on its products at
checkout.) Bookmark our list of all-around
favourite coupon sites here. We also have lists for
parents, and for saving on groceries, clothing and
electronics.
Shop the grocery sales circular
Though many products on circulars only
come up on sale once every 10 to 12 weeks, by
shopping smart, you can still cut your bill by
more than 50 per cent with a combination of
coupons, weekly grocery store sales and store
rebates. “They’ll practically pay you to take that
bag of potato chips out of the store,” says Cindy
Chapman, a spokeswoman for social networking
site MomsLikeMe.com.
Pay cash
Buy-now-pay-later of credit cards sound
friendly, but are designed to entice you to spend
more. A 2008 study by researchers at the
University of Toronto and the Federal Reserve
Bank of Kansas City found that the opportunity
to earn rewards led more consumers to pay by
Free download | flare.com.pk
credit, even if they were already carrying a
balance. Instead, flash bills. It will keep you in
check and might also lead to discounts on
everything from health care to jewellery to
gasoline.
Reassess your phone plan
Carriers constantly offer new plans
and promotions - which may mean a
better deal than your current
selection. Use tools at
LetsTalk.com and
BillShrink.com to compare
available options against
your current plan.
Infrequent talkers
(fewer than 200
minutes a month)
may save more in the
long run by paying an
early-termination fee
and switching to
prepaid service.
Cut spending on pets
The fuzziest members of
your family need to adhere to the
household budget, too. In 2008, pet
owners spent an average USD 670 per
dog and USD 447 per cat on vet care,
food, grooming, treats and toys, according
to the American Pet Products Association.
Pay less by shopping around. Petco offers its
signature plush dog toy for USD 5.97, while Wal-
Mart has a three-pack of a similar toy for USD
seven -- roughly USD 2.33 apiece.
Haggle
“When times get tough, consumers have to
get aggressive,” says Scott Testa, an assistant
professor of business administration at Calibri
College in Radnor, Pa. “On a high-priced item
you’re crazy if you don’t haggle.” It doesn’t take
a hard-line negotiation in most cases, either – you
just have to ask if there’s any chance for a better
price, he says. For example, 68 per cent of
landlords said they would lower rents or give a
month or more free to retain tenants, according
to a recent Rent.com survey.
Pre-negotiated discounts
Collective buying groups like Groupon.com
serve as haggling on training wheels, offering
pre-negotiated discounts if a certain number of
shoppers buy in.
Seal up your home
Don't let the air you're paying to warm in the
winter and cool in the summer escape through
cracks around windows, doors, electrical outlets
and other places. Enough sealing products like
caulk and weather-stripping to block drafts
would set you back just USD 25 to USD 50. In
return, you’ll see your home’s energy efficiency
improve by up to 20 per cent, according to the
Environmental Protection Agency. For the
average household, that could amount to more
than USD 400 annually.

Free download | flare.com.pk
Why the big phone
companies are dogs?
AT&T (T, Fortune 500), the exclusive iPhone carrier in the
United States, is down about one per cent. Shares of Ma
Bell's top rival, Verizon (VZ, Fortune 500), are also down
slightly in 2009. Contrast that with Apple's stock more than
doubling and Motorola enjoying a Lazarus-like comeback
after a disastrous 2008
ou should think that 2009 would have
Y been a great year for telecom stocks,
right? Think of all the hot gadgets:
Apple's latest iPhone 3GS; Motorola's
new Droid; the BlackBerry Storm 2; and several
other touchscreen smartphones. But shares of the
leading telecoms whose networks run these
devices have missed out on the big stock-market
rally.
AT&T (T, Fortune 500), the exclusive iPhone
carrier in the United States, is down about one per
cent. Shares of Ma Bell's top rival, Verizon (VZ,
Fortune 500), are also down slightly in 2009.
Contrast that with Apple's stock more than
doubling and Motorola enjoying a Lazarus-like
comeback after a disastrous 2008. This
phenomenon isn't confined to the United States
either: Shares of other leading telecom service
providers around the globe have also stumbled.
The U.S. listed shares of Germany's Deutsche
Telekom (DT), the parent company of T-Mobile,
are down about two per cent. Shares of France
Telecom (FTE) are down nine per cent. China
Mobile's (CHL) stock has fallen 11 per cent while
Japan's NTT DoCoMo (DCM) have plunged 28 per
cent.
Even one of the sector's better performers,
Britain's Vodafone (VOD), has had a relatively
modest stock price gain of 12.5 per cent. (The S&P
500 is up 25 per cent while the Nasdaq has surged
nearly 45 per cent.)
What gives? Even though many new phones
are flying off the shelves and the carriers seem to
be able to find a way to charge you fees for every
conceivable data application imaginable, AT&T
and Verizon are both expected to report a slide in
earnings this year compared to 2008. Next year
looks only slightly better.
Analysts are projecting just a six per cent jump
in earnings on a one per cent increase in sales at
AT&T, and a two per cent rise in profits at Verizon
and less than one per cent increase in revenue.
Unexciting growth prospects! Is there an app for
that?
The two U.S. phone giants
have other problems too: in
addition to competing
against each other, they
also face stiff pressure from
cable companies and satel-
lite companies like Comcast
and DirecTV in other areas
such as high-speed data
and video services
Simply put, growth in the cell phone units of
AT&T and Verizon are not enough to completely
offset declines in other areas of their business.
Revenues from their "old" landline business
already had been on the wane due to growth in
wireless. The rough economy just made things
worse as shrinking businesses had less of a need
for phone service.
Flare Report Telepedia
Along those lines, AT&T reported a 10 per cent
increase in wireless service revenue during this
year's third quarter compared to a year ago, but
sales in its voice (i.e. landlines) business declined
15 per cent.
And even though wireless is now AT&T's
biggest revenue generator, accounting for 40 per
cent of total sales, the old school phone business
still has a big impact on the overall company. Voice
revenue accounts for more than a quarter of Ma
Bell's total sales.
The trend was similar at Verizon. Wireline
revenues were down five per cent in the third
quarter while wireless sales were up 24 per cent.
But Verizon relies even more on its older
businesses than AT&T. Wireline revenue
accounted for more than 40 per cent of total sales in
the quarter.
Plus, the strong growth in Verizon's wireless
revenue was largely a result of the acquisition of
Alltel earlier this year. The third quarter 2008 results
did not include Alltel. If they had, wireless sales
growth would have been just five per cent.
Clement said Verizon and AT&T may make
"gradual inroads" in the video business but that
increased subscribers may not necessarily lead to
bigger profits since the cable and phone companies
have typically had to resort to aggressive price cuts
to attract customers.
Joseph Bonner, an analyst with Argus Research,
said both companies also have specific customer-
related issues they need to overcome. AT&T, for
example, may benefit from having the iPhone in its
arsenal but there is a perception that Verizon's 3G
wireless coverage is better. Verizon, on the other
hand, lacks a true must-have device.
"These companies have to keep proving
themselves constantly. AT&T has a great phone
with the iPhone but there are all these questions
about network issues. Verizon has to continue to
wow people with new products," Bonner said.
Still, Bonner thinks the two stocks may still be
worth buying for some investors. They may never
wow Wall Street with the type of profit growth that
the Apples and Googles of the world enjoy, but both
Verizon and AT&T do offer a bit of security for
investors not willing to stomach a lot of market
volatility.
"This year's rally has been for stocks that were
beaten down and more risky. AT&T and Verizon
both have strong dividends.Clement agreed, saying
that the dividends make them attractive and that
Verizon and AT&T should outperform other
investments in a rough market. But talk about
damning with faint praise. If the best you can say
about Verizon and AT&T these days is that they are
probably a better bet than a government
bond, it's no wonder most investors have
shunned them.
35
 InsighT Flare Report
GST to eliminate under CEM on banking,
telecom & insurance
“The federal government would remove excise on telecommunication, banking, insurance etc from next
budget,” Dr Kaiser Bengali, Sindh's representative in the NFC told the Sindh Assembly in a
presentation on Decisions: 7th NFC Award
he federal government from next budget
T would remove the general sales tax (GST)
under Central Excise Mode (CEM) on
banking, telecommunication, insurance etc
as the National Finance Commission (NFC) has
defined the three sectors as services and not goods.
Also, the federal government, with the
consensus of all stakeholders of the 7th NFC Award,
has devised a formula to determine the level of
poverty and backwardness so as to distribute 10 per
cent allocated share of the divisible pool under the
same head.
Further, through unanimously passing a
resolution, tabled jointly by Ayaz Soomro of PPP,
Sardar Ahmed of MQM, Amir Nawab Khan of
ANP and Jam Madad Ali of PML-F, the house
felicitated the president, the prime minister, the
finance minister, the leaders of PML-N, ANP,
MQM, PML-F and NPP respectively Nawaz Sharif,
Asfandyar Wali Khan, Altaf Hussain, Pir Pagaro
and late Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi, the CM Sindh, his
team and counterparts from Punjab, NWFP and
Balochistan on the "unanimous and historical"
decision on NFC.
"The federal government would remove excise
on telecommunication, banking, insurance etc from
next budget," Dr Kaiser Bengali, Sindh's
PTA, SBP likely to finalise draft
The PTA is closely working with the SBP on the draft of the "Third Party Mobile Banking Regulations,"
which will connect all banks in the country with the cellular mobile operators for mobile transaction
akistan Telecommunication Authority
P (PTA) and State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) are
likely to finalise draft of the "Third Party
Mobile Banking Regulations" within a
month. This was stated by PTA Chairman Dr
Muhammad Yaseen, while addressing a joint press
conference with Head of Sub-region Gulf and
Pakistan Nokia Siemens Network Waqar-ul-Islam,
while introducing the 2009 Connectivity Scorecard.
"The PTA is closely working with the SBP on
the draft of the "Third Party Mobile Banking
Regulations," which will connect all banks in the
country with the cellular mobile operators for
mobile transaction," said the PTA Chairman.
He said that the primary objective of these
collaborations was to develop a unified regulatory
framework to facilitate the telecom customers and
banking sector, since the mobile banking involved
both financial institutes and mobile phone
operators.
Dr Yaseen said that currently Pakistan had
overall 63 per cent tele-density, while it had great
potential for broadband proliferation. "At present,
there are around 0.5 million broadband subscribers
across the country," he said. Responding to a
question about 3G Services, he said that the
Ministry of Information Technology and Telecom
(MoIT & T) was working on the policy for issuing
3G licences. The PTA had completed groundwork
36 and would initiate the licensing process soon after
Free download | flare.com.pk
representative in the NFC told the Sindh Assembly talking to Flare the economist said the removal of
in a presentation on "Decisions: 7th NFC Award".
Dr Bengali told the provincial legislature that the
NFC had recognised that the GST on services was a
excise from the three major sectors would be
executed from July 1, 2010.
Earlier, Dr Bengali told the opposition member
Nusrat Sehar Abbasi that the province would have
to improve and enhance its capacity to collect the
levy.
During presentation the technocrat unveiled a
formula for the "calculation of backwardness",
under which the NFC had taken average of the
three Human Development Indexes (HDIs)
prepared by UNDP in 2003, Federal Bureau of
Statistics and the government of Pakistan in 1998-
99 census. According to him, the commission had
concluded that the average poverty ratio in Punjab,
Sindh, NWFP and Balochistan stood respectively at
23.2, 23.4, 27.8 and 25.6 in terms of percentage.
He said the mutually agreed formula had helped
the NFC avoid any criteria favouring a certain
province, as each of the provinces wanted the usage
of that study which was favourable to it. The only
resolution adopted by the house unanimously
termed the national consensus on, what leader of
the house Qaim Ali Shah said, "thorny issue" of
NFC Award as "a positive step towards
provincial subject under the constitution and the the provincial autonomy and success of
provinces may collect this tax if so desired. Later, democracy".

it received policy from the ministry, he said. Afghanistan and Pakistan Country Director, said
Commenting on the study "Connectivity
Scorecard 2009" commissioned by Nokia Siemens
Networks and written by Professor Waverman,
fellow of the London Business School and the
consulting group LECG, Dr Yaseen said that it was
that the Nokia Siemens Networks had
commissioned the study, which was the first of its
kind to rank the countries not only on their
always important to have a reference to measure
the growth, performance and to enhance the
working strategies of any sector.
Syed Waqarul Islam claimed that the gross
domestic product (GDP) would grow by six per
cent if the Information Communications
Technologies (ICT) grew by 10 per cent. He said
the Connectivity Scorecard 2009, measured the
extent to which the governments, businesses and
consumers in 50 countries made use of
connectivity technologies to enhance economic
and social prosperity.
He said the results showed that even the best-
connected countries in the world had no reason for
complacency when it came to use of the
Information Communication Technologies (ICT).
"At present, when the governments around the
world are looking to boost their economies with a
variety of stimulus packages, the Connectivity
Scorecard shows that everyone of them, even the
most developed, has plenty of room to develop the deployment of the ICT infrastructure, but also on
ICT infrastructure and improve its actual use to the extent to which people, governments and
develop economy and society," he added. businesses put this infrastructure to economically
Speaking on the occasion, Saad Waraich, productive use.

Free download | flare.com.pk Flare Panel Interview

Khurram Farooq is currently working as Marketing Manager in Samsung Electronics

for the Consumer Electronics Division handling Pakistan and Afghanistan. Previously,
he was the Regional Account Manager with Maginet (now Docomo InterTouch) which
is an
entertainment and information company that caters to the hospitality sector, and
responsible for the Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran and UAE regions. He is a Computer
Flare Panel: How do you encompass your
experience of working with Samsung?
Khurram Farooq: Working in a company of
this size gives you a unique global perspective
of the electronics field. Samsung is at the
forefront of technology and we keep hearing all
the ‘world’s first’ and ‘world’s best’ things
coming from Samsung. It is very exciting to be
able to visit Samsung Headquarters and see
these innovations in person. Overall, the
experience has been a positive one, and given
me an insight of how Samsung has become a
brand to be respected. The company has a
single-minded vision of becoming number one,
and it manages to achieve it every time, for
every product, and in every market.
Flare Panel: How do you see the difference
between the demand of developed and
developing market?
Khurram Farooq: Developed markets focus
more on quality, and price is a secondary factor.
In case of developing markets, price is a primary
factor. However, with the growth of the
economy, consumer preference gradually shifts
toward respected brands. This is the case in
Pakistan, where we are experiencing a true shift
in consumer attitude, especially with regards to
the television industry
Flare Panel: How far the recession has
affected the market?
Khurram Farooq: The recession in Pakistan
has mainly hit the bottom end of the market.
Upper-class people are still spending the same
way. This means that there has been a drop in
sales of low-end consumer goods, but luxury
goods are still selling at the same rate. In our
case, LCD and LED sales have surpassed our
expectations every time, recession or no
recession.
“In five years, broadband will
become a necessity and
connectivity will become
ubiquitous. Seamless
connectivity will be more
important than convergence.
We will be able to take a picture
from our camera, transmit it
wirelessly to our TV to show to
everyone, and print it out in the
next room while sending it to
our relatives in another country
at the same time”
Flare Panel: Is economic recession over?
Khurram Farooq: As far as Pakistan is
concerned, we have a long way to go. Our own
economy is not developed well-enough to
correlate with the global economy. We have our
own ups-and-downs which are independent of
the global scenario. Here, the economy is
improving and people are now starting to
recover from the effects of previous couple of
years.
Flare Panel: Kindly comment on where you
see Samsung in particular and technology in
general in next five years?
Khurram Farooq: Technology in general will
see exponential growth. In five years,
broadband will become a necessity, and
connectivity will become ubiquitous. Seamless
connectivity will be more important than
convergence. We will be able to take a
picture from our camera, transmit it
wirelessly to our TV to show to everyone, and
print it out in the next room while sending it to
our relatives in another country at the same
time.
This is technically possible now, but it will
be effortless in the future. And at the
forefront of this technology breakthrough
will be Samsung, because Samsung is
one of the only companies that has the
technology and the research to make all these
innovations in-house and can source all the
components from its own companies. In-house
sourcing means that no one can limit the
amount of components Samsung requires to
make their products, unlike other companies
who source from third parties.
37
 Telepedia Muhammad Yasir
Mobile phone users
cross the 96.7m mark
It is pertinent to mention that the popularity of Ufone has
remarkably declined and the credit goes to the pathetic
media campaigns launched by Ufone. The number of Warid
subscribers has once again managed to surpass the Ufone
members and is determined to manage its position
he cellular phone operators companies
T have added 2.367 million new subscribers
on their respective networks in the first
five months of the current fiscal year
2009-10 despite having witnessed correction of
SIM data base in the recent months.
According to the latest statistics updated by
Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), the
overall cellular phone connections have raised to
96.7 million with the tele-density touching 59.03
per cent by the end of November 2009.
The cellular subscriber’s growth squeezed after
millions of unregistered connections were blocked
by the authorities and operators following the
launch of SIM Information System. The user’s base
was shrinking every next month owing to
saturation of market coupled with the correction
of subscriber’s base.
Although the new system was introduced
officially in mid October, the subscriber’s based
widened only by 10,452 connections this month,
however the operators successfully recovered
their losing users and added 0.790 million in the
single month of November.
Since the launch of new SIM Information
System 668, a massive number of SIMs were
found unregistered by Computerised National
Identity Card (CNIC), to counter this
mismanagement users and cellular phone
operators had to be involved in this campaign to
block unwanted or extra SIMs and reissue it to the
existing user by rectifying subscribers’ data.
PTA has blocked more than 12.7 million SIMs
38 by October-end and continued to rectify users’
database in the collaboration with all five
operators.
Officials of the cellular phone companies said
that operators were endeavouring to retain their
subscribers by rectifying data of non-users and
users in order to prevent losing their customers,
however a large number of customers did prefer
to buy new SIM or use other SIM rather than
standing in the long queues for rectification of
data.
The cellular subscriber’s
growth squeezed after
millions of unregistered
connections were blocked
by the authorities and
operators following the
launch of SIM Information
System. The user’s base was
shrinking every next month
owing to saturation of market
coupled with the correction
of subscriber’s base
It was observed in the survey of customers’
care centres that subscribers are facing hardships
and wastage of time by standing in long queues
for rectifying their data. The increasing number of
these customers is not being addressed adequately
as the instruction given by the Authority to the
Free download | flare.com.pk
operators to increase staff numbers in their
respective centres was not followed. The slow
pace of work at customers’ care centres may give
time to operators to adjust their customers’ base
without losing them gradually.
Mobilink subscriber base increased to 30.48
million followed by Telenor reaching 22.27
million. Warid, Ufone and Zong users were
recorded at 18.71 million, 18.36 million and 6.862
million respectively by the end of November,
2009.
The report states that cellular telecom sector in
Pakistan maintained a positive growth rate for the
year 2008-09 despite a cut throat tariff and call
packages competition and sluggish economic
conditions in the country.
Nokia urges focus
on poor nations
Nokia Chief Executive Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo
praised the mobile phone as a history changing
tool and challenged developers to create
programmes for poor countries.
"These little devices have done more to
improve people's lives than perhaps any
technology in history," the head of the Finnish
mobile phone giant said. The Nokia CEO said
that relatively cheap mobile phones had done
much to improve the lives of people in
developing nations.
"Here is the Nokia 1616, nothing to get too
excited about," he said. "(But) it includes a built
in flashlight, a dust resistant keypad, an FM
radio, a speaking alarm clock.
Kallasvuo said there were 4.6 billion mobile
subscriptions among a global population of 6.8
billion people. "We are near the day where we
can talk about the whole connected world," he
said. He also announced that Nokia was putting
one million dollars behind the first "Nokia
Growth Economy Venture Challenge" to
encourage developers to design mobile
products or services that raise the standard of
living in poor nations. "We want you to come up
with new and innovative ways to help people."
"We've seen what the tech community can
do when it focuses on problems that are also
opportunities. We want to channel that energy
toward improving lives in the developing
world."
A recently released annual report PTA for the
year 2008-2009 has shown growth of 17 per cent
in revenue for the cellular industry overall
reflecting that the industry is involved in a healthy
competition and its strategy to increase customer
base as well as revenues through value added
services and call minutes has worked so far. The
total revenue of the industry saw a growth from
Rs 182.122 billion in the year 2007-2008 to Rs
212.423 billion in the year 2008-2009.
It is pertinent to mention that the popularity of
Ufone has remarkably declined and the credit
goes to the pathetic media campaigns launched by
Ufone. The number of Warid subscribers has once
again managed to surpass the Ufone members
and is determined to manage its position. The 2009
has ended and 2010 has begun with new
challenges. The tariff is already minimum where
room exists in the quality of service along with
more and more value added services. Let us wait
and watch what the New Year has for the users.

Free download | flare.com.pk Waqas Ejaz InsighT

inexpensive personal it today we have disparity even in the

Globalisation of IT – computers,
development of the
the

graphical user interface,

globalisation. All of this partiality gives the sense of
something wrong which has been done while
developing the concept of IT globalisation and

global yet restrained and the establishment of

common data exchange
protocols have given
communicating it vociferously. Communication
and information technology miracles are
happening every day but there are some areas in
users around the world the African region which are practically numb
direct access to an towards these advancements.
increasing mass of data, Thus, it shows that we need to move towards
text, and multimedia some other logical reason to justify this difference.
documents - as well as It is possible that we might need to make
the power to create and Information Technology so efficient that it can be
distribute such dispersed through out the world judiciously.
documents themselves. Human beings have created radio when they
I do not want to wanted, they have transfer the technology even
focus computers and beyond the shores of the oceans and they have
high tech gadgets to given life to a dead body by giving him a new heart.
support the concept of In sum, globalisation is a new historical reality
globalisation. not simply the one invented by neo-liberal ideology
Although, without the to convince citizens to surrender to markets, but
invention of the mere also the one inscribed in processes of capitalist
computer chip, restructuring, innovation and competition, and
globalisation would enacted through the powerful medium of new
lobalisation of IT is a complex have been a dream information and communication technologies but

G phenomenon but at the same time it is

an undying reality. It neither needs any
introduction nor pertains a universal
definition. However, the fact of matter is that it
actually exists and it has eventually brought us in
forever, but as we can see all around us, the
phenomena has gone far beyond from the
computer world. Today,
we see globalisation
playing a significant role
with the absence of impartiality and equal
distribution of information and technology.

the historic age of transformation. in trade, commerce and

Nations and regions of the world have been even in our daily social
transformed into a ‘wired planet’ through which life style.
you can make use of the great power of It is old because it
information and technology. appeals to relentless
Information Technology is the driving factor, competition in the
rather a catalyst in the process of globalisation. pursuit of profit, and
Advancements in the early 1990s in computer because individual
hardware, software and telecommunications have satisfaction is its driving
caused widespread improvements in the access to engine. But it is
information and economic potential. fundamentally new
These advances have facilitated efficiency because it is tooled by
gains in all sectors of the economy. IT provides the new information and
communication network that facilitates the communication
expansion of products, ideas, and resources technologies that are at
among nations and among people regardless of the root of new
geographic location. Creating efficient and productivity sources,
effective channels to exchange information, IT has new organisational
been the catalyst for global integration. forms, and the
In the process of globalisation, information and construction of a global
communication technologies (ICTs) have been economy.
implicated in the structuring and restructuring of The world has
human social relations. The power to shrunk due to the pool
communicate has been one of the greatest of globalisation created
achievements by the human race. by IT. Things are
Since, the development of the electrical accessible now and
telegraph and the telephone in the late 1800s when I say ‘things’ that
marked a qualitative shift in the scope and power does not relate to the
of ICTs. However, the new electrical tangible things only; you
communication systems brought disparate can have all kinds of
regions and peoples together into an information within your
unprecedented, increasingly synchronous global approach and you can
network of information, trade, finance and even have the most
culture. In 20th century, the emerging global sacred, rather secret data
telecommunication infrastructure was extended as well (well, that may
and expanded by the development of radio not be so easy but still it
transmission, satellite communications, and is possible).
terrestrial broadband networks. More recently, Globalisation should
digital encoding, storage, and transmission have have been the uniform
allowed for data compression and the phenomenon and
convergence of multiple formats into a common resources were
digital stream, further accelerating the speed and supposed to be utilised
volume of global information and communication equally around the
flows. At the same time, the diffusion of globe. But unfortunately, 39
 Telepedia Flare Report Free download | flare.com.pk

resignation, saying he had followed procedures

Will India trigger 3G and taken decisions "in consultation with the
prime minister".
It all began when two new operators - Unitech

on time?
and Swan Telecom - inducted foreign partners
and sold equity at much higher premium within
few months of getting license and spectrum,
compared to what they paid to the government.
The allegations also echoed in Parliament.
Opposition parties, claiming a scam of Rs 600
billion, said the DoT under Raja allocated 2G
spectrum at 2001 prices causing revenue loss to
the exchequer.
As the demand for auctioning 2G spectrum
gained momentum to get its true value, the DoT
referred the matter to TRAI along with a host of
other issues including the possibility of imposing
a cap on the number of players in a circle.
On the tariff front, it all started with one of the
new players in the GSM segment - Tata DoCoMo
- which started offering one paisa per second
billion option. Competition followed suit at the
risk of putting margins under pressure.

It all began when two new

operators - Unitech and
Swan Telecom - inducted
foreign partners and sold
The Business Standard newspaper reported the auction, equity at much higher
which has already been delayed several times, was now premium within few months
likely to take place at the end of February. The government of getting license and
said, “It aims to raise Rs 250 billion (5.38 billion dollars) from spectrum, compared to
the sale of 3G bandwidth that would allow high-speed what they paid to the
internet, video downloads and other sophisticated services government
on cellular telephones”
One of the leading and incumbent private
ver eight years after third generation government's determination, especially Finance

O
players went to an extent seeking telecom
(3G) mobile technology made its Minister Pranab Mukherjee's resolve to mop up
regulator TRAI's intervention to ensure that new
commercial debut in Japan, Indian funds to bridge fiscal deficit, looks to make this
operators do not indulge in predatory pricing.
phone users got only a taste of official auction possible, although many other countries
However, the trend of per second billing caught
flip-flop on roll-out of the service during 2009 that have moved to the next level of mobile
on and fell further with some operators even
also saw CBI raiding telecom ministry over technology.
offering half a paisa per second call charges for
spectrum allocation. Addition of 10-15 million new mobile
both local and STD calls.
As for the mobile users, whose numbers subscribers every month made India the fastest
swelled to more than 500 million for the first time, growing telecom market in the world and it also
they got the option of paying for calls on per helped the country to achieve 500 million users
second usage basis instead of the fixed one minute much ahead of 2010 target.
call. If private players flourished by adding new
As much as the falling tariffs delighted subscribers, the state owned firms - BSNL and
consumers, the CBI raid MTNL - lost market share mainly due to official
on Telecom Minister A. apathy and the resultant delayed execution of
Raja's office dampened projects.
spirits at the Department The case in point is BSNL, which started with
of Telecom. The result is over 30 per cent market share about seven years
many crucial decisions ago and was considered a major threat to private
like implementation of players, but was reduced to marginal player with It is pertinent to mention that Telecom Minister
Mobile Number a market share of little over 10 per cent and still A. Raja, whose decision to induct new operators
Portability, policy on falling. in the already overcrowded market came under
spectrum allotment for Nothing short of an induction of a strategic severe criticism, said that the move would lead to
expansion of services partner in BSNL could save the falling PSU. But lowering of tariffs and much wider choice to
and even 3G mobile File photo of A. Raja this would not be an easy task for the government users.
telephony were either Minister for Telecom with strong unions blocking the attempt every Going at this rate the tariffs are bound to fall
relegated to the back-seat or delayed inordinately. time. The sector in general is prone to further and may touch as low as 10 paisa a minute
Despite severe inter-ministerial (ministry of controversies, be it over allotment of spectrum, for local call and 25 paisa for STD.
telecom and ministry of defence) differences over issuance of new licences or tariff regulation. Experts feel that tariff would continue to fall
vacation of spectrum (airwaves used for A major controversy erupted during the year further in 2010 when few more new players start
transmitting voice and data), the government when the CBI raided the DoT offices. The agency services. The year 2010 looks to be quite
ended 2009 with the promise of auctioning 3G filed cases against 'unknown officials' for alleged challenging with 3G telephony and MNP
spectrum as per schedule on January 14, this year. irregularities while allocating spectrum to new happening in the months to come.

42 Although it appears to be a daunting task, the players in 2008. Minister A. Raja ruled out Courtesy: www.livemint.com
Free download | flare.com.pk
First alarming question that comes into mind is should Pakistan go for 3G
network or beyond it - by beyond mean 4G or E-Edge? The mobile market has
penetrated to 58 per cent where subscribers have reached 97 million figures and
expected to be 100 million very soon
ew and innovative technologies are
N emerging with each passing day, from
TV to IPTV, internet TV and now
highly innovative mobile phones are
the major instances of technology evolvement
during last three years.
The new major thing in our life will be
undoubtedly Technology, Media and
Telecommunications (TMT) and it is now not so
far to expect that in every part of the world
maximum percentage of the people will be
dependent on TMT.
From dial-up to broadband and now fibre to
the home and 4G/LTE mobile networks, people
are getting used to high data speed and usage of
data and information accessibility is in trend these
days.
When we discuss Third Generation (3G)
services in Pakistan, especially its succession rate,
we can say launching services for the sake of
launching and global market equilibrium will
definitely not worth it - if this service does not give
a return. Pakistan Telecommunication Authority
(PTA) was also looking into matter of 3G services.
First alarming question that comes into mind
is should Pakistan go for 3G network or beyond it
- by beyond mean 4G or E-Edge? The mobile
market has penetrated to 58 per cent where
subscribers have reached 97 million figures and
expected to be 100 million very soon.
Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) is low
because of excessive usage of voice services local
content for using mobile broadband like 3G is not
as such available.
The other aspect is the usage of new generation
phones in masses. Out of 413,809 total subscribers
of DSL are 262,661 i.e. 64 per cent.
Will 3G deployment create more job
opportunities? But mobile operators will prefer to
hire internal resources on the same projects
because this is just an upgrade to technology and
will not require much resource. Some mobile
handsets may get obsolete and this could be also
possible some old handsets with 3G feature may
become expensive.
There are total five mobile
operators, 14 long distance
and international, 37 local
loop operators and 11 WLL
operators working in
Pakistan. Telecom sector that
is already contributing two
per cent of the GDP and it is
expected that it will grow up
to three per cent in the years
to come
Elapsed of almost five years, Pakistan
Telecommunication Authority (PTA) had
announced to launch 3G services in the country.
In 2005, former Chairman, Pakistan
Telecommunication Authority (PTA), Major-
General (Retd.) Shahzada Alam Malik had said
that PTA would continue to introduce latest
telecom technologies for the benefit of the
consumers and shifting of cellular mobile
technology from 2nd generation to 3rd generation
would take place within due course of time. He
did not mention the period of launching 3G
services.
Likewise, the new PTA Chairman Dr
Mohammad Yaseen has also hinted the launch 3G
service at many times. This year is expected to be
a significant year for the Pakistan telecom sector
and it is hoped that PTA will succeed in launching
3G services.
Flare Report Telepedia
However, the so-called champion of
democracy, India, has failed to auction for third
generation (3G) mobile telecom services and
missed a January 14 deadline where Bangladesh's
telecom regulator announced that licences to run
third generation (3G) mobile services will be
auctioned this year in a bid to attract billions of
dollars of investment. Senate Standing Committee
on IT and Telecom along with PTA must draw a
timeline for the 3G services so that subscribers
enjoy the long-waited service and Pakistan too can
meet the pace with which the technology is
progressing around the world.
It is not only PTA that is neglecting the launch
of 3G but also the PPP led government that is
choked with a number of domestic issues and can
not spare time to draw the policy and frame work
for 3G.
After a while of 3G services launched, DSL
Broadband service providers could be in danger
because of mobile broadband. But let's see what
time has to say about it.
The 3G services will definitely add value to
mobile user experience but with that PTA has to
make sure that 3G services' availability and
accessibility must be deployed at masses and must
ensure some best key performance indicators for
the evaluation of 3G speed variability.
43
 Telepedia Flare Report Free download | flare.com.pk

wing to downfall in revenues, most of

O the telecom operators adopted “cost-

cutting measures” during the year
2008-09. Throughout the year, the
sector’s financial health could not be improved in
accordance with the expectations owing to heavy
taxes and falling exchange rates, which placed
unprecedented burden on the operators’ import
bills.
Due to economic slowdown, saturation in the
market and global financial crisis, the total
investment in the telecom sector during 2008-09
reduced by nearly 47 per cent. Despite the fact
that the operators have speedily rolled out their
infrastructure, reaching out to most of the
population, there still remains huge areas like
Broadband, WLL and manufacturing, where
investment opportunities exist.
To cope with the financial crunch, telecom
operators adopted optimisation of human
resources, cut in employees’ perks and
temporarily froze statistics obtained from
Ministry of Finance and State Bank of Pakistan to
avoid negative impact of economic slowdown on
the sector. As per data provided in the yearly
report of PTA, the leading mobile operator,
Mobilink, slipped from green to red zone in
earnings because of the falling exchange rate and
rapid drop in the subscribers’ base. It is pertinent

Cost-cutting measures to
to remember that Mobilink is the largest cellular
operator of Pakistan and if its earnings are in red
zone than what could be said about the other
operators.

fight off credit crunch

A dismal situation in fixed-line penetration is
the major area of concern for the policy-makers
and the regulator in Pakistan. After issuing a
number of licenses to the fixed-line operators, the
regulator believed that the market forces would
play their due role for its expansion, but
unfortunately, this could not happen.
However, despite these difficulties, the sectors
revenue grew by 19 per cent which poses
confidence in the government and regulators’
policies. Unlike expectations, most of the fixed-
line operators could not roll out the infrastructure
maintaining the incumbent operator still the
dominant player with its old copper based
infrastructure a main hurdle in the sector’s
growth.
It was also expected that a rapid roll out by
wireless technology (WLL) would compensate
the declining fixed line penetration, which too did
not happen due to lack of investment by WLL
operators. Furthermore, the WLL operators like
Wateen and Wi-tribe have smartly diverted their
resources to Broadband expansion in 3.5 GHz and
invested on new technology like WiMax.
This, too, caused slow growth in the fixed line
sector. Issues like right of way and lack of
unbundling also proved major hurdles in the
fixed line sector’s growth. A huge investment is
required to roll out new generation of fibre
44 networks in Pakistan.
Throughout the year, the financial health of telecom sector could
not be improved in accordance with the expectations owing to
heavy taxes and falling exchange rates, which placed
unprecedented burden on the import bills of operators
This gives a major opportunity to large scale
investors to secure their investments in Pakistan
in this segment of the industry. During the
current year, a total of USD 1.6 billion worth of
investment has been made by all the operators, of
which the cellular mobile share is about 75 per
cent.
The WLL has marginally increased investment
from USD 52.8 million in 2007-08 to USD 82.11
million in 2008-09. However, the rest of all of the
sectors have reduced the level of their investment.
During this period, Pakistan attracted FDI worth
To cope up with the financial
crunch, telecom operators
adopted optimisation of
human resources, cut in
employees’ perks and
temporarily froze statistics
obtained from Ministry of
Finance and State Bank of
Pakistan to avoid negative
impact of economic
slowdown on the sector
USD 3.7 billion altogether. In the current year, the
telecom sector received over USD 815 million FDI,
which is 22 per cent of the total FDI in Pakistan.
Major countries which invested more than 70
per cent in last five years in Pakistan’s telecom
sector included United Arab Emirates, United
States of America, Norway and China. The UAE
emerges as the leading country investing over 36
per cent of the total FDI in the telecom sector in
the last five years. UAE invested in companies
like Wateen, Warid Telecom and PTCL.
Etisalat, UAE based company, bought out 26
per cent shares of the PTCL worth USD 2.4 billion.
The UAE has invested over USD 2.3 billion in the
telecom sector of Pakistan since 2004-05. China
Mobile has its first overseas adventure in Pakistan
cellular mobile sector, in addition to telecom
manufacturing, through companies like ZTE and
others. Investment from China exceeded USD 599
million in the telecom sector of Pakistan during
the last five years.
Telenor, a Norway based company, also
brought about half a billion US dollars foreign
investment into Pakistan during the last five
years. The telecom sector contributes one to two
per cent in the total GDP, making its share in total
tax revenue as six to seven per cent per annum.
During the year 2008-09, the sector continued to
contribute handsome amount in national kitty
through various taxes and regulatory charges.

Free download | flare.com.pk Usman Yaqoob Exclusive

morning, holidays, birthdays, festivals and

Twisting trends in texting

achievements to family members and friends on
daily basis. Now students are able to keep in
touch with their class fellows to remain
informed about the lecture schedule and
activities at the campus. Children keep up
informing their parents about their whereabouts
to avoid any kind of panic. It is now not only
easy but also economic to contact one’s driver
to fetch him or her home.
Keeping in mind the benefits this unique
service has offered let us peep into the trends of
sending SMS nationwide. It is obvious that no
two people can behave in the same manner
similarly the way people text each other is
different for different people.
Gilani Research Foundation recently
conducted a survey and discovered that Urdu
and Roman script is the most used language for
sending SMS where some people use more than
one language for sending short
messages. According to survey
some people also copy and paste a message
from any of the languages and use
that in their SMS which they forward to other
people.
A nationally representative sample of men
and women from across the country were asked,
"Which language do you usually use for sending
SMS from your mobile phone?" Thirty seven per
cent said they send SMS in Urdu typed in
English alphabet i.e. Roman, 15 per cent use
With the invention of cell phone the way humans interact Urdu typed in Urdu alphabet to send text
with each other changed altogether. In the beginning messages whereas 17 per cent said they type
SMS in English.
people used mobile phones to make calls only but as the
time moves on improved uses of technology came into
being. Today the best thing a mobile phone can do is to
send a short message
here time has brought a lot of altogether. In the beginning people used mobile

W changes in the world we live in,

there are also sectors that are
revolutionised by the blow of time.
Communication has remained one of the most
important aspects of human life as it ensures the
phones to make calls only but as the time moves
on improved uses of technology came into
being. Today the best thing a mobile phone can
do is to send a short message (of 160 characters).
With the beginning of short messaging
commitment and interaction of social animal service (SMS) till now the facility has seen a lot
with the society. of improvement. Numerous monthly and daily
It is impossible to live an isolated life as
humans rely upon each other for a number of
jobs and it is simply impossible for an
It was asked, “Which Twenty nine per cent do not send any SMS
individual to solely depend upon his or her self language do you usually whereas two per cent gave no response. The
for a variety of needs. use for sending SMS from findings of the survey reveal that a
proportionately higher percentage of urbanites,
The insufficiency of a person for meeting the
requirements of his or her life boosted up the your mobile phone?” Thirty respondents under 30 years of age, and men
idea of society. Society members not only help seven per cent said they send text messages in Urdu
using English alphabet from their cell phones,
by
but also look after each other in a variety of
tasks. send SMS in Urdu typed in where as a significantly higher
Means of communication have widely English alphabet i.e. percentage of ruralites use Urdu alphabet to
transformed with the passage of time. Initially type Urdu SMS.
it was post (letters) sent to far flung areas to Roman, 15 per cent use Keeping in mind these interesting facts it is
keep up the link between families or Urdu typed in Urdu pertinent to forecast that the facility of SMS has
triggered novel ways of communication
organisations. Then it was telegram that helped
in instantly propagating news and significant alphabet to send text where this facility is casting great
messages. Telephone step in and brought messages whereas 17 per impact on the mode of communication i.e.
language.
people a bit more closer however the price to
abridge the gap was quite high. Then the
cent said they type SMS in Now Urdu is written in English alphabets by
revolution of information technology (IT) English the majority of mobile phone users and it is
brought about change and the whole scene was indeed a new beginning in the history of
written again. packages are introduced to promote the SMS communication where it is expected
With the appearance of cell phone the way traffic. And now it is a common practice in not that time will encourage further changes
humans interact with each other changed only metropolis but also in small towns to greet in the realm.
45
 Tech Tool Game Review Free download | flare.com.pk

46
 Free download | flare.com.pk Flare Report Tech Tool

he first person shooter is perhaps the genre of ammo for his/her main weapons or when he/she the Russian AK-47 assault rifles have made history.

T that has gathered the biggest number of

fans in the entire computer gaming
industry. And it's pretty easy to understand
why: people love guns. And first person shooters
give people what they want: a lot of guns to play
wants to save up on ammo for the more tougher
fights. And, basically, that's its use in real life as well.
Pistols are especially favoured in close combat
situations where a firearm packs a greater punch
than your fists will ever do.
The M16 has been the US Army primary rifle since
1964 and it's continuing its tradition even now
thanks to the improvements that have been made
over the years.
Another classic weapon is the Grenade, an anti-
with and many monsters to kill in an array of Next in line is the Shotgun. An item that evolved personnel weapon that is present in more than 90
different environments. And you end up saving the together with per cent of first person shooters. It's usually used for
planet and, of course, the love of the nice girl that's the FPS genre, clearing out large groups of enemies although
always getting into trouble. the shotgun is nowadays it has other purposes as well. The basic
As you probably know, guns always make an a First Person grenade types
appearance in any shooter out there. Whether it's Shooter are:
Half-Life, gamer's close fragmentation,
Halo, Crysis, combat concussion,
Unreal, Quake, favourite. percussion,
Wolfenstein or Whether it's smoke, riot
Call of Duty the usual control,
(there are, of twelve gauge incendiary,
course, other version, sawed stun, sting,
FPS games but off version or impact stun and
it would take automatic version shotgun, you'll find this old timer anti-tank. These
me forever to in just about every shooting game that wants to types are used
name them all; make an impression on the market. both in games and in real life.
this is not a top Its real life counterpart, by the way, is just as Next in line, we have the Sniper Rifle. When
10), each of useful in close quarters combat as the video game you're planning on taking out a lot of enemies,
these games includes variants of classic FPS-esque doing anything like that without keeping the
weapons. The Grenade an distance is usually bad for your health. That's where
That being said, the first in line is the Combat the sniper rifle comes in, allowing you to make
Knife. Computer game players everywhere (and anti-personnel weapon that is precise shots from as far as 2.300m (and even farther
especially present in more than 90 per when playing a video game). The fact that this
Counter Strike cent of first person shooters. It's weapon has such a long firing distance is enough to
players) will terrify even the toughest of bad guys.
recognise this usually used for clearing out Last but not
as it is the all- large groups of enemies least is the
time favourite
close combat
although nowadays it has other Rocket
Launcher.
weapon of FPS purposes as well Perhaps the
game creators. ultimate classic
Its real life version. Not many firearms pack such a punch at a weapon, the
counterpart is close range (without also injuring the shooter), Rocket
not so deadly, therefore the shotgun is one of the most feared Launcher is
however, weapons on the planet. And FPS games make sure meant to offer a
being mainly used as a utility tool for clearing it remains just that. great deal of
foliage, chopping branches, opening ammo crates This next damage with a
and so on. item is limited set of
Next is a weapon that I believe to be featured in everyone's projectiles. Just like in real life, you have to recharge
every FPS game that has appeared since favourite, so I'll after one projectile is fired (usually). While in-game
Catacomb3D. give it some you generally fire the Rocket Launcher against huge
The Pistol, or extra space: the monsters with a
more Assault Rifle. crazy amount
commonly The Assault of health, in real
called, Rifle is a life, things are a
handgun. In gamer's little bit
the FPS genre, favourite different. The
the pistol is the choice, offering Rockets are
last line of firepower, manoeuvrability and handling pretty usually fired
defence (if you well in all situations. For its real life counterpart, against
get to use the things are basically the same. The assault rifle is so aircrafts,
knife, you're famous that it is actually the standard issue infantry vehicles or
really in weapon in most, if not all modern armies. And as bunkers.

trouble) and usually used when the player runs out far as assault rifles go, the United States M16 and Courtesy: gadgets.softpedia.com 47
 Cover Story Zubair Ahmed Kasuri Free download | flare.com.pk

Dr. Abdul Jabbar

Director General Enforcement &
Executive Member of PEMRA

Many illegal and irrational steps in the services of PEMRA are initiated by the
Executive Member and D.G Enforcement Mr Abdul Jabbar who at the present enjoys two
very important offices in PEMRA i.e. Director General Enforcement and Executive Member
of PEMRA. All the authority and power is at the disposal of Mr Abdul Jabbar who has close
associates in the present government. His influential friends have helped him in his
promotion from a junior post to the present executive status
he Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory metropolitan city and a non-metropolitan city. in metropolitan and non-metropolitan categories

T Authority (PEMRA) is responsible for

facilitating and regulating
establishment and operation of all
broadcast media and distribution services in
Pakistan established for the purpose of
the
Cities are declared metropolitan or otherwise on the
basis of their age, population, demography and the
level of basic amenities available to its citizens. The
parameters PEMRA has adopted in classifying cities
are false.
For example districts like Thatta, Sukkar, Vehari,
Bhakar, Muzafargarh, Jhang, Sheikhupura, Badin,
Noshero Feroe, Mirpur Khas, Mianwali, Narowal,
Tharparkar, Mandi Bahudin, Okara, Shikarpur,
international, national, provincial, district, and local Larkana, Khanewal, Sahiwal, Kasur, Gujrat and
or special target audiences. Khushab are considered metropolitan cities which
PEMRA advertised for the issuance of FM are not the one. Moreover, these places already have
licenses in 37 cities of Pakistan. In the advertisement two or more operational FM stations and now
for the first time in Pakistan’s broadcast history PEMRA is giving two more licenses, adding to an
PEMRA was giving two licenses for each of the already supersaturated market.
stations including four for Islamabad, Karachi and
Lahore. Some 134 broadcast stations are already on
air and in addition 82 licences are being offered
In the advertisement for the
including four more for Islamabad and four more first time in Pakistan’s
for Lahore, raising the overall total to 216. broadcast history PEMRA was
Violating the PEMRA Ordinance 2002, the giving two licenses for each
Government is all set to grant licences of about 82
new FM Radio Broadcast Stations (Phase VIII),
of the stations including four
allowing use of these channels for other than for Islamabad, Karachi and
entertainment purposes like spreading religious, Lahore. These licenses are
ethnic or other controversial ideologies in the urban issued to air programmes on
centres of the country. news, current affairs, culture
The Authority has relaxed the conditions for
obtaining the licences for these FM Radio Broadcast
and religion, and portrayed to
Stations, which would surely facilitate some vested be a great achievement of the
interests, including the hardcore religious elements present day government
in securing these channels to use as a tool to tear which means that the
through the religious harmony in the urban centres government is desiring to
of Punjab, Sindh and NWFP on the pattern of the
notorious Maullana Fazlullah type FM radio in
promote religious FM
Swat valley. channels
Interestingly, out of the 37 cities 31 were treated
as metropolitan cities and six including All these illegal and irrational steps are initiated
Hassanabdal, Murree, Nankana Sahib, Arifwala, by the executive member and D.G Enforcement Mr
Bhurewala and Jamshoro are treated as non- Abdul Jabbar who at the present enjoys two very
metropolitan cities. However, those readers who important offices in PEMRA i.e. Director General
have some knowledge of the constitution of Enforcement and Executive Member of PEMRA. All
48 Pakistan would know the difference between the authority and power is at the disposal of Mr
Free download | flare.com.pk Cover Story

exactly mean by this,

as we all know a
number of anti-
Pakistan groups are
using religion as a
tool, so in such a
situation, new FM
radios if allowed,
would ignite the
already flared up
issues of religious
concern, which can
take a drastic turn
threatening the
security of the
country.” He warned,
“Once they acquire
such radio channels
after having paid
heavy licence fee, even in Pakistan the precedent is PEMRA allowed one
PEMRA would not be licensee (FM 97) to shift its setup from Hassanabdal
able to stop them.” to Islamabad by taking population and economic
Zahid Mahmood viability as a plea. Then, they question, how come
Alvi, an expert on and why PEMRA is now giving so many new
diplomatic and licences. “Obviously this would create a problem of
defence matters, unnecessary competition for existing FM radio
pointed out towards channels”, they argue.
corruption aspect of The corruption did not stop here. Interestingly
the government’s in the recent bidding the advertisement for the FM
move to use opening licenses was first published on November 15, 2009
of radio channels as an and just after four days another advertisement
appeasing or pressure appeared in the newspapers on of November 19,
tactic to earn money 2009 adding the FM licenses for Lahore, Karachi and
and hush up critics. Islamabad, where everything else remained same.
“In the past too, One would question PEMRA’s ability to advertise
PEMRA had been before making proper decisions. It appears that a
involved in mega few higher ups approached PEMRA and ordered to
corruption scandals, add these stations overnight.
as frequently reported One more confusing decision came on 1st and
by local media. The 2nd of January, 2010 when PEMRA extended the
authority awarded date for the submission of applications for FM
various licenses in licenses from December 31, 2009 to January 15,
Source: PEMRA website October 2009 using 2010. Actually this extension date had to publish in
favouritism as a the newspapers before the end of deadline which
Abdul Jabbar who has close associates in the present political tool.” December 31, 2009; but late and confused decision
government. His influential friends have helped Ejaz Hussain, former director finance of PBC, of PEMRA made many people suffer once again.
him in his promotion from a junior post to the said the grant of such radio stations seems to be a If one thinks that PEMRA would have stopped
present executive status. He is also using his Sindhi double-edged tool to pose financial kickbacks on making blunders then one is awed by a list which
influence for his personal gains and also in one hand and serious threat to the security of the was published after a few days by PEMRA on their
harassing people. The proof of his illicit country on the other. website www.pemra.gov.pk in which they released
involvement was visible in the cancellation of Famous broadcaster Syed Naseer Turabi said the base prices of the advertised cities for FM radio
Faislabad and Sialkot FM station licenses in the last this is high time for intervention in the matter and station licenses of phase eight. In the given list,
bidding, which were later restored after the mutual stop PEMRA immediately from issuing new bases prices of the licenses is increased from Rs
cooperation of the effectees. licenses for such specific purposes. PEMRA, he said, 100,000 to Rs 3,000,000 without consulting or
It is obvious that Authority will be approached informing the stakeholders, ignoring the consensus
by a number of people of ideological affiliations additional bank guarantee of Rs one million
with the Taliban school of thought, and backed by annexed. All this is done to ensure inaccessibility
unknown hands, ready to offer highest bids for the by small and medium investors in the local
said FM channels to be launched from Islamabad, industry. The step is sheer inclination towards the
Multan, Rahimyar Khan, Sheikhupura, Jhang, rich and influential bidders. When contacted to
Muzaffargarh, Gujranwala, Larkana, Jhelum, explain the initiative Mr Abdul Jabbad refused to
Khanewal, Bahawalnagar, Sahiwal, Kasur, Vihari, comment.
Gujrat, Mandi Bahauddin, Okara, Karachi, Thatta, After looking at recent initiatives by PEMRA,
Sukkur, Badin, Naushero Feroz, Mirpur Khas, one would wonder what a government
Shikarpur, Tharparkar, Abbottabad, Mianwali, organisation that is suppose to facilitate and
Khushab, Narowal, Bhakkar, Murree, Nankana support local media minting money like a
Sahib, Hasanabdal, Burewala, Arifwala and commercial organisation. The measure is also
Jamshoro (two channels in each city). against the mandate of PEMRA. Not only that
Analysts and political observers fear that these PEMRA has failed to fulfil its basic responsibilities
FM Radio stations can most likely get fame of Sunni, must first clearly make some rules in consultation it has drastically disappointed millions of listeners
Shia, Deobandi or Taliban channels and can be used with all security agencies of the country and get nationwide.
in dissemination of foreign intelligence operations clearance as to who should be granted these licenses The government of Pakistan and Supreme
and the propaganda unleashed by anti-state and who should not. The rules, he said, should also Court must take notice of these irregularities and
elements. elaborate as to which content and material or corruption that is striking in the name of freedom of
“It is like turning the whole country into thought and ideology should be disseminated. press and media. This would not only regulate
Fazlullah-led Taliban-infested Swat”, said defence Experts say the procedure of issuance of license Pakistani media but also show the determination
observer Seikh A. Shakil, adding, “The important world over is based on two major factors, one is of government on providing transparent and
point is the religious knowledge. What do they population and the other is economic viability, even accountable institutions.
49
 Interview Flare Panel Free download | flare.com.pk

Mr Usman A. Sheikh
Managing Director &
Chief Operating Officer KHL
Akbar Associates Group

Mr Usman A. Sheikh is associated with telecom and IT industry for last 16 years. Before starting his
carrier in the realm of telecommunication and information technology, he has worked in power and
energy sector, in banking, in retail and with United Nations. For about 20 years, he has served
Multinationals before getting into business in 2002. His schooling in Paris has given him immense
exposure where his higher studies in United States helped him in better understanding the competition.
In early 1990s, before coming back to Pakistan, he worked for three years in United States
Flare Panel: Brief us about the achievements turn key products and services. We specialise in Apart from being a service integrator and a
of KHL. development of metro and long haul optical fibre service provider in true sense, KHL also
Usman A. Sheikh: In a brief span of eight cable networks with now having the largest represents established international brand names
years, KHL is the youngest organisation that has market share in Pakistan. Our turn key solutions such as ASUS - Taiwan, Segam Orga - France,
achieved so much and come so far. KHL is one include design, engineering, supply, laying and Ascend - China, Atheeb Intergraph - USA and
of the only organisations in Pakistan that is commissioning of OFC as well 24x7 O &m. Ghadder Power Generation – Lebanon and will
handling turnkey projects in power, construction In addition, KHL also provides expertise in be establishing and representing one of the
and telecom sector. We have partnered with Telco and EMC works of MSC (Mobile Switching largest OEM manufacturers in Pakistan shortly
Multinationals and have worked with leading Centre’s), BTS (Base Transmitting Centre) and i.e. ETK from Turkey.
companies in the world. KHL is now truly a BSS (Base Sub Station) sites. KHL has an To add value to the current technological
Pakistani Multinational company with a work extensive setup for providing managed scenario in the industry, KHL has established an
force of over 600 employees. maintenance services for OFC, GSM and WLL R&D wing/company which is producing state of
network managing both passive and active the art customised solutions to enhance
Flare Panel: Tell us about KHL and its components both telco & non-telco around the affectivity and efficiency in the power, telecom
operations on national and international level.? clock. KHL with its 27 offices has developed and constructions sectors.
Usman A. Sheikh: KHL is a true service strong presence in China, UAE and Saudi We are operating in UAE from Dubai and in
integrator, providing turnkey solutions for the Arabia. We manage and control in-house supply China from Beijing. We have also crossed
telecom, power and construction sectors. KHL chain management for all sectors with inventory regional shores and ventured towards Mauritius
has achieved distinguish leadership as a leading of spares handling for all major operators within to provide telecom operations as being the first
50 integrator in core areas of expertise providing and outside Pakistan. pakistani operator and being the first Pakistani
Free download | flare.com.pk Flare Panel

multinational telecom company. While having a

strong and commanding presence in the GCC We at KHL, take pride in the
countries; we have ventured towards projects in fact that after eight years
Oman, KSA and Bahrain as well. KHL reaffirms
its strength by “Adding pride to the MADE IN since our inception we have
PAKISTAN label” for all to be heard. We are reached the benchmark of
truly contributing to the national agenda of self
reliance. quality at par to most of our
international vendors. The
Flare Panel: What are the expansion plans of
KHL? telecom companies in
Usman A. Sheikh: Our offices are already
spread all across Pakistan. In addition we have
Pakistan now seek our
strong and functional office presence in China services rather than those of
and Dubai to cater large turn key projects. We
are now expanding towards Oman, with roll out
the international vendors they
project implementation in 2010-11. did before. Indeed, we are a
Flare Panel: More and more companies are brand name of Pakistan;
entering in the field, what tough time do you trying to portray the image of
plan to give them?
Usman A. Sheikh: We believe that our growth and prosperity that we
quality standards and focus on our accreditation are adding to our nation
on ISO standards and HSEQ policies are
developing us into a major force to match any protection and rights also need to be addressed.
one, however, we also feel that competition is not Even though; secretary of IT and Telecom Mr
only the basis of protection to the consumer, but Najeeb Ullah Malik is doing an excellent job,
accordingly. KHL has been awarded this year at
is the incentive to progress. KHL is proud to be however, at government level a political position
GITEX as Customer Quality and Support Award.
the lead sponsors on projects wherein encourages and attracts foreign investment
Multinational are willing and working with KHL which is the need of the hour.
Flare Panel: Are you satisfied with the role
as partners or in vendor roles. What will keep us
of government departments like PTA? What
ahead of our competitors is a name of trust with Flare Panel: The country faces severe power
they lack and how will you comment on their
reliability and deliverance; we measure our outage. What are your plans to fight with such
contributions so far?
success by measuring yours. massive issues?
Usman A. Sheikh: PTA has provided a level
Flare Panel: What measures have you taken Usman A. Sheikh: Pakistan is currently going
playing field, however, it needs to support and
for customer’s satisfaction? through major power crises that exponentially
get active now before it is too late for 3G license
Usman A. Sheikh: We at KHL periodically increasing with every passing day. Keeping that
issue. PTA must ensure new avenues for telecom
conduct surveys at our customers’ end to in mind, we believe that there is a great potential
generation and increase in subscribers and
understand their views and reservations; each of providing alternate power generation
revenue base. A telecom sector giving a billion
comment made by a customer in a customer solutions in our country.
dollar turnover thus requires immediate
satisfaction survey has the potential to impact Luckily, Pakistan is one of the few countries
attention for the slot of Minister of IT and
our business positively and measures are taken in the world that are enriched with sunlight, at
Telecom. It represents a major industry while its
an average we get at least six hours of sunlight
every day. We see solar energy as a risk free,
efficient and guaranteed way of cutting down on
a big percentage of our power crises. However
in the light of this, the government should
encourage and support these solutions and make
policies to encourage people to utilise and
incorporate solar panels. KHL is willing to work
alongside the government to make solar energy
viable for domestic and commercial use.
Flare Panel: Made in Pakistan is your
slogan. Throw some light upon the idea behind
this slogan?
Usman A. Sheikh: We at KHL, take pride in
the fact that after eight years since our inception
we have reached the benchmark of quality at par
to most of our international vendors. The
telecom companies in Pakistan now seek our
services rather than those of the international
vendors they did before. Indeed, we are a brand
name of Pakistan; trying to portray the image of
PTA has provided a level playing field, however, it needs to support growth and prosperity that we are adding to our
and get active now before it is too late for 3G license issue. PTA nation.
must ensure new avenues for telecom generation and increase in
subscribers and revenue base. A telecom sector giving a billion Flare Panel: What is your message to our
reverend readers?
dollar turnover thus requires immediate attention for the slot of Usman A. Sheikh: Focus, work hard and look
Minister of IT and Telecom. It represents a major industry while its for the light at the end of the tunnel. If you
protection and rights also need to be addressed believe in yourself, you will lead to success….
51
Free download | flare.com.pk Flare Report Tech Tool

53
 Tech Tool Mobile Reviews Free download | flare.com.pk

Nokia 5235 pre-charged with music

Nokia 5235 Comes With Music runs on Symbian S60 5th
Edition OS, it comes with 3.2 inch full touchscreen, 2 megapixel
camera, 3.5mm headphone jack, 16 GB external memory and Ovi
Services.
The Nokia 5235 is also a touchscreen device that supports
dual-band 3G with 3.6Mbps HSDPA for fast downloads, a
microSD card slot for cards up to 16GB to store the songs and up
to 33 hours of music playback.
The Nokia 5230 has a 3.5mm audio jack too, so the only thing
that's missing is the dedicated music keys. Nokia has a good track
record in the audio quality department, so there should be no
problems. The Nokia 5235 runs Symbian S60 5th edition and
offers other Ovi goodies besides Ovi Maps - Ovi Store, Ovi
Contacts and Ovi Mail too.
This handset is set to arrive in the first quarter of 2010

Samsung M5650 Lindy

The Samsung M5650 Lindy looks almost like the S3650 Corby,
but it has more features. It comes with 3 megapixel camera, 3G
(HSDPA 7.2Mbps) and Wi-Fi connectivity, a front-facing VGA cam-
era and dedicated music control keys.
Other specs remain unchanged: 2.8 inch QVGA touchscreen
display, Bluetooth, stereo FM radio with RDS, 50MB of internal
memory, and MicroSD card support.
Despite all the new gadgetry jammed inside the Samsung
M5650 Lindy, it's bigger than the Samsung S3650 Corby only by
a hair, measuring 106 x 57 x 12 mm and 98 grams. The Lindy fea-
tures Samsung's TouchWiz interface, which brings goodies like
one finger zoom and Smart unlock along with it.

54
Free download | flare.com.pk Mobile Reviews Tech Tool

Samsung S5150 Diva Folder

The Samsung S5150 Diva Folder is made in a clamshell
form factor equipped with 2.2-inch QVGA screen with a reso-
lution of 320×240 pixels, and an external display, hidden
under a semi-transparent mirror surface flip.
The Samsung S5150 Diva Folder comes with FM tuner, and
3.2 megapixel camera. The device is supports networks
GSM/GPRS/EDGE 900/1800/1900 MHz.
Where the S5150 does score points though is with the exte-
rior styling; the outer shell of the device is comprised of a strik-
ing silvery pillow-like finish. On the top flip there's an LED dis-
play lurking beneath the folds which can display incoming
calls or the time and is invisible when turned off.
The phone includes Bluetooth for hands-free headsets and
basic features like speakerphone and microSD memory card
support. The Diva Folder also includes a "fake call" feature that
should help ladies get out of difficult or unsafe situations.
The Samsung S5150 Diva folder will be available in January
in the Netherlands, Russia, the Ukraine, and other European
countries, followed by South Eastern Asia and China.

Sony Ericsson Elm

BSony Ericsson announce the Sony Ericsson Elm
GreenHeart, the handset features Noise Shield for clear voice,
access to social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter
and a built-in 5.0 megapixel auto-focus camera.
"Building on the established heritage of our parent compa-
nies we have worked continuously to maintain our leadership
position by committing to reduce our own CO2 emissions by
20 per cent and product life cycle CO2 emissions by 15 per
cent by 2015.” said Mats Pellbäck Scharp, Environmental
Director at Sony Ericsson.
"The Sony Ericsson Elm phone and the Noise Shield
VH700 are a testament of our continued commitment to the
environment and are part of the ongoing roll-out of our
GreenHeart strategy announced in June 2009," continues
Mats Pellbäck Scharp.

55
 Tech Tool Free download | flare.com.pk

LG GW300
MThe LG GW300 is the first BlackBerry-style device
that we have seen from this LG Electronics. The device
comes with built in Facebook and e-mail clients.
The handset features include a full QWERTY keypad,
2.4” 240×320 QVGA display, stereo Bluetooth connectiv-
ity, USB 2.0 alongside 2.5G GSM, GPRS/EDGE network
support, it also has a built-in camera, but its resolutions
is still unknown as well as pricing or availability informa-
tion.
The LG GW300 also features a 2 megapixel camera
with four times zoom, which can be used to take photos
and upload them to Facebook.
It also has a 3.5mm socket, for plugging in your head-
phones to listen to the phones FM radio or you’re
favourite MP3s. You can store your multi-media files on
the 4GB of external memory the device supports and you
can share-files over Bluetooth, which is also supported.

Trend T-786i Dual Sim GSM

Trend mobiles were the first in introducing the dual SIM
mechanism that allowed a person to hold two different SIMs in one
mobile phone. It has now come up with the simplest and yet the
most loaded of the mobile phones. It is called the, Trend Perfect
Dual Sim, T-786i is available in Bar shape with keypad and touch
screen facility.
The features of T786i are startling, Its basic edge is that a user
can retain different network operators, SIMs in one cell phone and
can receive calls in both. It is a complete multi-
media cell phone with 2 mega pixel camera,
which has an audio and video recorders and
players as well. The USB data cable allows the
user a unique facility of ‘Plug N Play’.
Attach the cable with your computer and
view what you have recorded. There is no need of any software or
driver installation unlike other cell phones.
Trend T-786i having Bluetooth connectivity,
GPRS and MMS. Trend mobiles offers and
unmatched Deluxe Package along with the
set which includes a free-of-cost Bluetooth
Device, 256 MB memory card, hands free, USB port,
Desktop charger, 2 extra batteries and In-Car charger and a
Trendy pouch to carry your cell phone in style.
The Trend T-786i is a fashion conscious handset, which has a
good and attractive size of LCD and gives solid and quality feel
when in use. Mobile phone holds another edge to other cell
phones in the market. It has the style, it has the attractive look and
it has all that you require in cell phone to begin with.
56
Free download | flare.com.pk Tech Tool

Nokia 2710 Navigation Edition

The Nokia 2710 Navigation Edition is embedded with Nokia
Maps with lifetime navigation license. It comes with - bar form fac-
tor, quad-band GSM/EDGE connectivity, S40 user interface, built-
in GPS and Nokia Maps.
Screen size aside, the Nokia 2710 Navigation Edition goes the
whole nine yards - built-in GPS receiver with A-GPS support, life-
time voice-guided drive and walk navigation via Nokia Maps, car
holder in the box (in select markets) and a dedicated keyboard
key to launch the navigation software. Finally, Nokia Maps 2.1 for
S40 with preloaded local maps (you can get upload more maps
for free with the Map Loader). The only thing it lacks is a digital
compass.
The Nokia 2710 Navigation Edition is powered by a 1020mAh
Li-Ion battery, good for some six hours of navigation. The device
was announced in December 2009 and expected to hit the mar-
ket during the first quarter of 2010.

Motorola WX395
Motorola is preparing release new entry in mobile
handset WX series, includes WX 395.
Motorola WX395 is in single colour - black. WX 395
is a entry-level in music world it has MP3 player,
expandable memory card but the drawback of
Motorola WX 395 mobile does not have FM radio.
With 1.8 inch CSTN, dimension:105x44.9x12 mm,
2MB memory, 2.0 Bluetooth, USB 2G cellular net-
works, GSM/GPRS (900/1800 MHz), 1.3 megapixel
camera, weight 83g without battery, calendar, talk time
up to 7 hour and 30 minutes and Games.

57
 Tech Tool Current Mobiles Free download | flare.com.pk

Rs Rs
3890 3290

Nokia 5030 XpressRadio Samsung C160FM

Display Display
Display Type: TFT, 65K colours Display Type: CSTN, 65K colours, Size
Size 128 x 160 pixels, 1.8 inches 128 x 128 pixels, 1.5 inches
Sound Ringtones
Sound Alert types Vibration; Ringtones Type Polyphonic (16 chan-
Downloadable polyphonic, MP3, nels), Vibration Yes
video tones ringtones, Speakerphone Memory
Yes, Dedicated radio keys Phonebook 500 entries, Call records: 30
Memory dialed, 30 received, 30 missed calls
Phonebook 1000 entries, Call Data
records: 20 dialed, 20 received, 20 GPRS Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48
missed calls kbps
Features Features
Messaging SMS, Radio Stereo FM; Messaging: SMS, EMS, MMS, Browser:
built-in antenna, Voice memo, WAP 2.0/xHTML, FM radio, T9
Flashlight, T9 Organiser, Currency converter, Built-in
Battery handsfree
Stand-by Up to 525h, Talk time up to Battery
10h Stand-by up to 180h, Talk time up to 2h
30 min

Rs Rs.
3290 2,725

LG KG370 Nokia 1661

Display Display
Display Type: TFT, 65K colours, Size 108 x 45 x 13.8 mm, Weight 82 g
128 x 128 pixels, Vibration Yes Memory
Memory 8 MB Built-in, No Card Slot, (500 con-
Phonebook 500 entries, Call tacts + 250 SMS + 20
records: 20 dialed, 10 received, 10 dialed/received/missed calls each)
missed calls Connectivity
Features None Display Size 128 x 160 pixels,
Messaging SMS, Browser: No, 1.8 inches Display Colour TFT, 65K
Games Yes, Colors: Black, T9, colors
Calculator, Calendar Features
Battery Colors Black, Grey Entertainment FM
Stand-by up to 400h, Talk time up to radio with dedicated key, 2.5 mm audio
4h jack, Games Other Features
Flashlight, Organizer Ring Tones
Polyphonic Ringtones
Battery
Talk time up to 8h, Stand-by up to 624
h

58

Above prices are subject to change as per market

Free download | flare.com.pk
Rs
11,600
Nokia 2700 classic
Display
Display Type TFT, 256K colours, Size
240 x 320 pixels, 2.0 inches
Sound
Sound Alert types: Vibration MP3 ring-
tones, Speakerphone Yes, 3.5 mm audio
jack
Memory
Memory Phonebook 1000 entries,
Photocall, Call records: 20 dialled, 20
received, 20 missed calls
Data
GPRS Class 32, EDGE Class 32,
Bluetooth Yes, v2.0, USB microUSB,
v2.0
Camera Primary 2 MP, 1600x1200 pixels
Video: Yes, 176x144 15fps
Features
Messaging: SMS, EMS, MMS, Email,
Browser: WAP 2.0/xHTML, Radio Stereo
FM radio with RDS, Java: Yes, MIDP 2.0
MP3/MP4 player, Organiser, Voice
memo, Voice dial, T9
Battery
Stand-by up to 288h, Talk time up to 6h
Rs
7150
LG KP199
Display
Display Type TFT, 256K colours, Size
128 x 160 pixels, 1.77 inches,
Vibration Yes
Memory
Phonebook Yes, up to 1000 entries
Call records: Yes, Card slot microSD,
up to 2GB, 60 MB internal memory
Data
GPRS Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32
48 kbps, Bluetooth: Yes, v1.2 with
A2DP USB: Yes, v2.0
Features
Messaging SMS, MMS, Browser:
WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML, Games: Yes,
Colours Black, Camera VGA,
640x480 pixels, video, FM Radio,
MPEG4/3gp player, Calendar, Built in
handsfree, T9
Battery
Standby up to 880h, Talk time up to
10h
Current Mobiles Tech Tool
Rs
8690
Samsung E200
Display
Type TFT, 65K colours, Size 176 x 220
pixels, 1.8 inches
Ringtones
Type Polyphonic (64 channels), MP3
Amount 30 presset, Vibration Yes,
Memory
Phonebook 1000 entries, Photocall
Call records: 30 dialed, 30 received,
30 missed calls, Card slot microSD,
20 MB internal memory
Data
GPRS Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32
48 kbps, EDGE Class 10, 236.8 kbps
Bluetooth: Yes, v2.0 with A2DP, USB
Yes, v2.0
Features
Messaging: SMS, MMS, Browser:
WAP 2.0/xHTML, Colours: Black,
Silver, Red, Camera: 1.3 MP, 1280 x
1024 pixels, video, Stereo FM radio
MP3/AAC/AAC+ player, T9,
Organiser, Built-in handsfree
Battery
Stand-by up to 250h, Talk time up to
3h 30 min
Rs
Nokia 5220 10,990
Display
Display Type TFT, 256K colours, Size
240 x 320 pixels, 2.0 inches Organic
wallpaper & wallpaper creator
Ringtones
Type Polyphonic (64 channels), MP3,
AAC, 3D, True & video tones
Vibration Yes
Memory
Phonebook 2000 entries, Photocall
Call records: 20 dialled, 20 received,
Data
GPRS Class 32, HSCSD Yes, EDGE
Class 32, Bluetooth: Yes, v2.0 with
A2DP, USB: Yes, microUSB
Features
Messaging: SMS, MMS, Email, Push E-
Mail, IM Browser WAP 2.0/xHTML,
HTML, Colours: Blue, Red, Green,
Camera 2 MP, 1600x1200 pixels, video
(QCIF), 3.5 mm audio output jack, FM
stereo radio with RDS, Nokia Xpress
Audio and Flash messaging, Yahoo! Go
and Yahoo! Ready
Battery
Stand-by up to 406h, Talk time up to 5h 59
15 min
Above prices are subject to change as per market
 Tech Tool Current Mobiles Free download | flare.com.pk

Rs Rs
12,190 14,500

Nokia 6303 Samsung Star S5230

Display
Display Colour 256K colours (TFT resistive
Display Type TFT, 16M colours, Size touchscreen, Handwriting recognition)
240 x 320 pixels, 2.2 inches, Sound Memory
Alert types, Vibration Downloadable 50 MB Built-in + microSD
polyphonic, MP3 ringtones, Card(Supports up to 16GB)
Speakerphone Yes, 3.5 mm audio jack Connectivity
Memory Bluetooth v2.1 with A2DP, USB, GPRS
Phonebook 2000 entries, Photocall Class 12 (48 kbps), EDGE Class 12
Call records: 20 dialled, 20 received, Display Size: 240 x 400 pixels, 3.0
20 missed calls, Internal 64 MB, Card inches (Accelerometer sensor,
slot microSD (TransFlash), up to 4GB, Gesture lock)
Data Features
GPRS Class 32, EDGE Class 32, Browser WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML
Bluetooth: Yes, v2.0, USB Yes, (Jasmine) Colours: Black, White, Pink
microUSB, Camera Primary 3.15 MP, Entertainment Stereo FM radio with
2048x1536 pixels, autofocus, LED RDS, MP3/WMA/AAC player,
flash, Video: Yes, VGA@15fps Shazam H.263/H.264/MPEG4 play-
Features er, DNSe Camera: 3.15 MP,
Messaging: SMS, MMS 1.3 (up to 2048x1536 pixels, Smile detection,
600KB), Email, IM, Browser: WAP Video (QVGA@15fps)
2.0/xHTML, Radio Stereo FM radio Speakerphone, Organiser, Mobile
with RDS, Flash Light 3, Nokia Maps Tracker Ring Tones: Downloadable
MP3/AAC/eAAC player Polyphonic, MP3, WAV Messaging:
Battery SMS, MMS, Email
Stand-byup to 450h, Talk time up to 7h

Rs Rs
12,860 14,800

LG KF510 Samsung S3653 Corby

Display Display
240 x 320 pixels, 2.2 inches Scratch 240 x 320 pixels, 2.8 inches
proof (tempered Glass) Memory
Memory 90 MB Built-in + microSD Card
16 MB shared memory + Extendable (Supports up to 8 GB)
memory card (microSD, up to 4GB) Connectivity
Connectivity Bluetooth v2.1 with A2DP, USB,
Bluetooth v2.0 with A2DP, USB, GPRS Class 10 (48 kbps), HSCSD,
GPRS Class 10 (48 kbps), EDGE EDGE Class 10 (236.8 kbps)
Class 10 (236.8 kbps) Features
Features Browser WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML
Browser WAP 2.0/xHTML Colours: Colours Jamaican Yellow, Cupid
Stardust Dark Grey, Sunset Red Pink, Minimal White, & Festival
Entertainment: FM radio, Orange, 2 Fashion Jackets
MP3/MPEG-4 player, Games, Entertainment: Stereo FM radio with
Camera 3.15 MP, 2048x1536 pixels, RDS, MP3/WMA/eAAC+ player,
autofocus, image stabilizer, Find Music recognition service,
video(QVGA), flash, Touch-sensitive Camera: 2 MP, 1600x1200 pixels,
navigation panel with haptics, Voice Smile detection, MP3 Messaging:
memo, Built-in handsfree Ring SMS, MMS, Emailenhanced fixed
Tones: Polyphonic, MP3 Messaging: focus, LED flash, Video (VGA
SMS, EMS, MMS, Email 15fps), MMS and Email.
Battery Battery
Talk time 4h, Stand-by 400h Smart Talk time up to 3h 40 min, Stand-by
60
Power Saving up to 500h

Above prices are subject to change as per market

Free download | flare.com.pk Current Mobiles Tech Tool

Rs Rs
20,890 22,500

Nokia 5530
Display
Display Type TFT resistive touchscreen, 16M
colours, Size 360 x 640 pixels, 2.9 inches,
Accelerometer sensor for auto-rotate,
Handwriting recognition, Sound, Alert types
Vibration
Memory
Phonebook Practically unlimited entries and
fields, Photocall, Call records: Detailed, maxi-
mum 30 days Internal 70 MB storage,
Data
GPRS Class 32, HSCSD: Yes, EDGE Class 32,
WLAN Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g, Bluetooth: Yes, v2.0
with A2DP, USB: Yes, v2.0 microUSB, Camera:
Primary 3.15 MP, 2048x1536 pixels, autofocus,
Features
OS Symbian OS v9.4, Series 60 rel. 5
CPU ARM 11 434 MHz processor Messaging:
SMS, MMS, Email, Instant Messaging,
Browser: WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML, RSS feeds,
Radio Stereo FM radio with RDS,
Battery
Talk time up to 4h 54 min, Music play up to 27h
Motorola ROKR E8
Display
Size 320 x 240 pixels, 2.0 inches
(Touch-sensitive keypad, Navigation
scroll wheel) Display: Colour TFT, 256K
colours
Memory
2 GB Built-in + Memory Card (microSD)
Connectivity: Bluetooth v2.0 with A2DP,
USB, GPRS Class 12 (48 kbps), EDGE
Class 12
Features
Browser: WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML
Colours: Dark Navy, Platinum
Entertainment: Stereo FM radio,
MP3/AAC player, 3.5 mm headset jack,
Games (built in + downloadable)
Camera: 2 MP, 1600x1200 pixels, video
Built-in handsfree, Organiser, Touch-
sensitive keypad, Navigation scroll
wheel Ring Tones: Polyphonic (64
channels), MP3, AAC Messaging: SMS,
EMS, MMS, Email, Instant Messaging
Battery
Talk time up to 5h, Stand-by up to 300h

Rs Rs
19,800 25,000

Nokia 6720 classic Samsung B7320 Omnia

Display
Size: 240 x 320 pixels, 2.2 inches
Memory
45 MB Built-in + 1GB microSD card
included (Supports up to 16GB)
Connectivity
Bluetooth v2.0 with A2DP, USB, GPRS
Class 32, HSCSD, EDGE Class 32
(296 / 178.8 kbits), 3G
Features
Titanium, Grey, Brown Entertainment:
Stereo FM radio with RDS, 3.5 mm
MP3/WMA/WAV/RA/AAC/M4A music
player, WMV/RV/MP4/3GP video play-
er, TV-out, Games (N-gage + down-
loadable) Camera: 5 MP, 2592x1944
pixels, Autofocus, Panorama mode,
dual LED flash, Video, GPS + A-GPS
support, Nokia Maps 3.0,
Speakerphone, Document viewer
Voice memo Ring Tones, MP3
Messaging: SMS, MMS, Email
Battery
Talk time Up to 8h 30 min, Stand-by:
Up to 492h,
PRO
Display
Size: 320 x 240 pixels, 2.4 inches
Display: Colour TFT, 65K colours,
Memory
100 MB Built-in, 256 MB RAM, 256 MB
ROM + microSD Card Processor:
Qualcomm MSM 7201A 528 MHz
Connectivity
Bluetooth v2.0 with A2DP, USB, WLAN
(Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g), GPRS Class 10
HSCSD, EDGE Class 10 (236.8 kbps),
3G (HSDPA 3.6 Mbps)
Features
Browser WAP 2.0 / xHTML, HTML
Colours Black Entertainment: Stereo
FM radio with RDS, Windows Media
Player 10, Games Camera 3.15 MP,
2048x1536 pixels, autofocus, Geo-tag-
ging, Video, 2ndary CIF Camera GPS +
A-GPS support, Speakerphone,
Windows Live, Yahoo!, AOL, Pocket
Office, MP3 Messaging
Battery
Talk time up to 10h, Stand by up to 61
590h

Above prices are subject to change as per market

 Tech Tool High Range Mobiles
Rs
56,000
Samsung i8000 Omnia II
All-in-one. Redefined.
Ultra Brilliant 3.7" AMOLED Display of
Samsung i8000 Omnia II provides
unmatched luminescence & vivid eye
catching colors with crystal-clarity.
Samsung i8000 Omnia II has got the
brightest display even in direct sunlight.
Touch-Optimized User Interface of
Samsung i8000 Omnia II provides an
optimal user experience, moreover
Samsung i8000 Omnia II's 5MP camera
with dual power LED takes stunning
photos. All in all Samsung i8000 Omnia
II is a powerfull multimedia beast.
Rs
37,500
Nokia N96
Designed for video & TV
Entertainment.
Entertainment with high-quality video,
on Nokia N96's brilliant 2.8" display &
with superb sound. Nokia N96 has 16
GBs of memory to take your videos,
music & other content, further expand-
able with memory card slot. Nokia
Video Center to find more internet
videos for download. Nokia N96 has 5
megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss
Optics, camcorder function with video
light. Integrated A-GPS & rich maps.
Connect to the internet in multiple
ways.
Rs.
79,990
Apple iPhone 3GS 32GB
The Fastest iPhone Ever
Meet the fastest, most powerful iPhone
yet. iPhone 3GS features video record-
ing, Voice Control, up to 32GB of stor-
age, & more. The first thing you’ll notice
about iPhone 3GS is how quickly you
can launch apps. Webpages render in a
fraction of time, & you can view email
attachments faster. On iPhone 3GS
improved performance & updated 3D
graphics deliver an incredible gaming
experience, too. In fact, everything you
do on iPhone 3GS is up to 2x faster &
62
more responsive than iPhone 3G.
Above prices are subject to change as per market
Free download | flare.com.pk
Rs
52,000
Nokia E90
Symbian OS v9.2 S60 release 3.1,
330 Mhz ARM processor, Full
QWERTY keyboard, GPS receiver
(built-in maps) The Nokia E90
Communicator is a premium busi-
ness device with high-speed mobile
broadband and integrated mobile
office that keeps you effective while
on the move.
Rs
49,000
Nokia N97
A True Mobile Computer
Desktop to the laptop & now to your pock-
et, the Nokia N97 is the most powerful,
multi-sensory mobile computer in exis-
tence. Nokia N97 mobile phone features
touch screen, full QWERTY keyboard,
GPS, 32 GB memory, games, video, cam-
era, widgets, Ovi Store including much
more. With Nokia N97, Personalise your
homescreen, add more content & fully
customise your layout with your favourite
live feeds, mini views & services. Nokia
N97 is the Monster Machine.
Rs
45,000
BlackBerry Bold 9000
Be Bold
Accept no substitutes. The BlackBerry®
Bold™ 900 smartphone embodies ele-
gant design – without sacrificing the fea-
tures or functionality you expect from a
premium smartphone. BlackBerry Bold
900 connects you, helping you stay on
top of your day. With BlackBerry® Bold™
900 camera and video recording, you can
capture and share the moment with just a
few clicks. BlackBerry® Bold™ 900 - The
BlackBerry Experience: No Compromises
Free download | flare.com.pk Low Range Mobiles
Rs.
2,050
Samsung B130
Dimension: 104 x 44 x 16 mm, Weight 68 g
Battery: Talk time up to 6h, Stand-by up to 250h
Memory: 460 KB embedded memory, (200
Phonebook entries, can store upto 100 SMS)
Connectivity: USB, GPRS Class 10 (48 kbps)
Display Size 128 x 128 pixels, 1.52 inches
Display Colour CSTN, 65K colors
Features: Browser WAP 2.0 Colors Black
Entertainment Games Other Features Built-in
handsfree, Calendar, Calculator, Alarm Ring
Tones Polyphonic (16 channels), MP3
Messaging SMS, MMS
Rs. Rs
2,500 2,150
Nokia 1209
Dimension: 102x44.1x17.5 mm, Weight 79.9 g
Battery: Talk time up to 7h, Stand-by up to 365h
Memory: Built-in (Multiple phonebooks with up
to 200 entries, 20dialed, 20received, 20missed
calls) Connectivity: Display Size 96 x 98 pix-
els, 27.6 x 21.8 mm Display Colour CSTN, 65K
colors
Features: Colors Blue Entertainment Games
Other Features Flashlight, 5-way navigation
key, Dust-resistant keypad, Built-in handsfree,
Time tracker, Cost tracker Ring Tones
Polyphonic (32 channels) Messaging SMS (up
to 60)
Rs Rs
2,400 4,050
LG KP105
Dimension: 101x46x12.9 mm, Weight 65 g
Battery: Talk time up to 4h 30 min, Stand-by up
to 475h
Memory: Built-in, 300 Phonebook entries (10
dialed, 10 received, 10 missed calls)
Connectivity: USB Display Size 128 x 128
pixels, 1.5 inches Display Colour CSTN, 65K
colors
Features: Colors White, Black, Silver
Entertainment FM Radio, Games (Sudoku)
Other Features Built-in handsfree, Calculator
Ring Tones Polyphonic (16 channels)
Messaging SMS
Above prices are subject to change as per market
Low Range Mobile Tech Tool
Rs
3,499
Trend T-180 Ultimate
Design: Navigation option 1.5, inch CSTN
color, screen embedded, antenna
Image & Messaging: 300K pixel camera,
SMS, MMS, Email
Connectivity: GPRS class 12, WAP 2.0,
PC Sync
Entertainment: MP3 Player, Embedded
Games
Motorola W180
Dimension: 114x43x14mm Weight 85 g
Battery: Stand-by up to 465h, Talk time up to 9h
50 min
Memory: 70 KB user memory (750 SMS mes-
sages, 500 Phonebook numbers)
Connectivity: USB 1.1 for Charging only (No
PC Connectivity, just showoff) Display Size
128 x 128 pixels
Features: Colors Black Entertainment FM
radio, iTap, Games (3 pre-loaded) Other
Features Built-in handsfree, Currency converter
Ring Tones Polyphonic (32 channels), (20 pre-
loaded) Messaging SMS
Nokia 1680 Classic
Dimension: 108x46x15 mm, Weight 73.7 g
Battery: Talk time up to 7h 40 min, Stand-by up
to 424h
Memory: Combo 32 MB Built-in Flash, 4 MB
SDRAM (1000 Phonebook entries + 20 dialed,
20 received, 20 missed calls)
Connectivity: GPRS Class 10, EGPRS Class
6, SyncML 1.2
Features: Browser WAP 2.0 (XHTML) Colors
Black, Slate Gray, Wine Red, Deep Plum
Entertainment Nokia Xpress Audio Messaging,
Video recording/playback, Games, Camera
VGA, 640x480 pixels, English-Chinese diction-
ary Ring Tones Polyphonic, MP3 Messaging
63
SMS, MMS, Email, Instant Messaging
 Tech Tool Upcoming Mobiles
Motorola XT701
Display
Type TFT capacitive touchscreen, 16M colours
Size 480 x 854 pixels, 3.7 inches, Multi-touch
input method, Accelerometer sensor Proximity
sensor for auto turn-off, Sound Alert types
Vibration; MP3, WAV ringtones,
Speakerphone Yes, 3.5 mm audio jack
Memory
Phonebook Practically unlimited entries and
fields, Photo call, Call records Practically
unlimited, Card slot microSD, up to 32GB
Data
GPRS Class 12 (4+1/3+2/2+3/1+4 slots), 32 -
48 kbps, EDGE Class 12, 3G HSDPA, 10.2
Mbps; HSUPA, 5.76 Mbps, WLAN Wi-Fi
802.11 b/g, Bluetooth Yes, v2.1 with A2DP
USB Yes, micro-USB v2.0 Camera Primary 5
MP, 2592 x 1944 pixels, autofocus, xenon
flash
Features
OS Android OS, v2 (Eclair), Messaging SMS
(threaded view), MMS, Email, IM, Push Email
Browser HTML, Radio Stereo FM radio with
RDS, Games Downloadable, Colours Black
GPS Yes, with A-GPS support, Java Via third
party application, MP3/eAAC+/WAV player
MP4/H.263/H.264 player HD video (720p)
over built-in HDMI slot, Google Search, Maps,
Gmail, YouTube, Google Talk Document view-
er, Photo viewer/editor Organiser, Voice memo
Battery
Standard battery, Li-Po
Nokia 5235 Comes With Music
Size
Dimensions 111x51.7x15.5 mm, Weight 115 g
Display
Type TFT resistive touchscreen, 16M colours Size 360
x 640 pixels, 3.2 inches, Proximity sensor for auto
turn-off, Accelerometer sensor for auto-rotate,
Handwriting recognition, Sound alert types Vibration;
Downloadable polyphonic, MP3 ringtones,
Speakerphone Yes, 3.5 mm audio jack
Memory
Phonebook Practically unlimited entries and fields,
Photocall, Call records Detailed, max 30 days, Internal
70 MB storage, Card slot, microSD, up to 16GB
Data
GPRS Class 32, EDGE Class 32, 3G HSDPA, 3.6
Mbps, Bluetooth Yes, v2.0 with A2DP, USB Yes, v2.0
micro-USB, CameraPrimary, 2 MP, 1600x1200 pixels,
Video Yes, VGA@30fps
Features
OS Symbian OS v9.4, Series 60 rel. 5, CPU ARM 11
434 MHz processor, Messaging SMS, MMS, Email,
IM, Browser WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML, RSS feeds,
Radio Stereo FM radio with RDS, Games Guitar Rock
Tour 2 + Java downloadable, Colours Black, White,
GPS Yes, with A-GPS support; Nokia Maps 2.0 Touch,
Java Yes, MIDP 2.1, WMV/RV/MP4/3GP video player
MP3/WMA/WAV/RA/AAC/M4A music player
Document viewer (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) Photo
editor, Flash Lite 3.0, Voice command/dial
Battery
Stand-by up to 458h (2G) / Up to 438h (3G)
Talk time up to 7h (2G) / Up to 4h 18 min (3G)
Music play up to 33h
64
Free download | flare.com.pk
Samsung M5650 Lindy
Size
Dimensions 106x57x12 mm, Weight 98 g
Display
Type TFT capacitive touchscreen, 256K
colours, Size 240 x 320 pixels, 2.8 inches
Smart unlock Cartoon UI, Sound Alert types
Vibration; MP3 ringtones, Speakerphone Yes
3.5 mm audio jack, DNSe (Digital Natural
Sound Engine), Dedicated music keys
Memory
Phonebook 1000 contacts, Photo-call, Call
records Yes, Internal 50 MB, Card slot
microSD, up to 8 GB
Data
GPRS Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps
EDGE Class 10, 236.8 kbps, 3G HSDPA 7.2
Mbps, WLAN Yes, Wi-Fi 802.11b/g, Bluetooth
Yes, v2.1 with A2DP, USB Yes, microUSB
v2.0, Camera Primary, 3.15 MP, 2048x1536
pixels, autofocus, Video Yes
Features
Messaging SMS, MMS, Email, IM Browser
WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML, Radio Stereo FM
radio with RDS, Games Yes + downloadable
Colours Black, Neon Blue, Java Yes, MIDP
2.0 Social networking integration with live
updates MP3/WMA/eAAC+ player,
H.263/H.264/MP4/WMV player, Find Music
recognition service Organiser, Document
viewer, Voice memo, T9
Battery
Stand-by up to 300h, Talk time up to 3h
LG GS200
Size
Dimensions 106x48x13.8mm, Weight 85 g
Display
Type TFT, 256K colours, Size 176 x 220 pixels,
2.0 inches, Sound Alert types, Vibration; MP3
ringtones, Speakerphone Yes, with stereo
speakers, 3.5 mm audio jack
Memory
Phonebook, 1000 entries, Photocall, Call records
50 dialed, 50 received, 50 missed calls, Card slot
microSD (TransFlash) up to 8GB
Data
GPRS Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps
Bluetooth Yes, v2.1 with A2DP, USB Yes, v2.0
Camera Primary, 1.3 MP, 1280 x 1024 pixels
Video Yes, QCIF@15fps,
Features
Messaging SMS, MMS, Email, Browser WAP
2.0/xHTML, Radio FM radio with RDS, FM
recording, built-in antenna, Games Yes + down-
load, Colours Black, Java Yes, MIDP 2.0
MP3/WAV/eAAC+ player, MP4/H.264 player
Organiser Voice memo, T9
Battery
Stand-by up to 550h, Talk time up to 6h 30 min
Music play up to 14h
Free download | flare.com.pk
Nokia 3710 fold
Size
Dimensions 89x47x15.2mm, Weight 94 g
Display
Type TFT, 16M colours, Size 240 x 320 pixels, 2.2
inches, Second external monochrome TFT dis-
play, 128 x 160 pixels, Sound Alert types
Vibration; Downloadable polyphonic, MP3 ring-
tones, Speakerphone Yes, 2.5 mm audio jack
Memory
Phonebook 2000 entries, Photocall, Call records
20 dialed, 20 received, 20 missed calls, Internal
70 MB, Card slot microSD, up to 8GB
Data
GPRS Class 32, 88 kbps, EDGE Class 32, 296
kbits, 3G Yes, 384 kbps, Bluetooth Yes, v2.1 with
A2DP, USB Yes, v2.0 micro-USB, Camera
Primary, 3.2 MP, 2048x1536 pixels, LED flash,
enhanced fixed focus, Video Yes, Secondary
VGA videocall camera
Features
Messaging SMS, MMS, Email, IM Browser, WAP
2.0/xHTML, HTML, Radio Stereo FM radio with
RDS, Games Yes, Colours Pink, Plum, Black
GPS Yes, with A-GPS support, Java Yes, MIDP
2.1, MP3/eAAC+/WAV/WMA player
MP4/WMV/H.263/H.264 player, Organiser Voice
command/dial/memo, Flash Lite 3.0, T9
Battery
Stand-by up to 288h (2G) / up to 288h (3G)
Talk time up to 4h (2G) / up to 3h 20 min (3G)
Music play up to 24h
Motorola MT710
Display
Type TFT capacitive touchscreen, 16M
colours, Size 480 x 854 pixels, 3.7 inches
Multi-touch input method, Accelerometer sen-
sor, Proximity sensor for auto turn-off, Sound
Alert types, Vibration; MP3, WAV ringtones
Speakerphone Yes, 3.5 mm audio jack
Memory
Phonebook, 1000 contacts, Photocall, Call
records Yes, Internal 4 GB storage, Card slot
microSD (TransFlash) up to 32GB
Data
GPRS Class 12 (4+1/3+2/2+3/1+4 slots), 32
- 48 kbps, EDGE Class 12, 3G HSDPA,
WLAN
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g, Bluetooth Yes, v2.1 with
A2DP, USB Yes, microUSB v2.0, Camera
Primary, 5 MP, 2592 x 1944 pixels, autofo-
cus, LED flash,
Features
OS Android-based OPhone OS 1.0,
Messaging, SMS (threaded view), MMS,
Email, IM, Push Email Browser HTML,
Radio
Stereo FM radio with RDS, Games
Downloadable, Colors Black, Red, GPS
Yes, with A-GPS support, Java Via third
party application, TV CMMB broadcast
receiver MP3/eAAC+/WAV player,
MP4/H.263/H.264 player, Google
Search, Maps, Gmail, YouTube, Google
Talk, Document viewer, Photo viewer/edi-
tor, Organiser, Voice memo T9
Upcoming Mobiles Tech Tool
Samsung S5150 Diva folder
Size
Dimensions 94x47x17.4 mm, Weight 82.8g
Display
Type TFT, 16M colours, Size 240 x 320 pixels, 2.2
inches, Second external, hidden LED display, Sound
Alert types, Vibration; MP3 ringtones, Speakerphone
Yes
Memory
Phonebook 1000 entries, Photocall, Call records 30
received, dialed and missed calls, Internal 40 MB,
Card slot microSD (TransFlash) up to 8GB
Data
GPRS Class 12 (4+1/3+2/2+3/1+4 slots), 32 - 48
kbps, EDGE Class 12, Bluetooth Yes, v2.1 with
A2DP, USB Yes, v2.0 microUSB, Camera Primary
3.15 MP, 2048x1536 pixels, autofocus, Video Yes,
QVGA,
Features
Messaging SMS, MMS, Email Browser, WAP
2.0/xHTML, HTML, Radio Stereo FM radio with RDS
Games Yes + downloadable, Colours Gray, Java
Yes, MIDP 2.1, MP3/WAV/eAAC+/WMV player
MP4/H.263/H.264 player, Photo editor, Organiser
Voice memo, T9
Battery
Stand-by up to 470h, Talk time up to 7h
Samsung B5722
Size
Dimensions 104x54.9x14.4 mm, Weight 105 g
Display
Type TFT capacitive touchscreen, 256K colors
Size 240 x 320 pixels, 2.8 inches, TouchWiz Lite
v1.0, Sound Alert types, Vibration; MP3 ringtones
Speakerphone Yes, DNSe (Digital Natural Sound
Engine)
Memory
Phonebook 1000 contacts, Photocall, Call records
Yes, Internal 30 MB, Card slot microSD
(TransFlash) up to 8GB
Data
GPRS Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps,
EDGE Class 10, 236.8 kbps, Bluetooth Yes, v2.1
with A2DP, USB Yes, v2.0 (proprietary), Camera
Primary, 3.15 MP, 2048x1536 pixels, LED flash
Video Yes, QVGA@15fps
Features
Messaging SMS, MMS, Email, IM, Browser WAP
2.0/xHTML, HTML, Radio Stereo FM radio with
RDS, FM recording, Games Yes + downloadable
Colors Dark Brown, Elegant Pink, Java Yes, MIDP
2.0, Dual SIM, MP3/WAV/WMA/eAAC+ player
MP4/H.263/H.264 player, Google Talk, Organizer
Voice memo, T9
Battery
Stand-by up to 400h, Talk time up to 4 h 30 min
65
 Tech Tool ZTE Mobile Range Free download | flare.com.pk

ZTE-G S312
Items Features
X990 I Chat
Protocol GSM 900/1800 MHz or n Qwerty
850/1900 n GSM 900/1800 MHz or
Standard GSM Phase 2+ 850/1900 MHz
Size 106mm×45.6mm×18.1mm n Dimensions:
Weight About 65g (without battery) 106.8mm×60.5mm×11.95mm
Talk / Standby Time 5– 6h / 180h n Display: 320 × 240 pixels,
Operating Temp. Standard：-10℃ ～ +45℃ 2.4’’, 262K, TFT
n Weight: TBD
Limit：-15℃ ～ +55℃
Memory n Battery capacity: Li-ion
Flash: 64+ 32Mbit
LCD Display size 1.5” inch ( 900mAh
n Voice Talk Time: Maxim 500
65k color)
Keyboard lights 8 LED amber color minutes
Battery n Standby Time:
Standard Battery: 580 mAh
Li-ion Maxim 500 hours
Phone book n Optional: Dual Sims dual
SIM & Phone
Melody Yes standby
Vibrator n Ringtones: 64 Poly, MP3 play-
Yes
Side Volume Key no er
Inbox Content/ n SMS: 270
Solar battery cover, Battery,
n Camera: 1.3/2.0M, MMS1.2
travel charger, user guide
n WAP2.0, Ringtone & Picture
download
n T-flash / USB, Bluetooth, FM

ZTE-G S212 ZTE-V60

General Features
n Dual-SIM Card
n 102.3mm X44mm X Intel? Atom? Mobile
16.2mm Processor (1.6 GHz)
about 90g 1GB DDR2 system memory
n GSM 900/1800 or 850/1900 160GB SATA Hard Disk Drive
MHz (5400 rpm2)
n MT 6223 Microsoft?
n QWERTY Keypad Yes Windows?
n CSTN 1.44'', 128*128, 65K XP Home
color, 64+32Mbits Operating
n Support MicroSD (MicroSD System
n Card not included in sales Build-inHSDPA/HSUPA
box), 2GB Vivid 10.1¡± WXGA Wide Screen LCD
n Battery Li-ion 1000mAh Built-in Wireless LAN (802.11b/g)
n Maxim 350h 3-in-1 Media Card Reader(MS/MS Pro/SD),3 High Speed USB
n Maxim 350 minutes 2.0 15-pin Standard External Display Output Port
n Stereo 2.2mm jack Size: 265mm¡Á185mm¡Á25mm
n Charger connector 12pin Ultra Portable Notebook weight <1.2kg
connector Communications
n Flash Light Yes Build-inHSDPA/HSUPA
Built-in Wireless LAN (802.11b/g)
Built-in 10/100 Mbps Ethernet LAN

66
Free download | flare.com.pk Latest Computers Tech Tool

Apple iMac 21.5-inch HP Pavilion P6118L

Rs Rs
1,19,900 50,490

Stay connected, share, get work done and have

Apple introduced the first iMac more than a decade ago. And the design phi- fun with a stylish, simple-to-maintain PC packed
losophy remains the same: an all-in-one computer that as powerful as it is beauti- with power and protection.
ful.
Specifications
Specifications
Free Dos

Mac OS X v10.6 Snow Leopard
Intel Core 2 Quad processor Q8200

3.06GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with 3MB shared L2 cache
Chipset Intel G43 Express

4GB (two 2GB SO-DIMMs) of 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM;
Standard memory 2048MB

500GB 7200-rpm Serial ATA hard drive
Memory DDR2

Slot-loading 8x SuperDrive
Hard Disk 320 GB

NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics processor with 256MB of DDR3 SDRAM
Lightscribe SuperMulti SATA Drive
shared with main memory
Nvidia GeForce G210, 512MB Dedicated Graphics Memory

Acer eMachines EZ1600 Compaq Presario CQ3012L

Rs Rs
42,990 33,990

Benefit from a simple and reliable PC without the fuss and

frills for your everyday needs. deal for families looking for
a user-friendly yet affordable PC that maximises value. A
versatile performer that is designed to meet the demands
of yours or your family lifestyle. Enhance work and play
with an efficient performer that also offers peace of mind in
The technological marvel of the eMachines EZ Series all-in-one desktop security and support.
includes Genuine Microsoft Windows XP Home , an Intel Atom Processor, both Specifications
Gigabit and wireless connectivity and a gorgeous 18.5 inch LCD.
Free Dos
Intel Pentium Dual Core E5400 (2.7
GHz)
Specifications
800MHz front side bus

Genuine Microsoft Windows XP Home
2MB L2 Cashes
Memory Installed 2 GB

Intel Atom Processor N270
Maximum allowed 4 GB (2 x 2 GB)

(1.6GHz, 512KB L2 cache)
Speed supported PC2-6400 MB/sec

1024MB DDR2 SDRAM
Type 240 pin, DDR2 SDRAM

1 DDR2 slot total, 0 DDR2 slots available
320 GB SATA 3G (3.0 Gb/sec)

160GB SATA
DVD+/-R/RW 16X 12X +/-DL LS 12X RAM SuperMulti SATA drive

8X DVD R/RW SuperMulti double-layer (DL) drive

Compaq Presario CQ3011L Acer Veriton M265

Rs Rs
31,490 30,900

Benefit from a simple and reliable PC without the fuss A quad-core processor and scalable chipset give the
and frills for your everyday needs. deal for families looking Veriton M265 great flexibility, while a large-capacity
for a user-friendly yet affordable PC that maximises value. A hard drive and abundant memory increase perform-
versatile performer that is designed to meet the demands of ance speed for efficient multitasking. A built-in speak-
yours or your family lifestyle. Enhance work and play with er enhances multimedia presentations and completes
an efficient performer that also offers peace of mind in secu- the Veriton M265 appeal as an essential business
rity and support. machine.
Specifications Specifications

Free Dos
Intel Pentium Dual Core E5200 (2.50
Free DOS
GHz)
Intel Pentium Dual Core E5300 (2.6GHz)

Intel G31 Express
800Mhz FSB / 2MB L2 Cache

Memory Installed 1 GB
Intel G31 Express Chipset

Maximum allowed 4 GB (2 x 2 GB)
320GB SATA 7200RPM

Type 240 pin, DDR2 SDRAM
2GB Memory

250 GB SATA 3G (3.0 Gb/sec)
2 x DDR2 667/800 Socket (Dual channel support)

DVD+/-R/RW 16X 12X +/-DL LS 12X RAM SuperMulti SATA drive
Maximum 4GB 67
 Tech Tool Accessories Free download | flare.com.pk

68
Free download | flare.com.pk Tech Tool

Philco PC concept designed in

Steampunk etiquettes

3D Camera ends up in the Guinness book Portable DVD Projector

69
 Tech Tool Latest LapTop Free download | flare.com.pk

VPCW115XG Compaq Presario CQ61 - 231TU

Rs Rs
48,900 54,990

Specifications The 15.6-inch Compaq Presario CQ61-231tu puts the versatility and pro-

Intel Atom Processor N208/1.66GHZ, ductivity of notebook computing within your reach.

Intel Graphic Media Accelerator 950, Specifications

Display 10.1" / WXGA 1366 * 768,
Fee Dos

Memory 1GB, HD 160GB(Serai ATA, 5400rpm),
Intel Core 2 Duo Processor T6600 (2.2GHz)

Front Side Camera 640 X 480,
Processor Cache Level 2 cache 2 MB

Window XP Home Edition 32-Bit,
Bus Speed 800MHz

Battery Upto 2.5 hours of use,
Memory (2 x 1024 MB )

Weight 1.19 Kg (including the supplied battery)
Memory Max Up to 4 GB DDR2

Hard Drive 250 GB SATA (5400 rpm)

Super Multi DVD Writer (+/-R +/-RW) with Double Layer support

Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X4500

HP Pavilion dv6-1333sa VPCX115LG

Rs Rs
66,990 137,500

Specifications
With a striking gloss black Espresso HP Imprint finish, the HP Pavilion dv6-
Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium 32-bit,
1333 is certain to captivate. Powered by the 2.1GHz Intel Pentium DualCore
Intel® Atom™ Processor Z540 (1.86 GHz,
Mobile Processor T4300, and with Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium on
HT Technology supported*2), 2 GB DDR2 SDRAM,
board, this Entertainment Notebook PC from HP.
Flash Memory 64 GB,Intel®
Specifications
Graphics Media Accelerator 500, 11.1" wide (WXGA 1366 x 768),

Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium

Memory Card Reader(Pro Duo, SD),

Intel Pentium Dual Core Mobile Processor T4300

Wifi, Bluetooth, Front Camera,

2.10 GHz, Level 2 cache 1 MB / 800Mhz FSB

Battery Life: 7.5 Hours, Weight: 745g

Memory 4096 MB
8 GB DDR2 memory

Hard Disk Drive 320 GB 7200 rpm SATA

Lightscribe Super Multi DVD Writer (+/-R +/-RW)

Acer Aspire Timeline 4810T Apple MacBook Pro 2.8GHz 17"

Rs Rs
81,490 2,29,990

More than 8 hours battery life (All Day Computing), ultra-light weight and Precision aluminum. The new gold standard. Carved from a single block of aluminum,
sophisticated design, all at the right price. This is the Aspire Timeline. With the the new MacBook Pro unibody enclosure is slim and streamlined with a soft-brushed
Aspire Timeline series, Acer has taken a big, if not the biggest step forward in surface and stunning contours. But its not all about beauty. The unibody also makes
the concept of mobility, MacBook Pro more durable than ever.
Specifications
2.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with 6MB on-chip shared L2 cache running

Windows 7 Edition
500GB 5400-rpm Serial ATA hard drive

Intel Pentium Processor SU4100 (1.30GHz / 800Mhz FSB with 2 MB L2 cache
Maximum write: 8x DVD-R, DVD+R; 4x DVD-R DL (double layer), DVD+R DL

4GB Memory Dual-channel DDR3 SDRAM (double layer), DVD-RW, DVD+RW; 24x CD-R; 10x CD-RW

320GB Hard Disk SATA
NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics processor with 256MB of DDR3 SDRAM shared

5400 RPM with main memory

DVD Super Multi
70

Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD
Free download | flare.com.pk Favourite Mobiles 2009 Tech Tool

71
 Synopsis National
Bank Alfalah joins hands with Viper Technology
‘Pak-Qatar’ and FWU AG authorised by Intel
Lahore: Bank Alfalah has signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Pak-
Qatar Family Takaful, Pakistan’s first and largest family Takaful operator, and
FWU AG, a global facilitator of bancatakaful.
Mr Pervaiz Shahidf from Bank Alfalah with officials of Pak-Qatar Family Takaful, and FWU AG at agreement
This agreement will lay the foundation for Bank Alfalah to launch its first
Shariah compliant Bancassurance (BancaTakaful) products across its branch
network. These products will provide Bank Alfalah’s customers with Long term
Savings plans specifically catered to fulfil their future financial needs. In addition,
the Takaful cover will offer financial protection to families for the fulfilment of
the above obligations in case the breadwinner is unable to do so due to untimely
death - all this without having to compromise on their beliefs.

Dawlance Automatic Washing
Machines
Karachi: Dawlance, the largest and number
one Home Appliances Company of Pakistan,
has achieved another milestone by introducing
a range of front and top loading automatic
washing machines to its portfolio. Dawlance
Automatic Washing Machines are now
available in capacities ranging from 6KG to
9KG in the market.
Dawlance is specialised in introducing its
products which best suit Pakistani consumers’
needs. And once again, the newly launched
product is well equipped with specialized features such as I-Novate Fuzzy
Logic, Memory Function and Tilt Drum which make washing process very easy
for users and add comfort to their lives.
Dawlance category manager, Mr Arshad Jabbar said, “This machine has the
capability to automatically calculate the amount of water, detergent and wash
time required based on the quantity of the wash load you put in which ensures
a hassle free operation for our consumer. Keeping in view the load shedding
issue, these machines have been inserted with a memory card that remembers
the wash cycle it was operating on, thus in case of electricity failure the machine
will resume its operation exactly where it left off, with out any wastage of
electricity, water, detergent and time".
The Dawlance automatic washing machines are equipped with customised
washing options i.e. the user can themselves choose the water level, wash
duration, detergent level (for heavily soiled clothes), rinse levels, spin dry etc.
Depending on the activity and occasion, the machine can be very conveniently
programmed to cater the desired output.
Commenting on the addition of this Automatic Washing Machine to
Dawlance’s appliances portfolio, Mr Hasan Jamil, Head of Marketing said,
“Dawlance Automatic washing machine would be a stepping stone in the wide
range of Dawlance domestic appliances. This exciting product will surely make
the lives of people easier and they will have an exciting experience of washing
72 which they never had before.”

Free download | flare.com.pk
Viper Technology has been nominated as Pakistan’s first Intel’s
Authorised Service Provider (IASP), enabling the firm to provide its
clients with support and efficient warranty services on Intel based
Machines.
This is the first time that any IT company in Pakistan has been
awarded the status of IASP by Intel. This will not only promote the
local IT firms but will also enable the Pakistani technology providers
to work at international standards.
Being appointed as IASP in Pakistan enables Viper Technology the
benefits of unrestricted advanced warranty replacement. The company
will also have the benefit of technical troubleshooting training and
certifying employees who complete it successfully.
Viper Technology is
currently providing
desktops, Mobile and
server solutions to the
SMB and enterprise
segments including banks,
media houses, defence,
textile, and education
sector.
CEO Viper Technology
and President Pakistan
Computer Association, Mr Senior officers of Viper Technologies and Intel at the
signing ceremony of MoU.
Khushnood Aftab said, “It
is an honour to be the first company in Pakistan to have been
appointed as Intel’s Authorised Service Providers. Viper has been
devoted to the local IT industry for 15 years and has always been in
the forefront to bring the latest technology to the country. IASP
contract has fortified our stance on providing our clients with IT
solutions that are secure, cost-effective and more flexible than ever.”
Sharing his insight on the features of this contract, Mr Khushnood said,
“Viper Technology is committed in supporting the customers with
unique approach that is attentive, responsive and reliable, helping
them to grow with complete confidence.”

NSN NetAct Optimiser
popular among Cos
Karachi: Close to eighty of the world's leading communications
service providers are now using the market leading Nokia Siemens
Networks NetAct Optimiser, a highly automated tool for improving
radio network quality and performance.
NetAct Optimiser speeds the optimisation process by 50 per cent
compared to traditional methods, while improving network
performance by an average of 15 per cent leading to increased return
on revenue. NetAct Optimiser is also a key component of Nokia
Siemens Networks' Self Organising Networks (SON) Suite.
Shanghai Unicorn is one of the latest to select NetAct Optimiser to
improve its multi-vendor GSM radio network performance and to
automate the network optimisation process. Hou Wenjun, manager of
Shanghai Unicorn Optimisation Department said, "Network quality is
very important in maintaining and acquiring subscribers. Nokia
Siemens Networks NetAct Optimiser improves the performance of the
whole network regardless of the vendor and the work efficiency has
been improved a lot."
Optimiser is also an essential part of the Nokia Siemens Networks
SON Suite offering for GSM, WCDMA/HSPA+ and LTE integrated
with the NetAct network management system. Automated
optimisation of network coverage and capacity improves the quality
and performance of mobile networks and reduces the need for time
consuming and error prone manual processes in network operations.
Optimising the network assets and capacity utilisation also lowers
CAPEX.

Free download | flare.com.pk National Synopsis

WiMAX solution supports Wateen’s growth

Wateen speeds up WiMAX services
Karachi: Building on its global WiMAX
leadership position, Motorola Inc's (NYSE: MOT)
Home and Networks Mobility business
announced that Wateen Telecom has accelerated
its rollout of WiMAX services and is on its way to
doubling its existing customer premises
equipment (CPE) volume from 100,000 to 200,000
by year end.
Motorola remains Wateen's exclusive WiMAX
CPE and infrastructure supplier, delivering
reliable, easy-to-install, high performance devices
to the Pakistani operator for nationwide
distribution. This latest agreement with Wateen
builds on the success of Motorola's recent
announcement of shipping its one millionth
WiMAX CPE.
Tariq Malik, Chief Executive Officer, Wateen
Telecom, said, "We required leading WiMAX
technology to provide first-class services and
meet customer demand across an extended
Pakistani network and after a competitive review
selected Motorola to provide next-generation
WiMAX CPE units. We are confident that the
plans by providing reliable, best-in-class
performance with easy installation CPEs. Our
deployment of the CPE products will enhance operational costs have been greatly reduced
Wateen's position as a leading because we require fewer base stations and can
telecommunications provider." extend higher order modulation 40 per cent
“Wateen Telecom’s ambitious expansion farther within the service areas. These attributes
plans allow the company to reach a wider translate into a faster return on investment,
customer base and address popular demand,” reduced churn and greater customer satisfaction,”
said Ali Amer, Vice President, Middle East, Africa added Amer.
and Pakistan, Motorola Home & Networks As part of its latest CPE order, Wateen has
Mobility. “It is a chosen Motorola’s WiMAX USBw 100, which will
testament to the be made available to consumers and businesses
strength and for the first time in Pakistan, and the outdoor
breadth of our WiMAX CPEo 450, as well as the newly
WiMAX CPE introduced WiMAX CPEi 775 and CPEi 750 for
portfolio that indoor use within a home or office environment.
Wateen Wateen’s services currently cover 22 cities in
continues to Pakistan, and the company recently reached a
offer only milestone of 100,000 subscribers. The CPE units
Motorola will provide a larger number of subscribers in
devices to its Pakistan, from small businesses to large
customers enterprises, with unprecedented access to flexible
across and affordable wireless data and voice services,
Pakistan.” from basic telephony and fast internet access to
“Motorola’s secure data connectivity.

Lahore: With a view to

Mobilink set to introduce value-added services
during the next financial year,
Samsung revolutionises SOS
launch Mobile Mobilink Pakistan is set to launch
Mobile Commerce (M Commerce), village Computer facilities
under which it would introduce
Karachi: Samsung Electronics, the global leader and award winning
Commerce the concept of Branchless Banking.
According to Mobilink
spokesman, this would enable the
innovator in consumer electronics has successfully completed yet another
valuable Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative in Pakistan,
whereby it has technologically modernised & completely renovated the
consumers to have the experience of paying utility bills, opening and computer facilities in the SOS Children’s Village school at Dodhial in
usage of bank accounts through cell phones, and national and Hazara Division.
international remittances. Samsung has modernised this previously outdated facility by building
The company is mulling over provision of total telecom solutions two computer labs, each carrying 15 latest computers along with modern
through cell phones. He said Mobilink has invested USD 2.5 billion for facilities and a pleasant ambience, thus today, thousands of children are
upgrading its communication infrastructure and other sectors in the able to get modern education here. Samsung continues to make extensive
country and also planning to introduce 4G (LT) Technology in near future. deliberations for enhancing the level of education in the remote areas, as it
The company foresees huge potential in the market that was why it follows an elaborate CSR philosophy, which entails consistent
invested USD 150 million during the current year, he added. contributions towards social uplift, in every society it operates.
He said the company welcomed the government initiative for cut in The Public Relations
taxes on telecom sector that helped the telecom sector boost its revenues Manager of Samsung
a lot. The Mobilink has about 8000 cell sites across the country, the biggest Electronics Pakistan, Ms
number by any operator in the country. About the launching of 4G Rabiya Siddiqui said, “It
technology, he commented talks in this regard are under progress with is a pleasure to see these
the government. talented children get
state-of-the-art computer
He dispelled the impression that
education. As part of
some cellular companies had
Samsung’s traditional
cartelised in blocking the launch of 3G Rabiya Siddiqui, Manager PR at Samsung Electronics pictures with
social-development children at the inauguration of computer lab at the SOS village Dod-
technology in Pakistan and said the programme, we aim to hial. Samsung provided 30 latest computer setups in addition to ren-
telecom operators were in consultation foster modern education ovating the facility catering to 650 children of nearby rural villages.
with the Ministry of Information in underdeveloped regions, by providing impetus to the endeavours of
Technology and the Pakistan sincere organisations like SOS Villages”.
Telecommunication Authority for the Samsung firmly believes that it is the right of every child to get quality
advent of new technology. The education. Thus by making this social effort, Samsung has enabled the
decision has to be taken by the children of Dodhial village, and a large number of students from its
government and we would follow its surrounding areas to get quality education at very nominal fees.
directions, he added. "We have more SOS Children's Villages is an NGO, active in the field of children's
than 2000 touch points which is the maximum number by any operator." rights, needs and concerns across 132 countries. Founded in 1949, it has
The company is now shifting its focus on broadband services and also won the world-renowned “Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize” for
already this service has been introduced at Karachi with brand name extraordinary contributions towards alleviating human suffering. It is one
"Infinity." About the company's revenue, he said the Mobilink has bagged of the biggest NGOs working in Pakistan.
40 per cent of the market share which is maximum than any other operator This particular SOS village at Dodhial was founded in 1982. Samsung
during the current fiscal. He said his company was rated amongst 100 chose to uplift this facility because, despite an extremely remote location,
leading companies of the world and this achievement reflected its this facility provides its students with equal-rights, quality education and
superior training, from pre-school through schooling & vocational
performance and the confidence it enjoys by the consumers.

training.
73
Free download | flare.com.pk National Synopsis

Samsung bada, meaning Pakistan and Afghanistan at Samsung Electronics

Samsung unveils “bada”
Karachi: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., a
leading mobile phone provider, unveils its new
smartphone platform, Samsung bada. At this
unveiling, Samsung showcases the bada SDK
(Software Development Kit) for partners and
presents the unique benefits and unprecedented
opportunities that the bada platform will bring to
developers, mobile operators and consumers.
Mr Steve Han, Managing Director-Samsung
Pakistan stated that Samsung bada is a driving
force in accomplishing Samsung’s vision of a
‘smartphone for everyone.’ To achieve this vision,
Samsung bada offers a feature-rich platform for
enhanced mobile experiences for consumers, and
a complete mobile ecosystem through a
developer support programme that both the
application store and consumers will benefit
from. Based on Samsung’s accumulated expertise
in developing advanced mobile phones, the
company will allow its users to enjoy ultimate
mobile experience through superb features.
Ocean in Korean, enables
developers to take full advantage
of mobile device capabilities to create compelling
applications with ease. Applications can use
device functions to make phone calls, send
messages, or access the contact list. Also, various
service applications can share information such
as personal profiles, social relations, schedules,
or contents with a simple user confirmation in
order to provide services with greater personal
relevance and cooperative service extension. The
flexibility of the bada platform makes it
applicable to a wide range of devices than any
other mobile operating system.
Mr Zeshan Quershi, Head of Mobile phones,
said, “In providing Samsung bada, I believe that
Samsung will become a true leader in the mobile
industry; offering a wider range of smartphone
choices for consumers.” He added, “At the same
time, Samsung bada presents a powerful
opportunity for developers to get their
applications onto an unprecedented number of
Samsung devices across the world.”
Based on Samsung’s signature TouchWiz
User Interface, Samsung bada platform provides
an easy, simple, and intuitive UI without
compromising efficiency. It provides creativity
and user interactivity through flash control, web
control, motion sensing, fine-tuned vibration
control, and face detection. Samsung bada
differentiates its position by supporting various
service-centric features such as social networking,
device synchronization, content management,
location-based services, and commerce services -
all supported by back-end bada servers. These
ground-breaking developer-friendly features
support developers to implement various
services without additional effort.

Warid get IM over SMS JAZZ Sim Lagao, Mazaay

Warid came up with another instant messaging solution, this time it does
not even require GPRS, now you can enjoy “Instant Messenger over SMS”
and chat with your buddies on MSN Messenger, Yahoo Messenger & Google-
talk just by sending SMS.
Just send an SMS <EmailAddress> space <EmailPassword> to 1126.
For example: abc@gmail.com <space> 123 and send it to 1126, the
password is always the password of your
Hotmail, Yahoo or Google account that you
are trying to sign in to. After logging in the
user will be able to send a list of his online
friends with whom he can talk via SMS. User
needs to have an already made MSN, Yahoo
or Google account before he or she can login.
When the user logs into the service the
system will send him or her list of online
friends. From this list the user can choose
which friend to talk with. After a connection
with that friend is established the user can
talk to him by simply replying to the
messages. Some useful commands to send to
1126:

<Email Address> <Email Password> (to login to a new account)

ON (to sign in to all saved accounts)

OFF (to sign off from all saved accounts)

FRIENDS (to receive online friends list)

ACC (to view all saved accounts)

REMOVE <Email Address> (to remove an account from saved accounts)

HELP (to receive commands list and get service introduction)

STATUS (to change your status to online, busy or do not disturb)
Points to remember:

Every SMS to 1126 is charged Rs1+tax.

The service supports all popular messaging clients like MSN, Yahoo!
And Google Talk.

The service does not require an internet connection on your phone.

The user will get charged for logging in and out of the application and
sending messages to his friends. The messages sent by your friends to you are
not charged.

To log out the user must send OFF to 1126. The user is automatically
logged out after 24 hours.

When the user logs in to any unsaved account they will be given the
option to save it.

You cannot create your account through the service.

Uraao!
It is so simple send an SMS and 50 minutes
will be in your hands – but here is a glitch,
you will have to use these free minutes
within five days.
Points to remember:

All subscribers who have not done any
outgoing or incoming activity since
November 8, 2009 are eligible for this
promotion.

Subscribers can win 50 free On-net
minutes by sending an SMS to 550

The free minutes will be posted within 48 hours after a subscriber
sends an SMS to 550, these minutes will be valid for 5 days. Free
minutes will be posted on first SMS (to 550) only. If a subscriber sends
multiple SMS on 550, he will be posted free minutes only once.

All those subscribers who send SMS on 550 and recharge their
accounts will get additional free minutes bonus for three months, which
will be equal to 100 per cent of the first recharge amount of the month
via Jazz load or scratch card. The maximum bonus on recharge given to
a subscriber will be 100 minutes in one month. Example: A subscriber
who loads Rs300 will get maximum of 100 minutes in one month.

Each instalment will be equal to value of 1st recharge transaction in
the previous month.

February – 1st instalment equal to 1st recharge between Dec 15 and
Jan 31.

Mar – 2nd instalment equal to 1st recharge between Feb 1 and Feb
29.

April- 3rd instalment equal to 1st recharge between 1st Mar-31st
Mar

The monthly bonus minutes given on the first recharge of the month
will be posted after 10th of the following month.

For February bonus, only the first recharge after hitting short code
550 will be considered, for bonus in subsequent months first recharge
of the month will be considered.

Any recharge transferred through Jazz Share will be excluded from
bonus award.

Customers will be intimated about the posting of free minutes and
bonus on recharge by SMS.

Customers who have lost their SIMs can get new SIMs free of cost.

This offer is valid till January 15, 2010.

75
 Synopsis Flare Report Free download | flare.com.pk

PIA awards outstanding students

Lahore: Children of PIA Officials were awarded
Gold, Silver, Bronze Medals and shields by PIA
Senior Staff Association (PIASSA) for outstand-
ing educational achievements at high school
level during 2007-2009. An impressive ceremony
was held at PIA Head Office, participated by
management, officers and staff with their chil-
dren.
Director HR and Administration PIA, Mr Haneef
Pathan presided the function. Over 400 students
were awarded Shields and Medals who secured
above 75 per cent marks in Matriculation, Inter-
mediate, O-Level and A-Level examinations for
the years 2007, 2008 and 2009 and young chil-
dren on becoming Hafiz-e-Quran.
Fifteen students were awarded gold medals, 16
silver and 16 were awarded bronze medals for
securing high percentile marks i.e. above 80 per
cent and those students who secured high num-
ber of A grades in O Level and A Level exami-
nations while other students were awarded
shields.
Director HR and Administration, Mr Haneef
Pathan congratulated the students for attaining
Director HR and Administration PIA, Haneef Pathan and
President PIA Senior Staff Association, Abid Saleem at a
ceremony organised by PIASSA to award medals for out-
standing educational achievements to students at high
school level during 2007-2009.
high marks in their respective examinations and
also complemented the parents. He said that the
officers of PIA should also work with the same
zeal in their respective departments for the bet-
terment of the airline.
President PIASSA, Mr Abid Saleem and General
Secretary Mr Asad Sadiq also spoke at the occa-
sion. The ceremony was attended by PIA Direc-
tors, General Managers, PIASSA Zonal Office
bearers, Senior officers and their families.

PTCL EVO: Refer a friend

and get discount
To avail the discount you must be an existing Evo
Postpaid subscriber. Get a friend or family
member to sign up for a new Evo connection and
PTCL will give you 25 per cent off from your next
monthly bill. You can refer as many friends as you
want. PTCL will give you 25 per cent off each
month for every friend that you sing up e.g. Refer

three friends and get 25 per cent off for next three
months.
Fill in the contact details of anyone you think
might be interested in an Evo connection in the
form. Your friend will get an email letting him or
her know that you have referred for an Evo
connection. PTCL will also call your friends to
confirm their orders. If any of your friend signs up
PTCL you will get 25 per cent off on your next bill.
Points to remember:
• This offer is only valid for our existing Evo
postpaid subscribers, however your referred
friends can choose any package (prepaid or
postpaid).
• Your friend must pay his first month’s bill for
you to be eligible for 25 per cent discount on your
next month’s Evo bill.
• There is no limit to the number friends that
you can refer.
• If the friend that you have referred returns
the Evo you will not be eligible for any discount.
• If you have referred more than one friend
you will get 25 per cent off per month for each
friend that you have referred.

76
Free download | flare.com.pk National Synopsis

Mobilink announces
Jazz international special prices for selected
countries, which are as low as
PTCL offers EVO PCMCIA
call discount offer
Rs1.36 per minute against a
weekly subscription charge of for Rs 999
Rs10 per country. PTCL EVO that started its journey from Rs 6,000 for its EVO USB
It means that if you subscribe for one country then you can call Rs1.36 per devices is now offering PCMCIA cards for Rs 999 only.
minute to that specific country for one week.
This reduction in price is only for the device; however, monthly
Customers will have to subscribe to their desired destination once a week.
packages are going to remain the same – which I believe should be
One time subscription fee will be charged at the time of subscription.
lowered by 20 per cent at least.
Subscription validity period will be seven days. User can opt for maximum of
nine destinations at one time (separate fee per destination will be charged).
For Canada and USA (L+M) the subscription charges have been doubled
since two destinations get opened through the country code of 1.
For subscription type the name of the country and send an SMS to 424.Once
the SMS is sent, a USSD string will be sent back to you for further subscription
for a particular country. You will dial the USSD string on mobile screen and
press send to avail the discounted rate for that country e.g. type ‘UK’ and sends
it to SMS short code 424. You will get a message, Type *104*1*44*01# & press
send to avail this offer for UK (landline).

Note: PCMCIA cards are compatible with laptops only having

PCMCIA slots. External PCMCIA cards are also available in market -
however, that will take your initial cost high as of having a USB.
Postpaid Tariff/Package Details:

Package 1 (For subscribers having PTCL Landline)

Option 1: USB Device Rs 3,999 (upfront)
Option 2: PCMCIA Card Rs 999 (upfront)

To Un-Subscribe from a particular country, you have to type the following Package 2 (For subscribers not having PTCL Landline)
USSD string and press or send * 104*4*<<xxxxx>>*<<yy>># where xxxxx is Option 1: USB Device Rs. 3,999 (upfront)
complete country code (can be of any number of digits) yy can be any of the Option 2: PCMCIA Card Rs. 999 (upfront)
values (01:Landline 02:Mobile 03: Landline Mobile)
Points to remember: Service Charges

Charging pulse for all calls is 60 seconds. Monthly Service Charges: Rs2000 (Payable through PTCL Landline

The above discounted rates are not applicable for users on international Bill)
roaming. EVO LITE: Rs1200 – 50 hours* or 3000 minutes – 30 days validity *

Maximum nine countries can be selected at one time, with multiple Rs21/additional hour
subscription fee deductions for different destinations. DAY PASS: Rs100/day – Valid for 24 consecutive hours.


In case of multiple selections, the validity of previously selected destination
will remain intact.

Weekly subscription charges are Rs10 per country.

Combined charges for USA and Canada are Rs20 per week.

19.5 per cent federal excise duty applies on usage and 10 per cent government
Ufone Solid Offer – free
tax applies on recharge.

Using SIMs without proper documentation is a crime - PTA.
call after 3 minutes

Limited time offer only.
According to this offer, the customer has to pay for the first three
minutes and can avail up to 57 minutes absolutely free. Ufone’s Solid
Offer comes as the biggest offer announced by Ufone in the recent past
Persona TeamTalk: Postpaid and stands as yet another ground breaking stance made by the ever
evolving organisation.

Plans for SMEs This offer is valid for all UWon,

After Telenor Persona Karobar, a postpaid
plan for SME sector of Pakistan, now Persona
Karobar package brings another industry first
offer for its customers and their business
partners.
Now with Teamtalk offer, Persona Karobar
customers can make free calls to their business
partners through teamtalk bundles. This
feature for an SME to make free calls to their
business partners is an industry first in
Pakistan. All features of the offer for SME’s are:

Make free calls to your company employees;

Make free calls to your business partners;
and

Send SMS / MMS at special rates to
company employees as well as business
partners.

Tension Free, Public Demand & Josh
customers. To avail this limited time
offer, the subscribers can send SMS ‘32
‘to 444 with a onetime charge of Rs 10
only. This offer is applicable on Ufone to
Ufone calls only.
Mr Ali Ikram Head of Pricing &
Strategy said, “We at Ufone are not just
striving to meet customer expectations
but exceeding them. This Solid Offer
from Ufone will bring smiles on the faces
of millions of customers around the
country. Customer satisfaction
encourages us to strive more for delighting our users time after time”.
Points to remember:

The maximum call time is most likely to be less than one hour.

Terms and conditions apply.

This offer is not valid on bundle offers

This is a limited time offer 19.5 per cent FED on usage and 10%
withholding tax at recharge or bill applies.
77
 National Mosaic

Faisalabad: Students of a local college busy in their

studies in computer lab.

Lahore: Punjab Chief Minister M. Shahbaz Sharif gives California: Namira Salim, first Pakistani Astronaut at- Islamabad: A PTCL staffer busy in repairing the
away the shields among the participants of IT Lab tends the unveiling of Virgin Galactic's Space ShipTwo telephone line during maintenance work in the Federal
Project. (SS2) which will carry Namira to Space. Capital City.

Islamabad: The students hold their degrees during the 7th convention Al-Shifa Hyderabad: Students capturing the moments with video cameras during 12th
Medical College. Convocation 2009 of Mehran University of Engineering & Technology.

Islamabad: Students take photograph with their cameras Rawalpindi: Incharge Education Wing Afifa Shumail Multan: A lady takes photo of her companion with her
during Chrysanthemum and Autumn delivers lecture to the school children about road safety cell phone during Punjab CM Mian Shahbaz Sharif
flower exhibition. at Sapient Hall School. Inter Divisional Sport Programme at Sports Ground.
79
Free download | flare.com.pk National Mosaic

Lahore: Dr Samar Mubarik, a renown scientist, photographed with Vice Chancellor of Lahore: Knowledge Share Fair Participants from Techlogix’s esteemed clientele Bukhsh
GC University Dr Khalid Aftab and other distinguish faculty members after the Group, Crescent Group, DUHS, HEC, KESC, Mobilink, PU, PUCIT, UET Peshawar,
inauguration of LASER and Accelerator Laboratory at GC University, Lahore. Ufone and ZTBL.

Lahore: Group photograph of (Left to right) Hameed Akhtar Chadda Vice President
FPCCI, Malik Iftakhar Vice President SAARC, Khawaja Khawar Member FPCCI, Mian
Idrees Vice President FPCCI, Tahir Malik Chairman Trafco Group of Companies, Lahore: Bank Alfalah CEO Sirajuddin Aziz and IBA Dean and Director Dr Ishrat
Nadeem Bhatti Member FPCCI at the wedding of daughter of Mr Tahir Malik. Hussain exchange documents at an MoU-signing ceremony.

Faisalabad: Federal Minister for Textile Industry, Rana Mohammad Farooq Saeed Khan
Lahore: A lady capturing the moments through her video camera at Bagh-e-Jinnah. visits IT Lab of National Textile University (NTU).

Islamabad: Female rangers stand alreat during Muharram. Islamabad: CTO PTCL, Muhammad Nasrullah receives the Special International
Recognition Award. 81
 Mosaic National Free download | flare.com.pk

Thatta: President Asif Ali Zardari gives away the documents of government land to a Islamabad: Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani expresses condolence to the
deserving lady at Jhangri Village. families of Shuhada of Police’s officials at their residence G/9.

Lahore: GC University Vice Chancellor Dr Khalid Aftab distributes certificates among Rawalpindi: Ambassador of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Abdul Aziz Bin Ibrahim Al
the participants of three-day training workshop on “Eidetic Model of Growth in People Ghadir called on Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani at General
with Intellectual Disability” at the GCU Psychology Department. Headquarters.

New Delhi: National Assembly Speaker, Dr Fehmida Mirza shakes hand with women Lahore: Governor Gilgit-Baltistan and Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting
parliamentarian of Lok Sabha, on occasion of the inauguration ceremony of “20th Qamar Zaman Kaira, Punjab Governor Salman Taseer and CM Gilgit-Baltistan Syed Mehdi
Conference of Speaker and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth” held in India. Shah cutting ribbon to inaugurate the 5-day Gilgit-Baltistan Investment Conference.

Director HR & Administration PIA, Haneef Pathan, President PIA Senior Staff Association, Abid Saleem, Rawalpindi: Lady visitors capturing the moment with camera during group painting
General Secretary, Asad Sadiq, Dy. General Secretary, Dr. Imran Ahsan, Organising Secretary, Javed Iqbal Ch
exhibition at Rawalpindi Arts Council.
82 addressing PIA officers at the awards distribution ceremony organised by PIASSA at PIA Head Office.
Free download | flare.com.pk Flare Report Event

he three-day 2010 International

T Consumer Electronics Show (CES) held

in Las Vegason with some 2,700
exhibitors
technology innovations.
unveiled their

The world's largest technology trade show,

latest

organised by the Consumer Electronics

Association (CEA) where more than 20,000 new
products displayed at the show.
Additionally, the 2010 CES will feature more
than 250 sessions and 800 expert speakers as part
of the CES conference programme, which will
cover a range of industry topics from social media
to safe driving to technology policy.
Experts say perhaps the hottest topic at the
show this year is 3-D television and whether
consumers who enjoyed movies in the format,
such as "Avatar," would pay extra for a new TV
adapted for such images.
The CEA estimates that 2.2 million 3-D sets
will be sold in 2010 and that by 2013 more than
25 per cent of all televisions sold will be 3D-TVs.
Another
positive
surprise in
the consumer
electronics
industry has
been devices
that play
Blue-ray
disks. The
association
estimates that
more than
seven million
of the players
Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer gives his
keynote address at the 2010 International - many of
Consumer Electronics Show. which have
internet connections - were shipped in 2009, more
than double that of 2008.
A breathtaking wave of 3-D televisions has hit
the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), where the
technology is being touted as the next big thing
in home theatre. The Japanese electronics giant's
plans range from being part of a 3-D television
network in the United States to streaming live
performances in the format.
On the CES show floor, massive TV screens
linked to wireless versions of the glasses for a 3-
D effect were displayed by South Korea's LG
Vice President of Public Affairs and Communications for LG (L-R) Samsung Electronics America President of Consumer
Electronics USA, Inc. John Taylor speaks at a press event at the Electronics Division Tim Baxter, CEO of DreamWorks Animation
2010 International Consumer Electronics Show. Jeffrey Katzenberg and Chairman and CEO of Technicolor Frederic
Rose hold a copy of the 3D movie, "Monsters vs Aliens" during a
Electronics. press event at the 2010 International Consumer Electronics Show.
Many consumers upgraded to high-definition gesture recognition games, where the human
sets in the past three years, and an infrastructure body serves as the controller, will be released at
to deliver 3-D content to homes is not in place, the end of the year for the Xbox 360 videogame
according to McQuivey. console.
Toshiba
unveiled a
flat-panel Cell
TV that
converts
digital video
into 3-D.
Panasonic
went 3-D with
a "Live In It" Panasonic employees unveil a prototype
campaign for model of the world's largest 152-inch sized
plasma display panel (PDP). Retired American soccer star Mia Hamm (L) joins Sean Maloney,
its electronics.
ENLARGE PICTIURE executive vice president and co-general manager of Intel
Corporation's Intel Architecture Group (IAG), at the 2010
South
International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.
Korea's Samsung teamed up with DreamWorks
Animation, maker of "Shrek" and other hit "2010 is going to be the biggest year in Xbox
movies, and Technicolor in a push to bring more history," Robbie Bach, the head of Microsoft's
3-D entertainment into the home. The three firms entertainment and devices division, said in a
announced they have formed an alliance to speech which kicked off the annual Consumer
"accelerate the worldwide deployment of in- Electronics Show (CES).

home 3-D to mainstream consumers."
Microsoft announced that "Project Natal"
(L-R) Erin Davis, son of music legend Miles Davis, Cheryl Davis,
Miles Davis' daughter, and Vince Wilburn, Jr., Davis' nephew,
Casio workers test the Casio Exilim cameras in the booth at the display the Miles Davis Tribute headphones at a Monster Cable
2010 International Consumer Electronics Show. Products Inc., the 2010 International Consumer Electronics Show. 83
 Mosaic International Free download | flare.com.pk

Indian models display the Olive 7 stylish smart mobile phone during the launch in PM of Ukraine Yulia Tymoshenko smiles in Kiev as she speaks by mobile phone to
Grigoriy Surkis, Head of the Ukrainian Football Federation, regarding the European
New Delhi.
football's governing body (UEFA) Executive Committee's final meeting of the year.

Cathrin Durakovic (L) and Mete Kaan Yamann, winner of

the Miss and Mister Germany 2009-10 beauty pageant pose German Chancellor Angela Merkel checks her mobile A young woman talks on her mobile phone during a
after the beauty contest in Listow, northern phone prior to travelling to Copenhagen for the UN Cli- farmers' demo in demand of changes in agricultural
Germany. Some 16 male and female contestants took part in mate Summit in Berlin. policies in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
the final selection.

A stranded passenger of Spanish airline Air Comet cries as she talks on the phone after
the airline's flights were cancelled and its licence was suspended in Madrid.
84
An employee for Japan's mobile communication giant NTT docomo displays chocolate-bar-
shaped mobile phones called "SH-04B", produced by Japanese electronics giant Sharp and
designed by Japanese accesory shop Q-pot, at NTT docomo's showroom in Tokyo.
 International Mosaic

Chiba University professor Hiroshi Ryu displays the flying

robot, which fluters its wings 35 times a second like a hum- French prisoner speaks on the phone with the French A woman checks the SMS in her cell phone during the
ming bird, at his laboratory in Chiba city, Tokyo. The hum- First Couple after being released from jail in Santo Rally Dakar 2010 technical check in Buenos Aires, Ar-
mingbird robot, 10cm in length and weighing only 2.6g, has Domingo. gentina.
four plastic-made wings, driven by a micro actuator.

An employee of Japanese mobile communication giant NTT docomo demonstrates how The people take snap of fireworks lighting up the skyscrapers of Hong Kong island
to buy a softdrink from a vending machine with a mobile phone at the company's across the harbour at midnight to usher in New Year's Day. Thousands of people
headquarters in Tokyo. crammed into Hong Kong's harbour, where 9,000 fireworks.

Globalive Chairman Anthony Lacavera (R) and Ken Campbell, Chief Executive of
Globalive's WIND Mobile, pose with an employee and WIND mobile's first customer A couple watching cell phone after capturing the moments during Hagoita-ichi Festival at
after the official launch of WIND Mobile, a new cellular service, in Toronto. Senso-ji Temple Asakusa in Tokyo, Japan.
85
Free download | flare.com.pk International Mosaic

Sony employee displays a prototype model of the dye-sensitised solar cell which Children react to a person wearing an inflatable phone outfit with a climate change
generates maximum power of 30-40mmW to sound a Walkman digital audio player at message in Radhuspladsen in Copenhagen, Denmark.
the annual Eco Products Fair in Tokyo.

Chairman of Olive Telecommunication, Arun Khanna poses with models as they

A Boeing 787 Dreamliner jet takes off for its long-waited first flight at Paine Field In
display the Olive Zipbook X107H-3G computer with inbuilt high speed connectivity
Everett, Washington.
and the Olive 7 stylish smart mobile phone during the launch in New Delhi.

Softkinetic, a Brussels-based software company, has teamed up with another Belgian

firm, Optrima, a maker of 3D cameras and sensors, and US computer chip giant Texas
Instruments to make this vision of the future a reality in San Francisco.

ENLARGE PICTURE A woman checks her cell phone, one of hundreds of holiday travelers who were delayed
for hours following an electrical problem that suspended rail service at New York.
87
 Synopsis
Nokia 2710 Navigation
Edition
Karachi: At a launching
ceremony held in the Egyptian affordable pricing, the new
capital, Cairo, Nokia has device is expected to be
unveiled the latest device in popular in the developed
the company's range focused and developing world alike.
on mapping and navigation,
the Nokia 2710 Navigation
Edition. The new arrival is
GPS enabled and pre-loaded
with Nokia Maps, making it
the most affordable GPS
device in Nokia's broad
portfolio. It will be available in
the second quarter of 2010.
Warid
offers SMS
to PTCL,
Vfone
Lahore: Now Warid
customers both prepaid and
postpaid can receive and
send SMS to any PTCL V-
Fone number within
Pakistan. Every SMS sent to
any PTCL V-Fone number
will be charged as per
standard off-net SMS charges
with no charges on receiving
the SMS. There is no
activation procedure for this
facility. Recognised as the
most reliable service provider
Warid Telecom is determined
to deliver the exceptional
services to its customers.

Ali Q. Gilani terminated
At last the management of
PTCL had got rid of anti-
PTCL person Executive Vice
President, Corporate
Communication, PTCL, Ali
Qadir Gilani after six years.
During his tenure, the
performance of PR
Department remained
unsatisfied. He always
promoted women in the
PTCL and flourished
vulgarity. The management
had decided to terminate
Gilani who was involved in
corruption where case will be
88 soon filled against him, the
PTCL sourced disclosed.
National
Special
packages by
Due to the accessible and
PTCL
The handset has been
optimised for use across
urban environments, small
towns, as well as rural
areas - incorporating
straight line pedestrian
navigation with the
assistance of an integrated
digital compass.

Intel education awards ceremony held
Islamabad: Intel Pakistan
held the Intel education
awards ceremony in
recognition of schools and
teachers using technology to
enhance learning skills. The
award ceremony was
organised by the Intel
Education Initiative in
collaboration with the Federal
Ministry of Education, which
was attended by Muhammad
Juman J Jamro, Additional
Secretary Education.
Addressing on the occasion
Muhammad Juman said that
student's success depends on
access to technology to meet
the requirements of modern
world. Integration of
technology into education will
enhance the teaching and
The gap between PTCL
and customers has widened
and PTCL lost its fame for
last couple of months because
he did not tackle the PR
department satisfactorily and
spent lavish life.
During the PTCL workers
protest, Gilani said the
employees’ union was
misleading the PTCL workers
for its benefit. The company’s
management termed the
protest a clear violation of the
code of conduct issued by the
National Industrial Relations
Commission.

Overseas Pakistanis to
rectify their SIMs
Islamabad: Pakistan SIM Information System.
Islamabad: Pakistan
Telecommunication
Company Ltd (PTCL) has
launched special international
call rate packages for its
valued customers to add to
the joys of Christmas and
New Year. This includes a
special tariff of Rs0.40 per 20
seconds to the international
destinations, which includes
ISA (fixed + mobile) Canada
(fixed + Mobile), China (fixed
+ Mobile), UK, Australia and
Germany (fixed only).
The rates have been
reduced from a previous cost
of Rs two per mint. The PTCL
has vowed to maintain the
quality of service and enable
every PTCL line for
international dialling. This
Special Tariff was applicable
from December 15 to January
15, 2010.

learning skills, he added.
Juman said that Intel
Education has provided
opportunities to the poor
students to reach the level of
learning, which the nation
needed but they could not
afford.
"Teachers play a significant
role in our society and the Intel
Conference on telecom, IT sectors
Lahore: The 7th mega
event in the telecom and IT
sectors involving a high-level
experts conference and Expo
of telecom and IT
technologies are being held
on January 19 to January 20,
2010 which organising by a
magazine in collaboration
with Institute of
Telecommunication
Engineers Pakistan.
While the Pakistan
Telecommunication
Authority, government of
Pakistan, Federal Ministry of
Telecom and IT, Pakistan
Free download | flare.com.pk
Telecommunication
Authority (PTA) has
introduced an online facility
for overseas Pakistanis in
order to get their SIMs data
regularised or to block extra
SIMs/connections issued
against their Computerised
National Identity Card
(CNIC).
This automated facility has
been made available on the
web sites of PTA and all
cellular mobile operators.
Since the launch of SIM
Information System 668, a
total of more than 12.6 million
mobile subscribers have
sought their SIM information,
out of which 9.2 million
queries were received
through SMS whereas 3.4
million queries were received
through PTA’s weblink of
Education awards are held
with this in mind," said Ashar
H. Zaidi, Country Manager,
Intel Pakistan.
He further said that the
Intel Education awards are
held annually in Pakistan in
conjunction with the
implementation of the Intel
Teach programme, which
Software Export Board and
Engineers Study Forum has
also extended co-operation
for the event. A sizeable
number of organisations: IT
Companies, Universities and
Telecom Groups are
exhibiting in the Expo,
including Punjab Information
Technology Department,
Software Export Board
Government of Pakistan,
Telecom Foundation Group,
Universities of Engineering
and Technology Lahore,
University of Central Punjab,
Overseas Companies and
An analysis of web queries
revealed that around 60 per
cent of total web queries were
being made by Pakistani
community living abroad.
Written requests of overseas
Pakistanis are also being
received to facilitate them in
lodging their complaints and
getting extra SIMs removed
against their CNICs. Overseas
Pakistanis can now visit
PTA’s website http://
www.pta.gov.pk
/668/sim_info_overseas.html
to resolve this issue. The PTA
introduced SIM Information
System 668 in October 2009,
which enables the mobile
subscribers to know total
numbers of SIMs issued
against their respective CNIC
numbers with each mobile
operator.

provides professional
development and guidance to
teachers on how to use
technology to enhance student
learning in the digital world.
In addition to the teacher
training, the Intel Teach
Programme also hosts forums
and workshops to enhance the
use of ICT in learning
environment, and so far has
reached more than 28,000
teachers and principals, he
added. On this occasion
Rehana Shabir Principal F G
College for Women, G-10/4
was awarded with the
Principal of the year the award.
Nardis Gul Yousafzai of F G
Margalla College for Women,
F-7/4 was awarded with the
Teacher of the year award.

leading software IT groups.
The theme of the
conference is Development
and Investments in Telecom
and IT sectors, which
contribute a big share in GDP
of our national economy.
Experts would make
technical presentations on
various subjects based on
updated review and futurist
approach. A large number of
executives, professionals,
business executives and
intellectuals will be
participating in the
programme.

Free download | flare.com.pk
PTCL targeting Lahore
Lahore: The Pakistan
Telecommunication
Company Limited (PTCL)
announced three packages
for its subscribers in
Lahore. The PTCL (North)
Senior Executive Vice
President Tariq Suleman
announced "Mouj Masti",
"Tip Top" and "Lash Pash"
packages with attractive
incentives while talking to
Flare.
He said that after
having successful results
from the provincial
metropolis, the same would
also be extended to other
Same PTCL, Ufone number package launched
Islamabad:
Telecommunication
Pakistan
Company Limited (PTCL),
in its efforts to capture more
and more subscribers has
introduced a package,
offering any customer who
wants to acquire a new
telephone connection can
also get Ufone SIM with the
same number as of PTCL
Blind Cricket Talent Hunt
Islamabad: The opening
ceremony of the second and
final training camp for
Khuddar Pakistan Blind
Cricket Talent Hunt was held
at a local ground.
The talent hunt organised
by Pakistan Blind Cricket
Council (PBCC) and Telenor
Pakistan, aimed towards
identifying raw talent
for the national and junior
national teams.
Under the umbrella of
Telenor Khuddar Pakistan,
the talent hunt is an effort
towards integration and
social inclusion of the visually
impaired.
Telenor has always been
involved in some sort of Shakeel Ahmed (third from left) and Chairman PBCC Syed Sultan
activities very actively.
SOP prepared for GSM Signal Spill
cities of the country. He
over international borders
said that the PTCL Pakistan’s monitoring
observed 2009 as agencies and GSM operators
"Customers Year" and operating in the country have
focused its attention to been reporting a problem of
improve the quality of interference and spill over
services. signals into Pakistani territory
Tariq Suelman further from neighbouring countries.
said the company is It was learned that in a
integrating its system while recent meeting between high
complaint-handling system ups of telecom authorities of
has been rapidly improved Pakistan and Afghanistan,
up to the customers' issue was discussed.
satisfaction. Afghanistan officials also raised
The PTCL has also the issue of interference signals
planned to establish data emanating from Pakistan’s side
centres to facilitate its to Afghan territory.
customers, he added.
Sources familiar with
situation confirmed that both
landline. As per package, no by calling 0800 80 800
special charges for PTCL helpline or through walk-in
number or Ufone SIM, there channels.
would be same installation According to
information, this service
would be applicable on only
new telephone connection
requests while existing
customers can opt for
secondary PTCL landline in
order to avail this service.
This is a PTCL’s new
telephone connection
promotion, so Ufone
customers cannot apply for
this service for their existing
fee and line rent charges for numbers.
PTCL landline. The SIM will Every new telephone
be sent to the customer request in PTCL undergoes
through Courier Service and a resource confirmation or
customer just needs to pay feasibility process, if that is
ordinary Ufone charges. clear then the customer will
This service can be acquired surely get the desired
Islamabad: Director Sports CDA Rizwan Ahmed (second from left),
Director Real Estate and Site Acquisition, Telenor Pakistan
Shah (centre) along with the selected finalists.
National
countries agreed that the
complete stoppage of the
interference and spill over
signals across international
borders on the either side
would be ensured. In this
regards a mutual SOP has been
prepared by government of
Pakistan.
It merits mentioning here
that there are relevant
regulations from ITU/APT to
follow in case of spill over
signals. It is further told that IT
& Telecom Division drafted
SOP that has been forwarded to
Frequency Allocation Board for
their input, after which SOP
number which is selected at
the time of order taking. The
process takes at least seven
days and it depends on the
area customer and the
feasibility report.
Ufone will send the SIM
to customer premises
through courier and courier
representative will collect
Rs150 from the customer as
SIM charges. Identical
numbers have been reserved
exchange wise in three main
cities. Neighbour number is
very important in order to
identify the right exchange
for the requesting customer
to avoid ambiguity.
There are no other
special features except
having Identical Number
Ufone SIM as well.

Intel, Pre-Step to
launch technology
programme
Karachi: Intel Pakistan
recently signed a the United States Agency for
memorandum of
understanding (MoU) with a
consortium partner in Pre-
Step (the pre-service teacher
education programme). The
agreement has been made to
launch a technology
programme in Government
Colleges of Pakistan with a
vision to improve the basic
education by strengthening
teachers training institutes.
Pre-Step is a five-year,
national programme led by
the Academy for
Educational Development
Synopsis
will be forwarded to PTA for
implementation, very soon.
Such interference signals
can easily be found if you go
near border areas, particularly
in Sialkot and Azad Kashmir.
And there were as many as six
Indian GSM mobile operators
recognised by handset (with
manual network selection) –
when one flew to border area
near Sialkot.
Such SOP arrangements
with India are yet to be
finalised; despite the fact that
issue was conveyed to
concerned Indian authorities,
said the source.

LG to
launch new
Windows
phones
Karachi: LG Electronics
announced the launch of
three new Windows phones
in the next few weeks,
delivering on LG's
commitment to further grow
its share of the global
smartphone market.
The three devices will
kick off LG's most
aggressive smartphone
strategy to date, which will
ultimately result in a total of
13 new LG-branded
Windows phones launched
globally before the end
of 2010.

(AED), with support from
International Development
(USAID). The programme is
designed to improve the
quality of basic education in
Pakistan by improving
teacher preparation
practices and strengthening
the capacity of up to 75
teachers training institutes
and 15 universities. This
programme will also
provide an opportunity for
teacher educators to learn
about, practice and make
plans to use active teaching
approaches.
89
 Internet
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Free download | flare.com.pk National Synopsis

CIO Year Ahead ’10 Summit Samsung appoints Teletec

CIO Pakistan organised compared to. In addition to Ms
The Year Ahead ’10 Summit at Mia, other members joining Karachi: Samsung Mobiles realisation of the fact that importance on Pakistan as a
the Karachi Sheraton offering the session included, Thierry Pakistan has appointed the Pakistan is one of the most high potential market
thought leaders and senior Geiger, Economist Global renowned company “Teletech promising cell phone markets therefore; Samsung has
professionals of the ICT Leadership Fellow and Enterprises” as its official in the world that is successfully introduced its latest range of
industry an opportunity to Christoph S. Sprung, Senior distributors in the country. going through rapid evolution popular Smart-phones and
interact with Global Manager India & South Asia. Teletec has a team of highly to provide instant and Touch-phones along with the
Information Technology The event was attended by motivated, well-qualified and consistent connectivity and high quality conventional
report at the World Economic concerned professionals in the experienced professionals cellular services to its vast phones for the Pakistani
Forum. local ICT industry and dedicated to bringing the most population. customers”.
The report assesses the business community as well as revolutionary mode of GSM Steve Han, Managing He further added that,
Network Readiness of representatives from the trade mobile phones to Pakistan. Director Samsung Electronics “The appointment of Teletec as
countries and helps to put and mainstream media. The This new distributor has a expressed his commitment by Samsung distributor is an
Pakistan’s position on the CIO Year Ahead Summit was dealer network presence in saying, “Samsung has a firm addition in current distribution
global map into perspective. supported by Central almost all major cities of resolve to provide its network in Pakistan and will
Irene Mia, Co-Editor and Depository Company (CDC), Pakistan that will enable customers with revolutionary ensure further enhancements
Senior Economist shared the Intel, Cisco, Ovex Samsung to provide the best products and immaculate in the sophisticated and swift
report’s findings and Technologies, CommTel and quality of products and services, to extend the most network of Sales and Service in
comparative analysis to Mutlinet with Dawn News as services to the Samsung fulfilling mobile experience to Pakistan, that will fulfill the
strategic countries that the media partner for the customers all over the country. its customers around the needs of all our customers
Pakistan is traditionally event.
Samsung has complete world. We place great more proactively.

Oracle a leader in Web Access Management

Karachi: Leading analyst web-based applications and management, enterprises placement in the Leaders experienced continued
firm, Gartner has positioned internet services to not only have quick access quadrant demonstrates strong growth year over
Oracle in the Leaders successfully run their to the growing web Oracle’s commitment to year, while almost every
quadrant of “Magic businesses,” said Amit application universe, but deliver flexible, integrated other entrant in the Magic
Quadrant for Web Access and easy-to-use solutions Quadrant has experienced
Management” for 2009. that enterprises around the slower growth or no growth,
The Gartner Magic world trust to manage their or is working from a
Quadrant, a graphical enterprise security.” significantly smaller
representation of a According to Gartner, customer base. To lead in
marketplace at and for a “The leaders in the WAM the WAM and larger access
specific time period, [Web Access Management] management markets in
positions vendors within a market for 2009 have 2009 and beyond, vendors
particular segment based on matured, with larger will need to focus on
completeness of vision and vendors offering relatively providing a full-featured
their ability to execute on strong products at product, the necessary
that vision. It depicts reasonable prices, investing organizational skill set,
Gartner’s analysis of how in new associated deployment scenarios and
certain vendors measure functionality and ‘complete expertise, and
against criteria for that identity management’ recommendations as to
marketplace, as defined by Jasuja, Vice President, also streamlined and strategies that leverage their how individual customers
Gartner. Oracle Identity protected enterprise customer bases for increased can best use their products
“Enterprises increasingly Management. "With best-in- security. sales and market share.” in their broader IAM
depend on a complex mix of class web access We believe our “The leaders have initiatives. ”

Live internet streaming EU provides Rs1bn for education

of Radio Pakistan
The Pakistan Broadcasting
Corporation (PBC) has started
live streaming of its
broadcasts on the internet.
The step has been taken to
bridge the divide through
enhancing focus on
integration of communication
and opportunities for
development. By streaming
on the internet, Radio
Pakistan has not only
extended its radius of
coverage but also provided
easy access to its listeners
worldwide.
According to a statement
issued by the PBC,
programmes of National
Broadcasting Service (NBS)
can now be listened live on
the internet. The service is a
dedicated Current Affairs
Channel of Radio Pakistan,
which broadcasts news, talk
shows and interviews of
prominent personalities
besides social and cultural
programmes 17 hours a day,
starting at 6:55 a.m. and
concluding at 12 midnight.
It was felt that the
audience needed to be kept
informed with the latest
events. For this purpose, a
News & Current Affairs
Channel (NCAC) was
launched on April 18, 2001,
which was the only channel of
its kind in Asia. NCAC was
converted into Current Affairs
Channel (CAC) and then on
August 28, 2008, it was
converted into NBS.

The European Union
(EU) has released €8.5
million (more than one
billion Pakistani Rupees) to
the Government of Pakistan.
This was communicated by
EU Chargé d'Affaires, Mr
Tomas Niklasson, to Mr
Sibtain Fazal Aleem,
Secretary, Economic Affairs
Division, Government of
Pakistan, through a letter.
The above-mentioned
payment by the EU is the
second tranche of its sector
budget support set at
€39,000,000 (equivalent to
approximately 4.87 billion
Pakistani Rupees) for the
Sindh Education Reforms
Programme (SERP) to be
disbursed over the period
2007-11. The SERP is sector
budget support provided as
part of the European
Union’s efforts to make a
sustainable contribution to
the education sector in
Pakistan.
The overall objective of
the European Union's
contribution to SERP is
poverty alleviation in the
Province of Sindh through
progress in achieving the
Education for All (EFA)
goals. The purpose of the
programme is to improve
the capacity at school,
district and provincial levels
to deliver quality
elementary education
services in an equitable way.
It will particularly target
those communities that have
benefited the least from
economic growth by
granting them access to an
acceptable standard of
education.
The level of assistance
from the EU clearly
indicates the key
importance attached by the
EU to education for the
further development of
Pakistan. The support is
given in the context of the
EU-Pakistan Development
Co-operation Programme,
under which the EU now
has current grant
commitments to Pakistan
totalling over €200 million
(more than 25 billion
Pakistani Rupees).
91
 Synopsis National
Swift a riding pleasure PTA, FIA raid illegal gateway exchange
Lahore: Pak Suzuki
Motor Company, a leading
car manufacturer in
Pakistan with the largest
market share, launched
its new model ‘Swift’.
The new Swift is the
epitome of success as it
has won 98 awards in
25 countries around the
globe.
BankIslami selects Novell’s SUSE Linux
Novell announced that
BankIslami Pakistan Limited,
a dedicated Islamic
commercial bank
headquartered in Karachi, has
chosen SUSE Linux Enterprise
Server and SUSE Linux
Enterprise Desktop as its
operating platform of choice.
With around 1400 users in
102 branches, SUSE Linux
Enterprise provides
BankIslami Pakistan with a
secure, scalable, reliable and
easy-to-use operating platform
for its IT infrastructure. SUSE
Linux Enterprise Server is the
platform for the Bank’s
mission-critical application
environment, while for
desktops; SUSE Linux
Enterprise Desktop is
Wealth Management
Services by IGI
Investment Bank
Karachi: IGI Investment
Bank Ltd., part of the IGI
Financial Services Group, has
recently launched a individual investors for the
comprehensive suite of
Wealth Management services
specifically designed for the
needs of its high net-worth
clients.
Individuals looking to
invest will now have access to
the resources and expertise of
a financial group involved in
businesses ranging from
investment banking,
securities brokerage,
insurance, asset
management, etc., to provide
them the best set of
92 investment solutions from
More than 1.5 million
units have been sold so far.
Swift is the first and
foremost hatchback car in
Pakistan with powerful
1.3L MPI Engine.
It has ABS
with electronic brake
distribution (EBD), 15 inches
alloy wheels, central
locking system, electronic
power steering, immobiliser,
luxurious interior and
above all a dynamic exterior
that makes it an ideal car.
In short the new Swift is
‘fun to ride, pleasure to
drive and pride of
ownership’.

Enterprise Platform
deployed on Sun Ray stateless administration tools built into and
thin-client terminals from Sun SUSE Linux Enterprise. The company can also minimize
Microsystems.
BankIslami will now be BankIslami to configure any at
able to easily install, deploy, aspect
configure and update servers environment,
and desktops securely and reducing the time and costs enterprise-class support -
remotely, using the advanced involved in administration something that few Linux
across the industry.
IGI Investment Bank Ltd.
has been corporate and
last two decades, and is
known across the industry
for its integrity and
reliability. As part of
expansion, IGI financial
group has created internal
synergies to grow in size
while remaining one of the
most dynamic and flexible
investment firms. This makes
it possible to pool expertise
and create a customised
strategy for every investor
that comprehensively covers
every aspect of their financial
well being.

Free download | flare.com.pk
Islamabad: Pakistan Defence at Phase-IV in
Telecommunication Lahore resultantly arresting
Authority (PTA) and Federaltwo persons, says a press
Investigation Agency (FIA) release issued by PTA.
have jointly raided illegal More than 50 cellular
devices along with allied
accessories have been
recovered from the scene.
This raid was conducted on
the information obtained
through PTA's facility,
which detects illegal telecom
traffic. The PTA Zonal Office
in Lahore was monitoring
the illegal activity before the
raid.
It may be noted that PTA
gateway exchange operating has launched a campaign
in Commercial Area and against grey traffickers
maintenance. The
solution also allows the number of IT personnel
required at each branch, and
without requiring Central
Office staff to visit individual
locations to provide technical
support.
“We felt that SUSE Linux
Enterprise would be a more
stable solution than a
proprietary operating system,
because the risk of virus
infections and malicious
attacks is considerably
reduced,” said Asad Alim,
Head of Information Systems
BankIslami Pakistan.
of the Linux “Moreover, as a financial
significantly institution, we need
HP bringing bloggers closer
HP conducted a bloggers As soon as the question
meet up in three cities of was raised, answers started
Pakistan, Lahore, Karachi and coming out from nook and
Islamabad. The intention of corner and bloggers gave
the event was to bring the their thorough view point
bloggers community on that what they really think
platform where they can help about blog and social
teach HP that how they can platforms.
reach online masses of Bloggers had their opinion
Pakistan successfully. that with social media, they
Mr Khalid, Emagine can reach the masses.
Group, started by telling the But by using blog, an
audience all that HP is about individual or company can
to introduce HP mini (a only give/spread out
netbook) in Pakistan and they information, where hundreds
are happy to engage bloggers or even thousands following it
community in the launch. – while social media, for
Then he placed “Blogs or instance Facebook or twitter
Social Media?” as a question are more of communication
in participants’ plates. Here tools.
some people raised the forks It was further discussed
and knives. that how a company can build
along with monitoring the
illegal activities on
twenty-four hours basis and
adopts different procedures
and processes to apprehend
the culprits and to prevent
losses to the national
exchequer being caused by
illegal telecom business.
The Chairman PTA, Dr
Mohammed Yaseen
appreciated the joint efforts
of PTA and FIA teams and
warned all those involved in
the illegal telecom business
to stop their activities
otherwise PTA shall take
stern action against them as
per the law.

vendors other than Novell can
provide.”
BankIslami initially
considered other proprietary
operating systems but felt
constrained by the potential
lock-in to a single vendor.
Linux scored over other
proprietary operating systems
in aspects such as
functionality, frequency of
releases and ease of
deployment. The security of
Linux and the opportunity to
reduce costs were also
favourable factors. After
homing in on Linux,
the bank chose SUSE Linux
Enterprise Server and SUSE
Linux Enterprise Desktop to
support its business-critical
systems.

a brand through bunch of
blogging and social media.
Case studies of Dell, Apple,
IBM, Microsoft and Nokia
were discussed and how they
plan their branding and sales
through blogs, Facebook and
Twitter.
Discussion was taking to-
and-fro motion between social
media and use of blog. As
soon as the tug of war ended,
Khalid dropped another
topping on the meal which
was “How can bloggers help
HP?” Discussion was worth
listening as most of the
bloggers had their own blogs
and they were productive
enough in spreading
knowledge with their
experience.

Free download | flare.com.pk National Synopsis

KnowledgeShare Fair FBR collects over Rs577bn

2009-2010 at Techlogix
Techlogix, a global
consulting and IT Services
Company, organised a universities.
“KnowledgeShare Fair”, as
part of its uncompromising
commitment to enable
excellence by learning. The
Knowledge Share Fair was an
endeavour to share knowledge,
both within Techlogix and to
our customers, across the full
spectrum of technologies and
functional domains that
Techlogix works in.
The attendees included
forty people from Techlogix’s
customer base representing
organisations such as Ufone,
Mobilink, Higher Education
Commission, Crescent Group,
ZTBL and several leading
The event offered courses
on more than 25 topics. The
courses included eight 2.5 day-
long deep dive sessions on
Techlogix’s key practice areas
(Campus Solutions, Business
Process Management, Business
Intelligence, Enterprise
Application Integration, etc)
and fifteen 1-4 hour short
courses on a variety of IT
related topics (Banking
Solutions, Enterprise
Architecture, Service Oriented
Architecture, Project
Management etc).

The Federal Board of
Revenue has collected a
revenue amounting to
Rs577.337 billion during first
half of the year of the current
financial year, as against
Rs553.833 billion collected
during the same period of last
year, showing an increase of
4.2 per cent.
The revenue collections
from July-December included
Rs208.594 billion as Direct
Taxes and Rs368.743 billion as
indirect taxes, Asrar Raouf,
Spokesman to FBR and
Member Direct Tax policy told
Flare.
He said that as compared
to Rs210.336 billion direct taxes
collected during last year, the
collection during the current
witnessed negative growth of
0.8 per cent. However, the
indirect taxes witnessed
positive growth of 7.3 per cent
when compared the
collections of Rs343.497 billion
the last year, Raouf added.
The Spokesman FBR said
that during month of
December of current financial
year provisionally Rs120
billion have been collected
against the target of Rs125
billion.
If the Karachi Ashura
incident had not occurred the
FBR could raise Rs130 billion
against the target of Rs125
billion for the month of
December, he remarked. He
said that if the advance tax of
Rs32 billion is included in the
total tax collection could
exceed to Rs600 billion.
Replying to a question, he
said that draft Value added tax
(VAT) has been submitted in
the parliament for approval.
He expressed the hope that
after the approval of the VAT
country could be able to collect
in the first year of
implementation an additional
amount of Rs150 billion.
However, he said that
International Monetary Fund
(IMF) observes that after the
implementation of the VAT,
Pakistan would be able to fetch
an additional tax collection of
Rs400 billion.

Internet, SMS easy, quick services

Wishing New Year was
never as easy as it has
become now due to the
advent of technology where
people just pressed a button
in order to wish their loved
ones the good luck to be
followed on coming year.
The internet and mobile
phones have fast replaced
the tradition of sending post
cards and greeting cards,
which is why there were just
a few shops that bothered to
display the cards of Happy
New Year.
SMS being the most
popular and cheap way of
communication was largely
adopted by the people
where the messages
comprising New Year
wishes, quotes and poetry
was forwarded to the dear it has been received by the networks got jammed
and near ones in a large concerned person on time. around 12.
number. People started sending new “It is the quickest way to
wish besides that it costs
nothing,” said Usman
Murtaza. Murtaza added
that internet was a towards market to buy the
convenient way of wishing
some occasion as one could
easily browse the suitable
messages through the
various websites and send it
to the relevant person.
However there are number
of people who do not
consider the technology as a
substitute of fast declining
tradition of greeting cards.
It was not only the year messages from early “The pleasure of receiving
matter of time, but one has morning of December 31, some greeting cards was
to take hassle by purchasing but the process gained unexplainable, which can’t
card days before the event momentum after evening be achieved by thousands of
and then making it sure that where most of the mobile SMS and emails that we
receive on the occasions like
new year,” said Ghousia
Bangash, a housewife.
She said that the real feel
of celebration was only felt
when they used to head
greeting cards for the loved
ones and would post it and
then would wait for the
cards to be received by
them. “The joy of opening,
reading and then decorating
these cards was
unimaginable,” she argued.
The new year messages
that started from December
31 continued till the evening
of January 1, which not only
included the prayers for the
receiver, but also prayers for
the stability and progress of
Pakistan.

PTCL to facilitate affectees Rawalpindi Traffic

Karachi: Karachi said.
Chamber of Commerce and He said PTCL has
clientele with convenience.
Earlier, Khurram Saigal,
Police goes Digital
The City Traffic Police have the occasion.
Industry (KCCI) has urged ensured and agreed Chairman, Communication introduced a new ‘Touch The CTO told the
Screen System’ for conducting participants that the IT
test for driving licence, said department of the CTP
Chief Traffic Officer (CTO) Dr prepared the automatic sign
Muhammad Akhtar Abbas. testing system. He said that
He stated while addressing a 400 questions have been fed in
ceremony to inaugurate the the touch screen system and
new system. the candidates have to reply at
Additional Inspector least seven questions out of 10,
General of Police, Traffic which would appear on the
Punjab, Zahid Mehmood, screen, to qualify for the
Regional Police Officer (RPO) driving licence.
PTCL to provide V-phone provision of V-phone Sub-committee-KCCI, along Rawalpindi, Additional He said that special
wireless connections of wireless connections of with Zulfiqar Ursani, Inspector General of Police software of ‘voice option’ has
same landline numbers same landline numbers to RGM-PTCL, visited the Muhammad Aslam Tareen also been fed in the system for
inaugurated the new system. illiterate candidates. He said
maintained by the victims of the affectees on special affected markets to observe
City Police Officer (CPO) that the licences have been
Boulton market and other discounted price of the status of PTCL
Rawalpindi, Senior Traffic upgraded with a security bar
markets of adjoining areas, Rs1000 instead of communication system Officer (STO) Syed Ishtiaq code, adding that the security
president KCCI, Abdul Rs3500 to resume their which were found Hussain Shah and other features could be checked
Majid Haji Muhammad communication with their destroyed.
officers were also present on through UV light.
93
Free download | flare.com.pk International Synopsis

Text messages can increase savings Google hints at making

Washington: A new study by a group of economists looking at why people save money
mobile telephone
found that simply sending out cell phone reminders increased savings balances by six per
cent.
The study challenges the idea that people simply do not have enough self-control to San Francisco: The internet buzzed with renewed
rumours of Google making its own smartphone, after the
save. Instead, the problem may be they just aren't paying attention, said Dartmouth
internet powerhouse said it is internally dabbling with a
University Economics Professor Jonathan Zinman, one of the study's four authors. "Savings
mobile device. Google workers are trying out a device
isn't at the top of their mind," said Zinman. "Basically all we did was reminded them."
that “combines innovative hardware from a partner with
While a six per cent increase may not send bank
software that runs on Android to experiment with new
account balances soaring, nudging up the savings
mobile features and capabilities,” vice president of
rate has been historically difficult - until the latest product management Mario Queiroz said in a blog post.
recession. Google is seeking feedback in a process it refers to as
Classroom financial education has not proven “dogfooding” in which innovations are tested internally
particularly effective, said Jennifer Tescher, before being offered to the public on the basis that
director of the Centre for Financial Services employees should be willing to “eat our own dogfood.”
Innovation. But online and cell phone platforms “This holiday season, we are taking dogfooding to a
could deliver messages with greater impact. "This new level,” Queiroz wrote. “Unfortunately, because
is an idea we think has tremendous potential." dogfooding is a process
The economists conducted their study in three exclusively for Google
locations in the developing world, but said they were confident the results would translate employees, we cannot share
to the U.S. In three cases conducted in the Philippines, Peru and Bolivia, the economists specific product details. We
teamed up with local banks to send reminders to people randomly selected from those hope to share more after our
who had recently opened a savings account. dogfood diet.”
While positive or negative language did not have a significant effect on the savings The Android-based mobile devices are being shared
rate, mentioning a customer's specific goal did. When reminders mentioned incentives with Google workers worldwide, according to Queiroz.
offered by the bank for consistent deposits, bank savings increased by almost 16 per cent. The blog post came a morning after Google workers
"One thing that can make savings salient today is being reminded of your future goal," evidently excited about getting “Google phones”
Zinman said. In the U.S., where some banks let customers set up automatic deposits into exchanged comments on wildly popular microblogging
their savings accounts, the reminders might be used to urge people to set up such default service Twitter.
savings programs, Dean Karlan, report co-author and Yale University economics professor, “ZOMG we had fireworks and we got the new Google
said. phone,” one Google worker said in a tweet. “It’s
"People are spending less and saving more and they haven't needed any text messages beautiful.” ZOMG is texting slang that originated as a
to do that," she said. But the study's authors said their focus on attention has far-reaching typo of an acronym for “Oh My God” but has come to be
implications in areas like dieting or quitting smoking and could explain some irrational used when the phrase is meant a bit sarcastically or while
behaviour like overspending on extended warranties.
stating the obvious, according to the online Urban
Dictionary.

pledged support for the campaign. The 140

Internet safety for children targeted organisations are also updating a self-regulatory
code of conduct governing online behaviour. The
rules will be published in 2010 and will act as a
essons in using the internet safely are set It will encourage children to not give out

L
to become a compulsory part of the
curriculum for primary schoolchildren in
England from 2011. The lessons are one
element of a new government strategy being
unveiled called "Click Clever, Click Safe".
Children will also be encouraged to follow an
online "Green Cross Code" and block and report
inappropriate content. The measures have been
drawn up by the UK Council on Child Internet
Safety, a new body comprising 140 organisations.
"We must ensure that this virtual world is safe
for our children just as we try to ensure that the
real world is," said Prime Minister Gordon Brown
at the launch of the campaign.
"The internet is a wonderful and powerful tool
that is changing the way we learn and the way we
stay in touch," he added, "but unfortunately there
are risks from those intent on exploiting its
benefits."
The "Zip it, Block it, Flag it" campaign is
intended for use by schools, retailers and social
networks, although it will be up to individual
sites to choose how they use it.
A large scale public information campaign
based around the slogan will be mounted from
February 2010. "We hope that 'Zip it, Block it, Flag
it' will become as familiar to this generation as
'Stop, Look and Listen' was to the last," said the
Prime Minister.
personal information on the web, block
unwanted messages on social networks and
report any inappropriate behaviour to the
appropriate
bodies, which
may include the
website,
teachers or even
police.
"The digital
code is the
green cross
code for the
digital age,"
said Dr Tanya
Byron, who headed a review into inappropriate
material on the internet and in video games. "No
one is saying it is scary stuff," said Dr Byron. "It's
about the management of risk in the same way
that we want children to understand and manage
risk in the real world, in the offline world."
"No-one is saying there are huge massive
dangers out there," said Dr Byron. "18 per cent of
children have said they have come across
inappropriate material," she said. "Its 18 per cent
too many but it's not as big as people believe
based on the scare stories and fear-mongering."
UKCCIS comprises organisations including
Google, Microsoft and Facebook, which have
benchmark against which the government can
review websites.
One measure that has been discussed by the
group is the use of a "panic button" on social
network sites to flag up inappropriate content.
The Child Exploitation and Online Protection
(Ceop) centre - the UK law enforcement agency
tasked with tracing online sex offenders - already
offers a report button for web sites. Clicking the
button allows users to contact specially-trained
Ceop officers for advice and Ceop says it receives
10,000 hits a month.
It is already used by social network Bebo and
MSN Instant Messenger but the government will
announce that all 270,000 computers provided
under its Home Access scheme will now
incorporate the button.
A critical part of the government's plans are
educating children about the potential dangers
they face online. Currently only secondary school
pupils are taught about internet safety.
Under the new proposals, online safety would
be taught to all pupils from the age of five in
England as part of their personal, social, health
and economic education (PSHE), which includes
drug awareness, bullying, sex education, healthy
living and personal finance.
Teaching PSHE is not currently compulsory,
but if legislation goes through it will become
compulsory in England from 2011.
95
 Synopsis International
Etisalat Eyes Syria, Lebanon and Libya
Abu Dhabi: Emirates
Telecommunication
Company, or Etisalat, plans
to invest in telephone
services in Syria and
Lebanon as the governments
of those countries begin
selling off their state-owned
telecoms assets in coming
months.
Etisalat, which already
runs phone companies in 15
countries, hopes to broaden
its overseas operations still
further when Libya declares
the winner of its auction of a
third GSM licence. Etisalat is
a strong contender for that
business, said Jamal Al
Bing trademark challenged
San Francisco: Lawyers for
a small US technology firm
said it is suing Microsoft on the
grounds it has prior claim to
the name “Bing.”
Bing! Information Design
(BID) filed suit in a circuit
court in the state of Missouri
accusing Microsoft of
trademark infringement,
unfair competition, and
“tortuous interference with
business expectancy.”
“For nearly ten years my
client has been using the Bing!
mark,” attorney Anthony
Simon said in a release.
“Microsoft’s use of the
identical mark and its
aggressive advertising have
Bharti eyes
Bangladesh
deal
Mumbai: India's leading
telecom, Bharti Airtel, may be
looking to buy Bangladesh's
Warid Telecom for up to USD
900 million, Bharti is set to buy
a 70 per cent stake in Warid,
Bangladesh's fourth-biggest
telecom company, with an
initial plan to invest USD 300
million, Bangladesh's
telecoms regulator.
The proposed deal would
give Bharti access to
Bangladesh's rapidly growing
mobile sector at a time when it
is locked in an intense price
war in India with rivals
Reliance Communications
96 and Vodafone Essar.

Jarwan, chief executive
officer for Etisalat
International Investments.
Al Jarwan told a business
conference organised by
MEED magazine that
Etisalat wants to become one
of the ten largest telecom
companies in the world. To
help achieve this goal, it
wants to acquire other
companies soon to take
advantage of lower market
valuations resulting from
the global economic
downturn, he said.
Etisalat will take part in
the privatisation of Syria’s
lone mobile telecom
gutted all of my client’s efforts
to distinguish its business and
created confusion that must be
remedied.”
Microsoft told that it had
yet to see a copy of the lawsuit
but that the argument is
specious. “We have not been
served with a complaint, but
are aware of the suit based on
media reports,” Microsoft
spokesman Kevin Kutz said in
an email response.
“We believe this suit to be
without merit and we do not
believe there is any confusion
in the marketplace with regard
to the complainant’s offerings
and Microsoft’s Bing.”
He added that Microsoft is
looking forward to defending
its position in court. BID
creates interactive illustrations,
designs, graphics, animations,
and technical diagrams,
according to Simon.

Telstra shares fall on revenue warning
Telstra has downgraded
its first-half sales revenue
and cut its full-year guidance
on the same day it
announced progress of a
kind had been made in the
crucial negotiations with the
government over the Telco's
participation in the USD 43
billion national broadband
network.
Telstra attributed the
downgrade - which it expects
to flatten revenues for the
year to June 30 - to strong
competition in the mobile
broadband market which has
hurt revenues from both its
fixed-line telephony and
broadband products.
operation as well as of
Lebanon’s two state-run
telecom operators, Al
Jarwan said to reporters on
the sidelines of the
conference in the capital.
Both countries want greater
competition in their phone
services.
He added that it would
be premature for him to
Mobile phones spreading
in North Korea
Tokyo: Mobile phone
subscriptions are spreading
fast and due to reach 120,000
early next year in
communist North Korea,
where an Egyptian provider
started a service a year ago,
a press report said.
"It is a bigger-than-
expected success," the
marketing manager of the
telecom joint venture was
quoted as telling a visiting
Japanese researcher on East
Asian affairs, Masayuki
Aramaki, in Pyongyang, Jiji
Press reported.
The hard-line communist
state is known for its human
rights abuses and for its tight
controls on outside
information, for example, by
fixing the tuners of radios
The Telco had previously
forecasted growth in the low
single digits. Telstra also
blamed the strength of the
Australian dollar and
tougher than expected
operating conditions in Hong
Kong for the adverse affect
on its sales growth.
Shares of Telstra were
Free download | flare.com.pk
comment on the amount of
investment a Libyan licence
for GSM mobile and fixed
telephone lines would
require, should Etisalat
emerge the winner of the
bidding in that North
African country.
Etisalat announced in
October that it had acquired
the Sri Lankan telecoms firm
Tigo for USD 207 million. Al
Jarwan said his cash-rich
company would start
operations in India during
the first quarter of next year
and that it is looking at other
markets in Asia, Africa and
Middle East region with
and television sets to official
state-run stations. But the
company manager, whose
name was not given, was
quoted as saying that cell
phone use was not only
spreading among the
political and business elite
but also citizens in the
showcase capital of
Pyongyang.
"Scenes of citizens
actually using mobile
phones in the streets have
served as a big
advertisement," the manager
was quoted as saying.
Beijing-based Aramaki, who
has frequently visited North
Korea for social surveys, told
Jiji: "The explosive spread of
mobile phones in
Pyongyang is a change,
down 2.8 per cent at USD
3.45, a steeper decline than
the broader market. The
benchmark S&P/ASX 200
index was 1.2 per cent lower.
Telstra maintained its
other guidance figures and
said it was on track to
achieve its targeted free cash
flow of USD six billion in
fiscal 2010.
The downgrade comes as
Telstra and the government
announced they had agreed
on tentative terms that could
see the Telco migrate its
traffic from its copper
network to the NBN.
The parties are also
discussing commercial
interest.
“These regions have
growth potential in the
telecom sector,” he told the
conference. Etisalat has
ample cash reserves of
Dh10.84 billion, and its free
cash flows exceeds Dh5.7
billion, the chief executive
said.
The company, with assets
exceeding Dh69 billion,
reported a six per cent year-
to-year growth in revenues
during the nine months
ending September 30. Its net
profit for the same period
grew by nine per cent, while
its earnings per share
swelled by eight per cent, he
told the conference.

which may be called a living
revolution."
North Korea began a
mobile phone service in
November 2002 but shut it
down without explanation
18 months later and began
recalling handsets. This year
North Korea's official media
has said that the country was
expanding its telecom
network nationwide, laying
fibre-optic cables from the
capital to all provinces, and
renovating its broadcasting
sector.

wholesale terms that could
see the NBN Co lease
Telstra’s expansive backhaul
and its network of access
pipes and ducts needed to
install fibre to homes. But a
definitive deal is still a way
off from being signed and
delivered.
But with Telstra’s
willingness to progress a
deal, it now seems likely that
the Telco will be able to
bargain away some of the
harsher implications of the
bill. The government
indicated that the potential
deal would meet its demands
for the structural separation
of the Telco giant.

Free download | flare.com.pk International Synopsis

EU warms to US Federal Trade Commission files suit

Oracle-Sun deal
Brussels: EU regulators
signalled they could clear
Oracle Corp's USD seven
billion take-over of Sun
Microsystems after the US
software company promised
measures to ease competition
concerns. The European
Union's executive European
Commission said it was
optimistic a "satisfactory
outcome" was possible. It had
previously objected to the
deal, citing possible
competition constraints on
Sun's MySQL database after
the take-over.
Oracle promised to keep
the market open for others to
make storage engine software
for the MySQL database, said
that it would be more open
than MySQL's previous
owners, and would not ask
for commercial licences from
makers of MySQL storage
engines for application
programming interfaces.

Washington: The US
Federal Trade Commission
competing microchips
produced by rivals by
announced that it had filed cutting off their access to the
suit against Intel, accusing marketplace.
the world's biggest "Intel has engaged in a
computer chipmaker of deliberate campaign to
illegally using its dominant hamstring competitive
market position to stifle threats to its monopoly,"
competition. The FTC said Richard Feinstein,
director of the FTC's Bureau
of Competition. "It's been
running roughshod over the
principles of fair play and
the laws protecting
competition on the merits,"
Feinstein said in
statement.
alleged that Intel has waged "The Commission's
a systematic campaign for a action seeks to remedy the
decade to shut out damage that Intel has done
to competition, innovation,
and, ultimately, the
American consumer," he
said. The FTC complaint
said Intel's anticompetitive
tactics were designed to put
the brakes on superior
competitive products that
threatened its monopoly in
the central processing unit
(CPU) microchip market.
"Over the last decade, this
strategy has succeeded in
maintaining the Intel
monopoly at the expense of
a consumers," the FTC
statement said. "In the
process, Intel deprived
consumers of choice and
innovation."

Dell to lay off 700 workers in Malaysia TeliaSonera launches 1st

Kuala Lumpur: US separation scheme (VSS).
computer giant Dell will cut
stopping production of
The move will see Dell's notebooks for Latin America,
4G/LTE network
700 jobs in Malaysia as it looks workforce in Malaysia Canada and US markets, the
to slash costs, newspaper reduced to 3800. The company reports said. The company will
continue making products for
South Asian and Australian
markets.
Affected workers "will be
given competitive VSS
packages. We will also provide
them with career counselling
and outplacement services,"
the Dell official told. Company
officials could not be reached
for comment. Dell began
operating in Malaysia in 1995
with a manufacturing and
direct-sales business but now
produces desktops,
reports said. The company has another support centre in workstations, notebooks,
said the affected workers from Cyberjaya, a high-tech hub servers and storage products
its plant in northern Penang south of Kuala Lumpur. in Penang. In 2007, it launched
state would leave Dell Spokeswoman Jasmine its first global IT support
between January and June Begum said the layoffs were a centre outside of the US in
next year, through a voluntary result of the Penang plant Cyberjaya.

Stockholm: Nordic
telecom operator TeliaSonera
announced the launch in
Stockholm and Oslo of the
world's first commercial
4G/LTE mobile network, up
to 10 times faster than current
networks. "Today, as the first
operator in the world,
TeliaSonera launches 4G
services commercially to
customers in Stockholm,
Sweden and Oslo, Norway,"
the company said in a
statement.
The 4G/LTE network will
enable the use of services
"requiring high transmission
speed and capacity, such as
advanced web TV
broadcasting, extensive
online gaming and web
conferences," Kenneth
Karlberg, TeliaSonera's
president and head of mobile
services, said. "The two
pioneering 4G city networks
cover the central city areas of
Stockholm and Oslo and will
be used for mobile data," the
company also said, adding
that 4G was the fastest
technology available on the
market, "with speeds up to
ten times higher than today's
turbo 3G."

Smartphone software Microsoft browser pledge

breached EU antitrust rules
by bundling its Internet
Explorer web browser with
glitch fixed: Sony Ericsson
Stockholm: World Smartphones, with
ends EU dispute its dominant
operating system.
Windows

Microsoft will also give

number four mobile phone
maker Sony Ericsson said it
had solved the software
problem which hit its key
smartphone offerings in
Britain in the run-up to the
key Christmas sales period.
"Sony Ericsson UK and
Ireland is pleased to
confirm that new software
is now available for both
Satio and Aino
(smartphones)," the
company, owned by
Ericsson and Sony Corp,
said in a statement. "We can
confirm this updated
software has been approved
by UK operators and fixes
previous software issues."
advanced mobile internet
and networking functions,
have bucked the recent
downturn in the handset
market and are a key
element in Sony Ericsson's
plan for returning to profit
next year.
However, late in
November, Britain's
Carphone Warehouse,
Europe's biggest mobile
phone retailer, temporarily
withdrew the recently
launched Satio smartphone
from sale because of a
software problem. British
retailer Phones 4U followed
suit.

Brussels: EU regulators
accepted a pledge by
Microsoft to allow rival
internet browsers on its
systems, ending a long
antitrust dispute with the US
software maker. Competition
Commissioner Neelie Kroes
said millions of European
consumers would benefit by
being able to choose their
browser and the decision
would encourage web
companies to innovate.
Microsoft will allow users
to select from among 12
browsers including its own
Internet Explorer, Mozilla's
Firefox, Apple's Safari and
Google's Chrome on more
than 100 million PCs from
mid-March. The decision
averted another penalty for
Microsoft which has been
fined 1.68 billion Euros (USD
2.44 billion) by the European
Commission for previous
infringements of anti-
competition rules.
The European Union
executive said Microsoft's
legally binding pledge
addressed its concerns that
the company may have
computer makers the option
to turn off Internet Explorer
or install a rival browser, the
Commission said. Microsoft's
commitments will be valid in
the European Economic Area
for five years, the
Commission said, ending its
antitrust investigation, which
was triggered by a complaint
from Norwegian browser
maker Opera. The European
Union executive in January
accused Microsoft of seeking
to thwart rivals by bundling
the company's browser with
its Windows PC operating
system, thereby harming
innovation and reducing
consumer choice.
97
 Synopsis International
Facebook faces criticism Egypt wants Orascom, France Tel deal
Digital rights groups and
bloggers have heaped
criticism on Facebook's
changed privacy policy.
Critics said the changes were
unwelcome and "nudged"
people towards sharing
updates with the wider web
and made them findable via
search engines. The changes
were introduced via a pop-up
that asked users to update
privacy settings.
Facebook said the changes
help members manage
updates they wanted to share,
not trick them into revealing
too much.
"Facebook is nudging the
settings toward the 'disclose
everything' position," said
Marc Rotenberg, executive
director of the US Electronic
Privacy Information Centre
(Epic). "That's not fair from
the privacy perspective."
Epic said it was analysing
AOL going public
Washington: Internet
pioneer AOL returns to Wall
Street after finalising its
divorce from Time Warner
and ending one of the most
disastrous corporate
marriages in history. AOL
common stock begins
New cell
phone
browser
from Opera
Oslo: Opera Mobile 10, a
browser for use on mobile
phones, is now available in a beta
version for Windows Mobile
smartphones. Opera Mobile 10
Beta for Windows Mobile
resembles the PC browser Opera
10, the company claims.
That includes new functions
like a speed dial function for
websites, tabbed browsing and a
password manager. The
programme is available for free
download from the Norwegian
software house at
http://www.opera.com/
98 mobile/.

the changes to see if they
amounted to trickery.
In a statement, the
Electronic Frontier
Foundation said: "These new
'privacy' changes are clearly
intended to push Facebook
users to publicly share even
more information than
before." It added: "Even
worse, the changes will
actually reduce the amount of
control that users have over
some of their personal data."
Facebook began testing
the privacy changes during
mid-2009 before introducing
them site-wide. The changes
let people decide who should
see updates, whether all 350
million Facebook members
should see them, and if they
should be viewable across the
web.
Barry Schnitt, a Facebook
spokesman, said users could
avoid revealing some
information to non-friends by
leaving gender and location
field blank. He said the
changes to privacy made it
easier to tune the audience for
an update or status change so
default settings of openness
should have less impact.

trading on the New York
Stock Exchange a little more
than six months after media
and entertainment giant
Time Warner decided to cut
its losses and spin off the
ailing internet unit.
While the AOL of 2001
Google to produce, sell own 'Nexus
One' phones
Los Angeles: Google Inc
plans to sell its own cell
phone direct to consumers
as soon as next year,
bypassing wireless operators
in a rare strategic move, the
Wall Street Journal cited
sources.
Called the Nexus One
and made by smartphone
maker HTC, the phone will
Cairo: Egypt said it
wanted Orascom Telecom
and France Telecom to patch
up an ownership row over
Mobinil but said the French
firm had agreed to find a new
Egyptian partner if Orascom
sold its stake.
Mobinil has been at the
centre of a long and often
acrimonious dispute between
its two main shareholders,
Orascom and France
Telecom, after the case was
taken to arbitration and the
court said the French
company should buy
Orascom's stake.
After rejecting three offers
was worth as much as 165
billion dollars, prior to the
bursting of the dotcom
bubble, the AOL of 2009 is
valued at just 2.8 billion
dollars by analyst Ross
Sandler of RBC Capital
Markets Corp. With AOL's
dial-up internet-access
business being supplanted
by broadband, AOL chief
executive Tim Armstrong,
who was hired away from
Google in March, said the
independent AOL would be
focused on "content, ads and
communications."
"Today we're producing
about 80 per cent of our own
content," Armstrong, who
was a senior vice president
at Google, told financial
analysts at the UBS Global
Media and Communications
Conference in New York.
run on the search giant's
Android operating system -
around which Motorola and
other cell phone makers
have built devices - and will
be sold online.
Cellular service will have
to be bought separately, it
added. The internet search
leader may be sounding a
challenge to wireless carriers
such as Sprint and Verizon,
as well as smartphone
makers like Apple. It marks
a departure for the leader in
web advertising, which has
rarely sold devices directly
to consumers. Google's
Android phones have won
attention in the mobile
Free download | flare.com.pk
from a France Telecom unit to
buy other freely traded stock,
Egypt's regulator agreed to
the unit's latest offer of 245
Egyptian pounds (USD 44.90)
for each outstanding Mobinil
share. Orascom said it
opposed the regulator's
decision.
The Communications
Ministry said in a statement it
"continues to hope ... that the
two parties in the commercial
dispute reach a conciliatory
solution that allows them to
continue in their successful
partnership" in Mobinil,
Egypt's biggest mobile
operator by subscribers.
Armstrong said the Dulles,
Virginia-based AOL would
be using a new global
platform which would help
determine "what types of
content to produce, when,
how and where it's going."
On the advertising side,
Armstrong said he expects
to see growth in AOL's
display advertising business.
AOL was testing a new ad
platform that will launch
next year that is "very good
at display targeting," he said.
"It will be open to all ad
customers. They can use
credit cards to sign up.

industry lately, with
Motorola and Sony Ericsson
choosing to launch it with
their new top models.
Analysts say the aim is to
gain access to valuable
consumer data that can be
used to sell ads at premium
prices, rather than to make
money from direct hardware
sales, as companies such as
Nokia or Research in Motion
do. Research house IDC
estimates the market share
for Android operating
software rose to 5.4 per cent
from 4.2 per cent in July-
September in Western
Europe, a key market.

But the ministry said
France Telecom had agreed
to find another Egyptian
partner or alliance if Orascom
sold. The deal, if
implemented, could net
Egypt-based Orascom more
than USD 1.6 billion but
would remove it from its
home turf.
An Orascom statement
said Sawiris, who has
previously pledged not to
give up his firm's stake,
"denies he had made any
statements to any TV channel
or newspapers in connection
with the sale of OT's stake in
Mobinil."

du provides
services at
Burj Dubai
The world's tallest building -
Burj Dubai - is now fully covered
with du's enhanced mobile
network coverage, to provide all
residents and visitors with
seamless 2G and 3.75G network
capabilities for an enhanced user
experience. The move is in-line
with du's efforts to expand its
mobile network across major
landmarks in the UAE, and to
cover 99 per cent of residential
areas by the end of 2009, in
addition to offering fixed
network services.
As a result, every Burj Dubai
resident and visitor will benefit
from du's state-of-the-art
ethernet to the home technology;
this enables customers to enjoy a
variety of services including du
IPTV, broadband with 24 Mbps,
voice telephony, Video on
Demand, IP telephony, leased
lines and Multi Protocol Label
Switching (MPLS) among
others.
du's mobile and fibre optics
networks are also available with
the same level of quality in the
surrounding buildings and
hotels in the Downtown Burj
Dubai area, including Souk Al
Bahar, Boulevard Residence, The
Address - Downtown Burj
Dubai, The Palace - The Old
Town hotel, Al Manzil hotel and
The Dubai Mall.

Free download | flare.com.pk International Synopsis

Apple blocks iPhone applications Nokia to sell over 500m

Washington: Bowing to
Chinese law, Apple is
reportedly blocking iPhone
users in China from
downloading applications
about two figures Beijing
considers "separatists": the
Dalai Lama and exiled
Uighur leader Rebiya
Kadeer.
IDG News Service said at
least five iPhone software
programmes related to the
Tibetan spiritual leader are
unavailable in Apple's
China App Store along with
one related to Kadeer. IDG,
publisher of Macworld,
Computerworld, PC World
and other magazines, said
the move would make
Apple the latest US
technology giant to censor
its services in China.
China regularly blocks
access to web sites deemed
sensitive and a number of
US companies, including
Microsoft, Cisco, Google
and Yahoo!, have been
hauled before the US
Congress in recent years and
accused of complicity in
building what has been
called the "Great Firewall of
China."
IDG said Apple lets
software developers choose
the countries where their
products appear but it was
unlikely the Kadeer and
Dalai Lama programme
developers had decided to
make their products
unavailable in China.

phones in 2010
Helsinki: Top cell phone
maker Nokia will sell more
than 500 million handsets this
year, above market
expectations, a senior
company executive told. "In
2010, Nokia will ship over 500
million units across three
platforms, which will be about
40 per cent of the global
market share," Nokia's Mobile
Phone Unit Chief Rick
Simonson said.
In a Reuters poll, analysts'
average forecast was that
Nokia would sell 458 million
phones in 2010, and 424
million in 2009. A Nokia
spokesman said Simonson's
comment was not a new
forecast. "Our last forecast was
given on December 2," he said.
On December 2 Nokia forecast
10 per cent growth in cell
phone market volumes in
2010, while its market share
would remain roughly on par
with 2009.

Telenor ups stake in
Unitech Wireless
New Delhi: Norway's
Telenor has put Rs14.93 billion
(USD 327 million) in its third
round of investment in Indian
telecoms firm Unitech
Wireless, taking its holding to
60.1 per cent. Telenor, which
has agreed to take a total 67.25
per cent stake in Unitech
Wireless that founded by
Indian realty Unitech Ltd, will
complete the remaining
investment through a fourth
and final transaction, it said in
a statement.
"This third investment will,
as the earlier transactions,
provide Uninor with working
capital to fund the roll out of
services across India," Sigve
Brekke, head of Telenor
Group's Asian operations said
in the statement. India's
cabinet in October, which has
allowed the maximum
permissible 74 per cent foreign
holding in Unitech Wireless.
Unitech Wireless launched
mobile phone services in
December under the Uninor
brand and now has operations
in eight of India's 22 telecom
zones. It holds telecom licences
for all of India, and is aiming
for eight per cent of the Indian
mobile market by 2018. India
is currently the world's fastest-
growing and the
second-largest wireless market
with more than 500 million
users.

Iraq signs $445m fibre optic cable deal
Doha: Iraq signed a USD
445 million deal with the
telecommunications
company Gulf Bridge
International to link the
country to the Gulf and
India via a high-speed fibre
optic cable. Announcing the
deal in Qatar, Iraqi Minister
of Telecommunications
Faruq Abdel-Qadir said the
modernisation of Iraq's
communications
infrastructure was at least as
important to the country as
the contracts Iraq recently
signed with international
companies to develop its oil
fields.
The cable would further
improve data links between
Europe and Asia Abdel-
Qadir added that at least
five additional undersea
cables would be needed to approved plans to set up a
meet future bandwidth fourth mobile phone
demands. Abdel-Qadir told network. AsiaCell, Kuwait's
the German Press Agency Zain Group, and Korek
dpa that the IraqiTelecom now hold Iraq's
government was "notthree mobile phone licenses.
satisfied" with the service In May, the Iraqi
offered by the three mobile government fined the
phone companies operating companies for poor service.
in the country. IraqZain was ordered to pay
announced it was in talks USD 18.6 million, Korek
USD 1.2 million and USD
AsiaCell 1.1 million. Ahmed
Mekky, CEO of Gulf Bridge
International, told dpa that
the company is now
studying the possibility
extending the cable to Syria.
"The project will represent a
leap in connecting the Gulf
region with the world," he
with companies for a fourth said. "This is the project's
mobile phone license. main goal."

The cabinet in July

Broadband and ETS the 'keys' to change Microsoft views China

Sydney: Kevin Rudd tied
together two of his most
contentious election promises -
the USD 43 billion national
broadband network and the
emissions trading scheme - by
claiming both were vital to the
effort to tackle climate change.
Speaking at a government-
backed forum on the future of
broadband in Sydney, the
Prime Minister said the rollout
of the NBN would reduce
Australia's carbon emissions
by five per cent. The NBN aims
to connect 90 per cent of the
population to a fibre-to-the-
home network capable of
delivering internet access
speeds of 100 megabits per
second, almost 100 times faster
than today's average.
"Together, the NBN and
Carbon Pollution Reduction
Scheme are critical to
Australia's efforts to address
climate change," Mr Rudd said.
In his first major speech on
the NBN since announcing the
project in April, he described it
as a "historic act of nation-
building" and essential for
Australia to compete on the
global market. Mr Rudd told
the forum, attended by
Communications Minister
Stephen Conroy, the
government would inject USD
26.5 million into projects that
would "stop the rot" in
broadband infrastructure for
rural and regional areas.
"The reality is that
Australia's current broadband
infrastructure is not up to
scratch," he said.
The funding forms part of
the government's USD 60
million digital regions
initiative, announced in the
May budget. The money will
go to seven projects to deliver
better health, education and
emergency services to regional,
rural and remote communities.
More than USD three
million has been allocated to
regional bushfire prevention
and detection schemes using
advanced technologies, while
the biggest allocation of USD
seven million will help 17
remote towns in the Northern
Territory get e-health services,
benefiting about 30,000 mainly
indigenous patients.

as top search market
Shanghai: China is a vital
market for Microsoft's web
search business, as it chases
leaders Baidu Inc and
Google in the world's
biggest internet market, the
world's largest software
maker said. Since launching
its English-language Bing
search site in June, with its Chinese-language
Microsoft has been gaining Bing site, which is still in its
steady share in the United beta phase following a low-
States, with 10.3 per cent in key launched in June.
November versus 17.5 per "Microsoft is committed to
cent for Yahoo! and 65.6 per the China market and the
cent for dominant player search market in China is
Google, according to the most important strategic
comScore. market for Microsoft," the
Microsoft hopes to get company told Reuters.

off to a similar fast start 99