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General
When a 19th century romantic French writer by the name of Victor Hugo said “Nothing is as powerful as an idea whose time has come” he obviously could not envision Pakistani bureaucracy. Not only can it reduce an idea to nothing more than its meager skeletal remains squirming in its own vile, it too often does.
Come 2004, the IT bubble is about to burst in a military run, democratic, American influenced politically independent subcontinent country by the name of Pakistan. It is here in our story that along comes an idea. It is a simple idea yet revolutionary in every way, the idea to prepare this country for the…
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Events General
The past whole week I was really excited about going to the exhibition on 5th and 6th at expo center Lahore since the theme read “home expo and super car expo”. I was counting on seeing some innovative home solutions, fancy cars and a lot of appliances for both. As I entered the arena, an ear piercing heavy bike engine race greeted me. Oh wow nice, we have bikes here too… and lots of them, but let’s see if we have the actual products that are expected.
First cars!! Honda Launched its new City Aspire at the event. This attracted a lot of young crowd who wanted to check it…
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General
NOTE: This is a sponsored post
Football. The most popular sport in the world. That may be hard to believe, we being a die-hard cricket nation, but there are many amongst us who get their blood pumping whenever our favorite team kicks some balls (pun intended). There’s excitement in the air, and the airwaves for that matter, when Spanish rivals Real Madrid and Barcelona are about to have a face-off on the field. Manchester United or Chelsea? The answer could incite either jeers or cheers, depending on who you’re surrounded by. It feels like you belong to an exclusive club really, not to mention how convenient it is to…
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Coffee Session General
There are two main things that are currently causing out growth in ICT to stall. One is the lack of original ideas, so most of the entrepreneurs either copy what is already around internationally or locally (same ideas of online shopping, online bidding) we still have not hit the jackpot with someone creating some thing like instagram or drawsomething and being acquired by one of the big names.
The second issue always lamented by entrepreneurs is lack of any funding sources in Pakistan. Over the years we have seen efforts being made to create funds which would help but what ended happening that most of these funds either did…
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Coffee Session General
We all know about the 7 layers of the OSI model. This is the framework by which computer networks are defined. Starting with the physical layer, going through the transport layer and finally culminating in the application layer where end user applications reside. I believe that this should be redefined to include and additional layer – the Social Layer. From the current vantage point, the Social Layer lies right above the Application layer – hence it is served by the Application layer.
The 90s witnessed a boom in what is now referred to as web 1.0. This consisted of static applications hosted over the web. Static applications meant that…
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General Mobile Apps Software & I.T.
Pakistani IT industry has been progressing rapidly over the last few years. It is heartening to see that the industry players are innovating and working in different areas to establish their expertise.
Recently, TenPearls, one of the leading IT companies of Pakistan, launched “Carumba!”, a 3D car racing game for iPhone and iPad. Carumba! has been designed and developed by TenPearls’ innovation labs. Launched as a free game, Carumba! allows users to earn coins during the race, and redeem them to unlock other cars and tracks or to get additional nitro boosts. It has also been integrated with Apple’s Game Center.
The game has received very good response from…
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Events General
‘Rethinking Pakistan’ [and my expression goes LOL and I will explain why] was the theme of the conference which took place at margalla hills Islamabad on March 31st 2011 organized by TEDx, lets just summarize here what TEDx is; before we further dig into the “theme” and happenings of this conference.
TED (Technology, Entertainment and Design) and ’x’ denotes the independently organized events under the TED umbrella, mission is “Ideas worth spreading” and this events basically brings together individuals, communities and organizations with the opportunity to excite dialogue through TED-like experiences at the local level (geographically). The programs combine live presenters, performers and pre-recorded talks from some of the most brilliant…
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Announcements Events General
ICT R&D Fund aims to provide graduating students a chance to really make their final projects counts. I have always felt that students in their final year some times product excellent products which due to lack of any infrastructure and proper guidance plus funding just go in the Universities Libraries.
Seems ICT R & D fund is giving these students a chance to take their projects to the next level by acquiring funding, if you are a final year student doing a project all you need is to get this form filled and submitted through your head of department .
Last date for submission for forms is 31st…
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Coffee Session General
I wanted to discuss the Thiel Fellowship and sort of run the idea among our readership to figure out if it was justified or not. Bay Area hedge fund manager Peter Thiel started a Fellowship program in his name about a year ago trying to capitalize not on start ups, but the smart kids who may actually come up with the next billion dollar idea.
Let there be no mistake. Innovation solves problems. Bankers, lawyers and hot shot executives are good for only one thing: managing an existing infrastructure. It is the innovators who turn existing ideas on to their heads and enable breakthroughs. Considering the point above, it…
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Wi-Tribe is a joint venture between Qatar Telecom and A.A. Turki Corporation for Trading and Contracting (ATCO), which is offering Clearwire’s wimax technology and services to Jordan and (soon) to Pakistan.
They are hiring very heavily for their PK operations right now, which tells me go-live is probably another 6 months away if not more, but lets see what they can bring to our fledgling wimax market.
9:23 pm
Another Wateen?
10:12 pm
could be a competitor of Wateen & Mobilink wimax in future – lets c their strategy to capture the market as they r hopefully launching the services before the end of this year.
7:07 am
well i think wimax is a very expensive technology.. until and unless the packages are near to what ptcl/worldcall/linkdonet are providing … these companies will end up no where…
lets hope for the best…
8:50 am
Well to be honest I am not sure what goodness will this new company bring except for that part that I like their logo at least!
Wimax by Wateen has been a total slap in the face of all the enthusiasts (including myself) and now lets see what does this company do!
9:50 am
Any scene of 3G in Pakistan?
9:53 am
nope no 3g..any idea where and how many cities they are goin to launch in?
10:06 am
Recently I got an email from Brightspyre for openings at Wi-tribe that states like this:
“In 2007, wi-tribe limited acquired a local telecom operator in Pakistan in line with its objective of becoming a top broadband player in the region. wi-tribe Pakistan limited will start state-of-the-art wireless broadband services in Pakistan by end of 2008.
wi-tribe Pakistan’s objective is to provide cutting edge broadband technology to the Pakistani market which is still looking for an internet service which can meet its quality expectations. Till the end of 2007, broadband penetration was very low in Pakistan due to lack of awareness, affordability, availability, and quality issues. wi-tribe Pakistan will provide this untapped market with superior quality, value additions, and excellent customer service.”
And Job openings for some 40 Job title’s were advertised below mostly in Islamabad and some in all 3 places Lahore, Isloo and Karachi. I think with this massive hiring they will be starting from big cities and will go to all over Pakistan.
I hope it replaces wateen (sorry yateem
) with some quality wi-max 
.
Cheers!
10:44 am
Witribe is a Wimax Operator aiming for the Fixed Wireless Market. Currently 4 cities are planned, Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad and Rawalpindi, with most of the sites coming up in Karachi (not covering the whole city). Currently they are aiming for coverage and their standard is pretty amazing considering other WiMAX operators.
My personal experience suggests that it will offer extremely good service, which would probably be by the end of 2008 or the start of 2009.
If I was you, I won’t hold my breath
12:48 pm
Spark – thats what everyone was saying about Wateen … that “their experience” was that it would be extremely good etc etc.
I think over time either we’ve become cynical or stopped believing hype.
I’ll see when it launches, which is still a while away
1:00 pm
‘my experience’ of working with a ‘Wi-Tribe’ vendor suggests that Wi-Tribe has done its homework, unlike Wateen, and knows what it is getting into!! Plus, the QOS it is trying to achieve are pretty nice
So I say ‘be positive’
but yes ‘expecting too much’ from a new company is never a good idea!!
6:32 pm
Sure Spark but what I meant was that Wateen vendors were saying the same thing before its launch…?
2Mbps internet at Rs.400 was what they claimed. High QoS they claimed. Completely reshape the future of the telecom industry they claimed. The future is green they claimed…. well that part was right.
I’m not suggesting malintent or hyperbole – just that every company starts off with the noblest of goals – priorities change over time after deadlines slip.
9:50 pm
They are going for the same vendor (Motorolla) as Wateen, Don’t think the result will be any different unless the vendor produces some improvements in their product.
10:21 pm
Osama you have to realize that WiMAX is a new technology and it is in its evolutionary state… The technology would become better as the system matures and looking at the way things are coming up I’m sure that WiMAX systems would become better and offer reliable services in near future.
hopefully by the end of 08 we’ll see better HDR networks with reliable products!!
@Farrukh
Wateen Deployed products which were WiMAX wave1 supported, Burraq’s deployment would support WiMAX wave2 supported equipment. This means better results, WiMAX forum says that…
plus Motorola is the best Wimax Vendor out there, no other vendors gives the results and the variety of products even close to what Motorola offers…
I say ‘wait and see’ is the best strategy!
11:59 pm
well they came with high investment & expectations and in order to survive in pakistani market, they have to provide quality services otherwise their name would be replaced as run-tribe; in addition to an intreting name given to wateen as yateem
They are currently hiring through http://www.brightspyre.com and newspaper ads-
10:52 pm
Well Spark,
I disagree with you as far as quality of Motorolla Wimax product series is concerned. Search the market you will find a lot better, fully featured WiMAX products. I can name a few:
Redline
Aperto
Airspan
You can compare the specs by yourself, by no means there product is best; in fact its the support they provide as a vendor for the operator which makes them the ultimate choice. Take the analogy of Microsoft compared to Linux, you will understand what I mean.
6:37 am
It is my understanding that they will be using Airspan’s products for this rollout, not Clearwire’s. Take a look at their website and you will see the Airspan PR.
10:22 am
Farrukh,
Quality and being fully loaded with features are two separate things. I have used redline’s products as well and they aren’t as good as they look on their spec sheets. Field testing would confirm this. I haven’t used Aperto or Airspan’s Wimax products but I think that they would be comparable.
I agree with you on the services part thou, Motorola’s Support infrastructure is much better as compared to the other three.
11:36 am
Spark,
You are certainly right that wi-tribe has done its homework. What I have heard from the market is that wi-tribe is doing a much better network planning with a good QoS. They are very focused and want to deliver a service they promise to their customers.
Recently, Clearwire, Sprint, Google, and Intel formed a new joint venture worth $14.5 billion to expand Wimax operations in USA and Europe. With such big names investing in Wimax, the future for Wimax is very bright. Clearwire has already launched Wimax services in USA, Mexico, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Spain, Poland and Romania. The following link talks about the new Wimax venture:
http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,145585-page,1-c,mobilebroadband/article.html
11:18 pm
Spark,
Its nice to hear you have tested Redline, you must have been impressed by its strong PHY-Layer, which to me stands out as best even better than Aperto, which offers awesome amount of features within a single CPE.
But the point is we are not comparing products over here, Its not our job anyway, its the operators choice after all.
But the point is, its the early bad image put by Wateen in deploying Wimax thats causing these performance concerns. Motorola people seems to have upgraded their old Canopy (FWA) and sold it to Wateen, and fooled people with Wimax when their wimax product was probably not ready.
Even till this time they are finalizing their product by removing bugs, what will people have to do with QUALITY if the technology doesn’t offer the features it promises to?
6:38 pm
I beleive the real war is of content not for who would lay the intfrastructure to carry it..
But I m exited to see the consistant intreset of foreign investors in Pakistan even though we r lacking political and economical stability.
Mohsin J.
http://www.zumbeel.net
3:53 pm
umm is Green and White at all aware abt Mobilink Infinity?Osama u are supposed to be on top of things here?how come no review or ne thing?
11:07 pm
Rashad – I wrote about it recently.
http://telecompk.net/2008/07/02/mobilink-infinity-arrives-initial-offering-in-karachi/
11:58 pm
I hope if they start the service in Kasur City.
9:14 am
I hope the competition between Wateen and Witribe would bring cost down a bit
2:26 pm
If WiMAX is here to stay then cost has to go down.. no other option i m afraid..
1:08 pm
well i used CLEARWIRE services in Ireland (Clearwire is a partner company wo WITRIBE) clear wire is shit.. am telling you..
1:41 am
Share the Job Openings with us
see if we are eligible for it?
10:14 am
@Madiha- They have advertised their jobs on news paper and BrightSpyre (around 90 positions) http://brightspyre.com/opening – but i think you are bit late now because jobs are already been expired.
but you can visit their website career section, they still hav listed the same jobs, give a try.. n best of luck
http://wi-tribe.pk/careers.php?PHPSESSID=9fca088c72b9ea4749026d9834b4636d
5:24 pm
Wimax market in pakistan is expected to get more saturated in the near future. No doubt ‘Wateen’ has left a negative mark in customer’s mind; that’s the reason no one is expecting too big out of it. But i hope, after addition of more operators like Mobilink (expected to launch next month), Wi-tribe and UK-based company Augere (that took over Tele-card). This would sum up more competition and surely will lower down the tarriff to a great deal.
For 3G in Pakistan, PTA will launch 3G license (hopefully) by this year end. I can see a couple of 3G networks operational by end of 2009 and customers enjoying IMS services even before that! In short, Paki-telecom market is going no where for another 3 years, atleast!!
12:21 pm
There are too many CDMA operators in Paksiatn and i wonder why these operators are not offering broadband services through EVDO. I think it would be more effecient and cost effective solution to provide broadband services with minimal additional cost instead of going for Wi-Max.
I am working with subsidiary of Etisalat in Sudan and have launched broadband services by using our existing CDMA network resources with simple up-gradation with downlink speed of 3.1mbps and uplink 1.8mbps. We are market leader in broadband sector.The price for unlimited usage package is arround USD 40 per month.
The cost of operation in Sudan is quite high and i believe that these CDMA operators can offer the same services in Pakistan with price tag of USD 15 per month.
2:39 pm
Just wait till launch of witribe…. u will see the huge service difference between mobilink, wateen and witribe
12:38 pm
Positive Blogging! Share Your Opinions, Don’t Pull Your Roots
I have witnessed several bloggers putting down the wimax culture in Pakistan, whether its being provided by Wateen or Mobilink, they all hate it and are constantly campaigning to abolish latest marketing, business and innovative trends from Pakistan.
Well, I know wimax is a very expensive service and not everyone is able to afford it, but it is an innovative application, people. It needs to flourish cause it holds numerous advantages for us.
I’m currently looking for some technical problems that anyone of you has faced while using wimax services. I’m currently using Wateen’s broadband and telephony and I do not have any issues with the availability or any other thing. I strongly agree with the awful service experience in the past but I seem to have a lot better service after upgrading my CPE firmware. Why? Because I researched and solved this issue.
I have been browsing internet and collecting information about wimax culture, its future and troubleshooting its complicated problems. Believe me, the results are astonishing as well as shocking. Even in developed countries like UK, US and Australia, wimax is suffering from a hard time, regarding its service problems. They are certainly better than us in technology and many other things, except a few morals, but they too are having problems in establishing this service.
If you browse through their blogs, you will always find a technical problem faced, the reasons, troubleshooting tips, their own opinions and several worthy things, which are helpful for a service provider. Why don’t you guys go for some positive criticism, your opinions and suggestion? If Wimax culture is really having problems in Pakistan, we should play our cards right. It might help ISPs to locate the problems and ensure provision in specific localities, where there really are problems and people who do not understand terms such as Firmware, upgradation and even the ISPs. What do you say guys?
Lets start a discussion, which details the advantages that we can have using wimax, (except the simple home internet). Detailing all the positive aspects and its problems, we can get a very prominent benefit of online media. We can certainly succeed in spreading the proper information that needs to be known. We are the consumers and we know better how these services can bring ease in our lives. So, What do you say?
10:18 am
well…. much nice technology has been introducd in pakistan. i think so if MOTOROLA ll deploy that technology then we can say that it is a big competitor of WATEEN
9:29 pm
Hey, anyone heared about Worldcall EvDO. I was involved in their Friendly User Trial. Its quite good!
4:43 pm
Just wait till launch of witribe…. u will see the huge service difference between mobilink, wateen and witribe
thanx
5:34 pm
When is witribe launching ?
5:12 am
Can anyone inform what are the frequencies being used by witribe, wateen and mobilink for their WiMAX service? Also, how much they paid for their spectrum?
Thanks.
7:00 pm
It’s interesting to see all the speculations on Wimax in Pakistan. Customers don’t care about technology, they care about service reliability, price and customer support. Wateen’s lost it’s leadership in 2/2007 when Tariq Qureshi (TQ) the guru of Wimax who created the concept of Wateen, Wimax and how services will be launched. He came from USA specifically for Wateen. I heard him on seminars and at University platforms, and he was really dedicated. He was hired by PTCL and launched he launched PTCL’s Broadband Pakistan and Vfone and was launching the EVDO too. He went back to USA in April this year. So as far as Wateen is concerned they can only blame themselves for the immature way they handled a perfect technology.
Next is Mobilink, they have learnt the lesson from Wateen, and will tell their clients where the coverage is and where there is not, so that there are no bad expectations.
New players Witribe is using Motorola and the new player Augere has hired Motorola guy to be the CEO in Pakistan. So they will go the same route. Good part is that competition between four players will kill at least one, and in all likelihood it will be Wateen as it has earned a very bad name with it’s immature launch. Mobilink linkdotnet will tap into Mobilink customer base and offer broadband in competition to Wateen and PTCL DSL (PTCL’s so called iPTV is a joke) and make a mark.
Witribe and Augere will have to earn their market and unfortunately, both companies have have leadership with ‘zero’ experience in launching nationwide broadbands.
Best bet is Linkdotnet, next is PTCL if it is working, if it died once have it disconnected. If you have cable from Worldcall stay with it, till Mobilink’s service quality is proven. As far as Witribe and Augere is concerned they will have to earn their customers. See people who have used wireless broadband from T-Mobile and other players can evaluate quality, so these players will have to prove their quality.
.
7:59 pm
Salam, All Wimax companies are operating in 3.5G spectrum.
Wateen has 30+30Mhz, Mobilink walas have 30+30, Witribe 10+10Mhz and Augere 10+10Mhz. The bad and good part is that the WLL licenses were issued to expand telephony services, and fortunately cellular companies have done a excellent job.
Pakistan has the cheapest rates in the entire world. Would you beleive that from Pakistan it costs the same to call any number in USA and UK landline as it costs to call a friend off-net (on another network). What else can people look for?
Landline normally cost 25% of cellular/minute rate and thats the reason why nobody wants to use PTCL in Pakistan. PTCL’s arrogance is also digging it’s own grave. Just image 4 Million customers and 30,000 employees after letting go 25-30K already, where is creativity. PTCL should not have more then 5000 people, a fully automated NOC that tells them when a line is down before the customer finds out, and all engineering and customer services outsourced. They have the world-class IP/MPLS nationwide network, that they use “like a tanga-driver piloting a F-16″. They have no automation, no visibility, no CRM and just a management where are ‘C’ have never touched automation in their life.
PTCL’s life span as a consumer services provider is at risk, and Government through PTA is protecting it uncompetitively. Cellular has already eaten the voice market. The 4 long haul networks are connecting cellular’s intranetworks. PTA has forced the cellular to connect through PTCL, even though they can connect with each other directly and save a bundle. What PTCL is left with is metro networks and hosting in exchanges. Metro is at risk once Worldcall, Wateen, Micronet have fiber plant completed in big 8 cities. All new Wimax players will have data centers, so hosting in PTCL will be at risk.
What should PTCL do?
One thing…recreate the business model with todays circumstances. Stop using 1980 revenue as base line. The CFO has made his life very easy by using this, instead as capable as he is, he can draw a business model in a week that can be used at a datum line.
Etisalat needs to either buy 26% more shares and then have a right to manage. I think that will bring some responsibility and reality check.
7:36 pm
i m so happy to join te burraque
10:17 am
well…. much nice technology has been introducd in pakistan. i think so if MOTOROLA ll deploy that technology then we can say that it is a big competitor of WATEEN
10:25 am
this is werry good service
of burraq telecom limited
u will see the huge service difference between mobilink, wateen and witribe
thanx
3:18 pm
Hello All,
My name is Harris Iqbal and I head IT operations for the wi-trige Group based out of Jordan. We at wi-tribe are aiming to launch a network that will provide excellent coverage and performance in Karachi, Lahore, ISB/RWP. We have successfully launched our first operation in Amman, Jordan and the response has been excellent Alham-do-lillah.
I saw a few comments above regarding wi-tribe using Motorola as its Wi-MAX vendor, Wateen is also using Motorola. The reasons for Wateen’s poor service is not Motorola, but rather their RF Planning, Customer Service, Sales People (selling in areas where there is no coverage), an extremely inefficient activation/provisioning process etc.
We hope that you will use our service and I personally look forward to ensuring that we have happy customers in Pakistan. Our slogan is “Welcome to the tribe”. So I on behalf of wi-tribe welcome you all to the tribe.
We will launch in Q1 2009 Insha’Allah.
Regards,
- Harris
3:20 pm
in above message it should be “wi-tribe” instead of “wi-trige”. Sorry for the type
9:51 am
In fact WiMAX technology was pioneered by Motorola as such no matter who launches WiMAX in Pakistan will be using Motorola equipments.
It is true that Motorola should not be blamed for Wateen’s poor WiMAX service, in fact it is the pre-mature launch in order to lead the market and capture as much as customers as they can before Mobilink or Burraq jump in to market.
Wateen’s poor management and customer service has been personally experience by my friend who was billed for telephone calls amounting to Rs. 2,500/- which were never made by him and his connection was disable without any bill or prior notice. We really had to kick their service reps arses to get the wrong billing corrected and connection restoration.
In addition to WiMAX, CDMA based EV-DO service have also been laucnhed by Worldcall, although the their monthly tariff is quite high for unlimited packages of 256 / 512 KBPS 1 MB but due to their previously built CDMA infra-structure is supporting in covering entire Karachi city.
However deployment of EV-DO equipments is quite expensive. On the other hand, PTA together with its brainchild company PTCL is also causing problems for WiMAX providers in Pakistan and it is also heard the Worldcall was reported to have some problems with PTA in respect of their operating license
I am not sure how far these news are correct but keeping in view multiple facets of emerging technological trends and enthusiasts in Pakistan, let us hope for the best.
8:40 pm
I heard the Tariq Qureshi (TQ), the Guru of Pakistan Wimax at Wimaxworld 2008 in Chicago on wednesday (1/10) and thursday (2/10). I tell you he really deserves the credit of putting Pakistan and Wateen telecom on the world map. His presentations were crisp in guiding the new Wimax carriers in Asia, Middle-east and Africa on how to proceed and make a business case. I bet if he would have been at Wateen, the broadband scenerio in Pakistan would have been a proud statement for the Asian and world carriers to follow.
11:50 pm
I am totally agree with remarks of Mr. Mustafa about PTCL. I was the victim of PTCL bad Customer support. The story is very long and end on disconnection of my ADSL line. Just to know how PTCL is working to survive in the market ? Go to PTCL Azizabad Exchange – Karachi . You will surprise that the ADSL office is operating from store waste material room full of bad rubbish smell of oils. I don’t know why they are using this room even most of the rooms are empty in the exchange. This is the prove how PTCL compete with rest of the world.
1:41 pm
Well said Anoushey
been customers v r lucky to have boom in telcom sector and are being facilitated by these services in a country whr nuthing is stable.
1:49 pm
Is there any one who is the customer of Nayatel and enjoying the triple play service in isb/rwp.if do so do share your experince.
Nayatel is providing triple play FTTU services.
10:16 pm
but Listen Now Wateen Telecom going to more establish systems and also managment so be care full……….