Wateen Signs Satellite Bandwidth Contract with Spacecom: ProPakistani

Wateen Signs Satellite Bandwidth Contract with Spacecom
Mobilink Posts 6.5 % Revenue Growth in Q3 2011
NADRA Launches SMS Service for Pakistan Card Verification
PTCL Grabs USF Project for Sukkur Region

Wateen Signs Satellite Bandwidth Contract with Spacecom

Posted: 14 Nov 2011 03:01 AM PST

Wateen Telecom has signed a three-year multi-million dollar agreement with Spacecom International, the world's foremost provider of satellite and telecommunication services.

Under the USD 11.3 million multi-transponder agreement, Wateen will provide Spacecom with Ku-band and C-band satellite bandwidth for Pakistan, as well as the Asian region served by the Asian broadcasting satellites ABS-7 and Intelsat IS-904. The C-band is a name given to certain portions of the electromagnetic spectrum, including wavelengths of microwaves that are used for long-distance radio telecommunications.

The C-band is primarily used for open satellite communications, whether for full-time satellite TV networks or raw satellite feeds. Ku band is primarily used for fixed and broadcast services over satellite. Ku band satellites are used for backhauls and particularly for satellite from remote locations back to a television network’s studio for editing and broadcasting.

The agreement brings great value to Wateen as it will enable the telecoms giant to provide a variety of telecommunications services, including GSM backhauling, high-speed Internet, news gathering, disaster recovery and data connectivity to regions where no other connectivity media is available.

Wateen Telecom is Pakistan's largest satellite bandwidth reseller and a satellite systems integrator of world-renowned equipment manufacturers such as Comtech EF Data, STM Networks, I-Direct, Vertix and Cisco. Wateen's satellite services division provides end-to-end solutions for VSAT equipment, satellite bandwidth, network optimization and customization tools to all of the country's leading telecom operators, financial institutions, media broadcasting companies and SMEs.

Arrangements are being made by Wateen to get the maximum level of coverage all over Pakistan and its neighboring countries to empowers GSM operators , financial institutes , media broadcasting companies and other SME's for their daily operations. Agreements contain leasing of Ku and C-band transponders with both fixed and steerable beams.

Commenting on the new venture, Wateen CEO Naeem Zamindar said, "We are excited about offering end-to-end connectivity to customers who rely on satellite technology for uninterrupted, high-quality service in areas where the terrain may prevent deployment of a fiber optic network. We found Spacecom to be best suited for our region as it offers the capabilities to meet the ever-evolving needs of a market with space capacity limitations."

Mobilink Posts 6.5 % Revenue Growth in Q3 2011

Posted: 14 Nov 2011 02:50 AM PST

Mobilink has reported total revenues of Rs. 24.45 billion in third quarter of ongoing fiscal year; up from Rs. 22.95 billion during the same period last year translating into YoY growth of 6.5 percent, said financial stats released by VimpelCom and Orascom Telecom.

On other hands company's capex increased 67 percent during the quarter from Rs. 2.810 billion in Q3 2010 to Rs. 4.72 billion in Q3 2011.

Stats said that Mobilink's showed 11% EBITDA growth and EBITDA margin at 41.3 percent during the reported period.

Mobilink's average revenue per user during third quarter for fiscal year 2011 stood still at Rs. 235.6, while each Mobilink customer consumed 197 air time minutes on average per month.

Financial stats said that Mobilink's customer churn rate remained 8.8 percent during the quarter.

At the end of quarter Mobilink had 33,416,969 customers up 6.3 percent from 31,444,099 in Q3 2010.

NADRA Launches SMS Service for Pakistan Card Verification

Posted: 13 Nov 2011 10:13 PM PST

Read this post in Urdu

National Database & Registration Authority (NADRA) has launched a mobile SMS service in collaboration with Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and all operating telecom companies to determine a person's existence in the beneficiary list for Pakistan Card project to facilitate the rain affected people in checking the status of their requests.

Deputy Chairman NADRA, Tariq Malik, stated this in a statement issued by NADRA.

He said out of 62 total 47 centers of National Database & Registration Authority (NADRA) are operational in six districts i.e. Badin, Tando Mohammad Khan, Shaheed Benazirabad Mirpurkhas, Tando Allahyar and Sanghar whereas other 15 centers on completing its task are now addressing the complaints from genuine beneficiaries, who were unable to get registration for Pakistan Cards.

He pointed out that throughout the process, NADRA ensured strong checks in the software so that only deserving families belonging to provincially notified calamity hit areas could obtain Pakistan Cards.

Tariq Malik informed that NADRA has so far issued 592,651 Pakistan Cards in totality to heads of the rain-affected families in Sindh. 105,455 Pakistan cards in Mirpurkhas, 240,227 in Badin, 79,946 in Tando Mohammad Khan and 156,324 in Shaheed Benazirabad (Nawabshah), 8011 in Tando Allahyar and 2684 in Sanghar have been issued to the heads of the families.

How to Verify Pakistan Card

Simply send CNIC number to 9777. In response, a text message will be sent from NADRA confirming CNIC existence in the beneficiary list.

NADRA, in addition to setting up centers, has also mobilized its mobile resources MRVs (Mobile Registration Vans) to process CNIC free of cost in all affected areas in coordination with the public representatives and district administrators, he added.

He said that NADRA has also issued 77,833 free of cost CNICs so far among the flood/ rain-hit victims.

PTCL Grabs USF Project for Sukkur Region

Posted: 13 Nov 2011 09:40 PM PST

Pakistan Telecommunications Company Limited (PTCL) has won yet another Universal Service Fund (USF) project for installation and provision of broadband services in the whole of Sukkur region in Sindh province.

"PTCL is committed to the Government of Pakistan's vision for bridging the digital divide and creating an expansive growth of broadband in Pakistan," said PTCL Senior Executive Vice President Corporate Development, Sikandar Naqi.

We are at the forefront of bringing modern Information & Communications Technology services to the people of un-served and under-served areas of our country, he added.

Through PTCL's high quality broadband services, we want to ensure easy access to information and spread of education in all segments of society, said Naqi.

"For this purpose, we will deploy 39,000 broadband ports through both wireless and wire-line media," informed PTCL General Manager Regulatory Affairs, Muhammad Amer Shafique.