1. Telecommunications in Pakistan
Arun Babu
Helen Ezenwa
Parul Parikh
Ajay Patel

3. Social and Political Review
Population is 138 million
Islamic country
Historical conflict with India over Kashmir
Pakistan partitioned out of India under religious lines in 1947
Currently under military rule

4. Economic Background Pakistan’s GDP is $282 billion
Annual growth of 4.7 %
Major industries: agriculture, textiles and steel
Major trade partners: Japan, US and UK
Pakistan - foreign exchange crisis
loose fiscal policies
increased inflation

5. History of Telecommunication:
T & T :- Ministry of communications
Manages 900,000 lines
Limited financial & operational autonomy

6. History of Telecommunication:
Restructuring & Reforms in the 80’s
T& T an autonomous corporation in formed in 1991
Aimed at limiting the governments role
To induce private sector operations in the market

7. Current Telecom Structure
Microwave radio relay, Co-axial cable & fiber optics.
International communications through intelsat
Three Gateway exchanges

8. Regulatory Environment
Regulated by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority
Pakistan Telecommunication Re-Organization Act in 1996
Tariffs, licenses, type of equipment etc..
Regulates the establishment, operation and maintenance of services
Protect the interests of users
Promote modernization of telecommunication systems

9. Progress of De-regulation
PTC – Joint Stock company
Pakistan Telecommunication (Re-organization) Act, 1996
Incorporated in Jan 1st 1996
Priority item for privatization

10. Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited
A  regulatory body
A monopoly
State-owned company
Installed capacity of 3.74 million lines

11. Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited
Promotes and protects the interests of users
Provides domestic and international telecommunication
Restructuring of PTCL

12. Mobile communications in Pakistan
PTML a subsidiary
Scheduled for launching in Aug 2000
Uses GSM

13. Cellular mobile services
Operated by private sector companies
Paktel: A joint venture between Cable & Wireless of UK and M/s Hassan Associates
Instaphone: A joint venture between Millicom International (Luxembourg) and M/s Arfeen International
Mobilink: Initially a joint venture between Motorola Inc. and M/s Saif Group

14. Introduction of Data Communication Systems
PAKNET: - Public Data Network (PDN)
Three Packet switching exchanges in 3 cities
PAKNET expanded & upgraded in

15. Some Statistics about Telephone services in Pakistan
Total population 138 million people
Telephones per 1000 people 19
Waiting list for phones 3,030,000
Waiting time in years 1.2
Cost of local call per 3/min $.05
Outgoing traffic minutes per subscriber 30
Daily newspaper per 1000 people 21

16. Some Statistics about Telephone services in Pakistan
Radios per 1000 people 92
TV per 1000 people 65
Cable per 1000 people 0.0
Mobile per 1000 people 1
Fax per 1000 people 1.2
PCs per 1000 people 4.5
Internet hosts per 1000 people .15

17. Future Role of Telecommunication
PTCL is a priority item in the list of public sector sectors to be privatized
PTCL has announced a massive restructure program to prepare for losing its monopoly
Nortel to set up a GSM cellular mobile network for PTML
Ministry of communication and NED University to set up a project for technology development in the telecom area

18. Future Role of Telecommunication
High demand in all telecommunication fields: vast potential in smaller towns and rural areas paging service has a market penetration of only 0.02%
Data communications and Internet services are growing very fast. Government is giving numerous incentives to new comers in this field
Internet traffic is substituting traditional PSTN services. Internet likely to be the future platform of choice for voice based traffic in future