12 million internet surfers in Pakistan
ISLAMABAD: December 19, 2006: Internet usage in the country has witnessed a tremendous increase during the last couple of years with its users reaching a record number of 12 million.
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) which were concentrating in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad have now extended their services in other cities as well and this service is currently available in more than 2389 cities and towns in Pakistan.
According to Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), the prices of Personal Computers (PCs) have seen substantial decrease and now more people have PCs at their homes.
Therefore, cheaply available internet cards are used by the people to connect to the Internet at their residences etc. Internet cards are available as low as Rs 2.5 per hour, however, the Internet speed is still the point of concern for the users. This trend of using Internet cards has also slowed down the growth of net cafes in the major cities.
On the other hand, the growth of broadband services remained slow due to high tariffs, less awareness among the consumers and few service providers.
To facilitate the growth of broadband services, PTA took the major initiatives by allowing all ISPs to provide the broadband services. Government announced Broadband Policy to help spread an affordable and high speed Internet, and encourage private sector investment in local content and broadband services. The policy set a target of 500,000 broadband users within five years.
However, the broadband penetration in the country could not show the required growth and there are almost 56,611 broadband subscribers (DSL), cable and wireless) in the country. Among these, 26,611 are DSL subscribers mainly provided by 13 major ISPs. The DSL services are limited to the major cities and provincial headquarters.
Worldcall is the only major cable operator providing broadband services in Pakistan. Few other cable operators are also providing broadband services and during the last few months, they have started their enhanced consumer awareness campaigns.
Some of the corporate customers in Pakistan are also using satellite broadband services which have very high tariffs and are mostly used by the customers which cannot avail other modes.
The PTA has been in continuous consultation with the industry to ensure that all regulatory measures are in place to enable broadband proliferation. Some issues have emerged as major impediments in the way of broadband growth in the country. Firstly, the quality of copper in Pakistan is not good and some parts of the cooper are really in bad shape. DSL connections are delayed due to faulty distribution poles and cabinets, and difficulties in sharing Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) resources like cables and ducts. Secondly, there are issues related to PTCL's local loop unbundling, transmission media, collocations, and Optic Fiber Access Network (OFAN) from PTCL.
Thirdly, line rent on DSL connection charged by PTCL was also considered an extra burden. Fourthly, there is lack of awareness among the consumers about the benefits of broadband services in terms of avoiding call charges, time saving and convenience.
Fifthly and more importantly, PTCL has the monopoly in the provision of bandwidth in Pakistan. PTCL's prices of IPLC and IP are quite high and these make a major portion of total cost of service providers.
Lastly, broadband tariffs in Pakistan are quite high and not affordable for lower income groups.
As mentioned earlier, lack of infrastructure and high broadband tariffs are considered as the major bottlenecks for the low proliferation of broadband in Pakistan. Regulator and the government are striving to overcome these problems.
PTA is continuously working to reduce the broadband tariffs through reduction in bandwidth rates and eliminating other hurdles in the way of high broadband proliferation. Furthermore, three companies Multinet, Wateen and Worldcall are deploying optical fiber networks throughout Pakistan that would help broadband growth in Pakistan.
In addition to existing SEA-ME-WE-3, two more under sea cables have been laid in Pakistan to secure international connectivity. Worldcall is introducing Wimax for warless broadband.
Keeping in view the possible reductions of bandwidth rates, removal of other hurdles and the infrastructure build-up by the companies, it is expected that the broadband services in the country would be available widely and at affordable price in the coming years.
http://www.brecorder.com/index.php?currMIndex=00&currPageNo=1
ISLAMABAD: December 19, 2006: Internet usage in the country has witnessed a tremendous increase during the last couple of years with its users reaching a record number of 12 million.
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) which were concentrating in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad have now extended their services in other cities as well and this service is currently available in more than 2389 cities and towns in Pakistan.
According to Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), the prices of Personal Computers (PCs) have seen substantial decrease and now more people have PCs at their homes.
Therefore, cheaply available internet cards are used by the people to connect to the Internet at their residences etc. Internet cards are available as low as Rs 2.5 per hour, however, the Internet speed is still the point of concern for the users. This trend of using Internet cards has also slowed down the growth of net cafes in the major cities.
On the other hand, the growth of broadband services remained slow due to high tariffs, less awareness among the consumers and few service providers.
To facilitate the growth of broadband services, PTA took the major initiatives by allowing all ISPs to provide the broadband services. Government announced Broadband Policy to help spread an affordable and high speed Internet, and encourage private sector investment in local content and broadband services. The policy set a target of 500,000 broadband users within five years.
However, the broadband penetration in the country could not show the required growth and there are almost 56,611 broadband subscribers (DSL), cable and wireless) in the country. Among these, 26,611 are DSL subscribers mainly provided by 13 major ISPs. The DSL services are limited to the major cities and provincial headquarters.
Worldcall is the only major cable operator providing broadband services in Pakistan. Few other cable operators are also providing broadband services and during the last few months, they have started their enhanced consumer awareness campaigns.
Some of the corporate customers in Pakistan are also using satellite broadband services which have very high tariffs and are mostly used by the customers which cannot avail other modes.
The PTA has been in continuous consultation with the industry to ensure that all regulatory measures are in place to enable broadband proliferation. Some issues have emerged as major impediments in the way of broadband growth in the country. Firstly, the quality of copper in Pakistan is not good and some parts of the cooper are really in bad shape. DSL connections are delayed due to faulty distribution poles and cabinets, and difficulties in sharing Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) resources like cables and ducts. Secondly, there are issues related to PTCL's local loop unbundling, transmission media, collocations, and Optic Fiber Access Network (OFAN) from PTCL.
Thirdly, line rent on DSL connection charged by PTCL was also considered an extra burden. Fourthly, there is lack of awareness among the consumers about the benefits of broadband services in terms of avoiding call charges, time saving and convenience.
Fifthly and more importantly, PTCL has the monopoly in the provision of bandwidth in Pakistan. PTCL's prices of IPLC and IP are quite high and these make a major portion of total cost of service providers.
Lastly, broadband tariffs in Pakistan are quite high and not affordable for lower income groups.
As mentioned earlier, lack of infrastructure and high broadband tariffs are considered as the major bottlenecks for the low proliferation of broadband in Pakistan. Regulator and the government are striving to overcome these problems.
PTA is continuously working to reduce the broadband tariffs through reduction in bandwidth rates and eliminating other hurdles in the way of high broadband proliferation. Furthermore, three companies Multinet, Wateen and Worldcall are deploying optical fiber networks throughout Pakistan that would help broadband growth in Pakistan.
In addition to existing SEA-ME-WE-3, two more under sea cables have been laid in Pakistan to secure international connectivity. Worldcall is introducing Wimax for warless broadband.
Keeping in view the possible reductions of bandwidth rates, removal of other hurdles and the infrastructure build-up by the companies, it is expected that the broadband services in the country would be available widely and at affordable price in the coming years.
http://www.brecorder.com/index.php?currMIndex=00&currPageNo=1
