Pakistan's 3G 4G New Subscriptions Accelerate in September 2015
Monthly new subscriptions of 3G and 4G in Pakistan doubled to 2.22 million in September 2015, up from 1.1 million new subscribers in August 2015. This brings the total number of mobile broadband subscribers to 18.04 million and total of all broadband subscriptions to 21.2 million since 3G-4G launch in May 2014, according to the latest data released by Pakistan Telecommunications Authority.
Increasing use of the Internet is now being put to good use to deal with the tragic aftermath of the the earthquake in Pakistan. Facebook and Google have set up special pages to help people find each other.
Demand for smartphones is also accelerating in Pakistan along with the rise in mobile broadband subscriptions. Forecasters estimate the number of smartphone sales to increase to 40 million by next year.
Overall, 3G and 4G subscriptions in Pakistan jumped 14.43 % during September 2015, the highest sequential monthly increase in the past six months. Among the carriers, Mobilink topped with 878,107 new mobile broadband customers, followed by Ufone with 637,131 new 3G users during September 2015. Telenor is number 3 with 393,969 new 3G users during the month.
Coming on the heels of data indicating 72% jump in car sales and 17% rise in cement consumption, this data on 2.22 million new mobile broadband subscriptions in September is yet another confirmation of Pakistan's ongoing economic recovery.
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Pakistan Car Sales Jump 72%; Cement Consumption Up 17%
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| Mobile Broadband Subscriptions in Pakistan Source: PTA |
Increasing use of the Internet is now being put to good use to deal with the tragic aftermath of the the earthquake in Pakistan. Facebook and Google have set up special pages to help people find each other.
Demand for smartphones is also accelerating in Pakistan along with the rise in mobile broadband subscriptions. Forecasters estimate the number of smartphone sales to increase to 40 million by next year.
Overall, 3G and 4G subscriptions in Pakistan jumped 14.43 % during September 2015, the highest sequential monthly increase in the past six months. Among the carriers, Mobilink topped with 878,107 new mobile broadband customers, followed by Ufone with 637,131 new 3G users during September 2015. Telenor is number 3 with 393,969 new 3G users during the month.
Coming on the heels of data indicating 72% jump in car sales and 17% rise in cement consumption, this data on 2.22 million new mobile broadband subscriptions in September is yet another confirmation of Pakistan's ongoing economic recovery.
Related Links:
Haq's Musings
Pakistan Car Sales Jump 72%; Cement Consumption Up 17%
iPhone 6 and 6S Launched in Pakistan
Pakistan Government Deploys Mobile Apps
E-Commerce Taking Off in Pakistan
Haier Pakistan to Manufacture Smartphones
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The country now has 18 million 3G and 4G users after adding 2.24 million in September – its fastest growth in six months, according to the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA).
The growth comes despite the government doubling the sales tax on various categories of imported mobile handsets in June to PKR300-1,000 ($3-$10) from PKR150-500 ($1.50-$5.00). It also introduced a 19.5 per cent sales tax on internet usage earlier in the year.
Market leader Mobilink added 1.25 million 3G users in Q3, while number 2 Telenor picked up 1.32 million. Zong, owned by China Mobile, saw its 3G and 4G connections expand by 968,000, and Ufone (run by state-owned PTCL) added 948,000 3G users, PTA reported.
Competition has intensified in the 3G market over the past year, with Telenor taking a 31 per cent share in Q3, followed by Mobilink with a 28 per cent share, Zong (19 per cent) and Ufone (18 per cent), ProPakistani said. A year ago Telenor had just a 13.5 per cent share of the 3G market.
The four operators had a 90 per cent market share at the end of September, according to GSMA Intelligence. 3G and 4G connections represent 13 per cent of the country’s 138 million mobile connections
Zong launched 4G service less than a year ago and had 194,000 connections in Q3, while Warid Telecom, with an 8.5 per cent market share, had 160,000 4G users.
http://www.mobileworldlive.com/asia/asia-news/pakistans-3g4g-users-jump-33-in-q3/
Today, Uber’s career page points to a few interesting vacancies, which would suggest they’re set to enter Pakistan. The online taxi behemoth is looking for a “general manager”, “operations and logistics manager”, and a “marketing manager,” for Lahore, the country’s second-largest city. When, or if, it will arrive is still not 100 percent clear, but this is a promising sign.
I’ve argued before about how Pakistan’s growth trajectory seems to suggest it’s a market ripe for disruption in the online taxi hailing space. Macroeconomic conditions aren’t very different to those of India, where Uber recently announced plans to invest US$1 billion in an effort to wrest control. And this is a market generally exploding all over Asia, with three unicorns in China alone.
Pakistan, with an estimated population of 200 million, is a market largely untapped when it comes to taxi apps. There have been efforts in the past, with Rocket Internet-backed EasyTaxi as well as homegrown startups such as Savaaree, but they’ve largely failed to make enough of a dent. However, with explosive growth of high-speed internet and Uber’s demonstrated willingness to tweak its model for accepting cash payments, there seems to be no reason why a concerted effort won’t work in Pakistan.
The total broadband subscribers including for 3G and 4G services have crossed around the 23.6 million mark in the country, registering a reasonable growth rate with each passing month.
As per latest market figures, the 3G and 4G subscribers also reached 20.6 million by November this year.
In September this year, highest growth rate of 14.43% was by cellular companies, which have added 2.35 million 3G/4G subscribers.
A senior PTA official on Friday revealed the number of broadband subscribers in other technologies are DSL 1,563,321 users, HFC 43,929 users, Wimax 245,284 users, FTTH 20,549 users, EvDo 1,273,184 users and others 6,160 users.
Experts of telecom industry are having a viewpoint that portable mobile broadband devices like MiFi and Wingles are one of the main reasons of this growth in 3G/4G subscribers and many more will follow this trend in upcoming days.
In the context of upcoming 3G/4G auctions for Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) regions, these stats are really encouraging for the mobile phone companies that depict the increasing demand of these technologies across the country.
Meanwhile, the country’s largest mobile phone operator, Mobilink, has overtaken its competitors to become the number one 3G player after official figures were released by Pakistan Telecom Authority (PTA).
Mobilink crossed the six million 3G subscribers mark during the 4th quarter of 2015. Mobilink Marketing Vice President Asif Aziz said key to this leading position is consistent investment to further innovate on behalf of subscribers by delivering not just the best 3G and voice network, but also improvements in customer service, and product lines.
He said to support its 3G services, Mobilink has in place a robust fibre optic infrastructure that expands to over 6,000 kilometres coupled with the latest technology, state-of-the-art equipment and a
well versed team of professionals.
Its 3G network connects millions of people every day who use their smartphones for education, businesses, communication, entertainment, E-learning and most importantly enjoy ready access to internet on the go for easy access to knowledge.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/business/12-Dec-2015/broadband-subscribers-cross-23-6-million-mark-in-pakistan
http://www.brecorder.com/pakistan/business-a-economy/292097-share-of-smartphones-in-devices-import-touches-30pc-mark.html
Smartphones have registered around 30 percent share in overall cellular mobile devices imported in the country during last year which was only 7 percent in 2012.
In next two years, smartphones are expected to cross 55% of mobile phone imports in Pakistan as their adoption is expected to grow further due to expanding 3G and 4G networks.
A report issued by Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) revealed that smartphone has become a major source for innovation and new age of enhanced mobile phone use in personal life.
With introduction of larger screen-sizes, consumers are finding smartphones a convenient way to complete many activities what they used to do manually or through desktops.
Therefore, larger screen phones are an accelerator for increasing adoption o smartphone.
Companies are developing their mobile websites, which will further enhance consumer experience on smartphones.
Greater functionality, rich features and enhanced interfaces make the consumer experience on smartphones much more attractive than the features available on a desktop.
The report said share of internet activities through smartphones will grow in near future.Smartphones are more convenient to use and the younger generation has quickly adapted to use of smartphones.
The fall in smartphone prices and mobile data cost has also increased the adoption of smartphones in developing countries.
According to GSMA Intelligence data forecast, global smartphone adoption is expected to increase massively in coming years particularly in developing markets.Smartphone penetration in Asia- Pacific region has reached around 40 % in 2014, and forecast is that this will rise to 65 % by 2020.
Similarly, worldwide smartphone penetration was 50%, which is expected to increase to over 73% by 2020.
Availability of next generation mobile services after the auction of 3G and 4G spectrum in Pakistan in April 2014 has rapidly increased the adoption of smartphone in the society.During 2015, 123 percent increase in smartphone shipment to Pakistan.
Cellular mobile operators have also collaborated with smartphone manufacturers to promote smartphone usage in Pakistan.Companies have also started developing mobile apps and mobile websites keeping in view the fast adoption of smartphones in the country, which will increase the smartphone usage in future.