Ufone, always a first for innovative VAS services, starts another very interesting service for the Pakistani public.

Partnering with Rozee.pk, they’ve recently launched a mobile interface to the popular job portal. Ufone users can now get mobile alerts, and if they have GPRS enabled, even apply right there through the Rozee website.

How to use it is available on the Ufone website here. Read on after the jump on some views on how this service might be beneficial or distracting.

Read the rest …

Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) was used first in the Second World War for jarring transmissions. Since 1995 CDMA systems have been in commercial use. The technology was developed by Qualcomm and became the seed that aided Qualcomm engineers to come up with innovations such as Soft Handoff and fast power control, making CDMA technology not only efficient but also practical for terrestrial cellular communication. In Pakistan CDMA was introduced in 2004 when PTA announced for the auction for four frequency ranges: 450 MHz, 479 MHz, 1900 MHz, and 3.5 GHz.

However, the introduction of CDMA faced great hostilities from the GSM lobby who considered this technology as a competitor rather than advancement in the tech sector.First things first, CDMA was NOT introduced to replace GSM rather it was deployed mainly as an alternative to fixed line, in other words the copper line. The self-enforced war of GSM and CDMA did more harm than good to the Pakistani tech sector. WLL operators were restricted to single BTS , a limited number of end user terminals and were also denied RUIMS.

To add up to these setbacks was the heavy taxes that were imposed on the WLL industry accounting for 38%-40% taxes.Not only this, the licensing cost charged if not equaled exceeded that paid by the mobile operators.In addition to that, WLL operators were auctioned frequencies in only 14 regions For example, Worldcall Telecom Ltd. won frequencies in all 14 regions, but in Karachi it received the frequencies only in 450 MHz, in 10 regions only in 479 MHz, in 10 other regions only in 1900 MHz, and in 9 regions only in 3.5 GHz. The result of this partiality was that not only were the WLL operators unable to recover licensing cost but also did not receive any substantial growth resulting in some even failing to launch or being forced to shut. The cherry on top was that as the WLL operators were allotted limited spectrum growth, they were not able to provide optimum services to the customers failing to fulfill additional voice and data needs.

The industry must realize the worth of CDMA technology. With 475 million customer’s world wide, CDMA technology is undoubtedly a breakthrough ignored in Pakistan. Looking in to a future of 3G technology, CDMA is the preferred technology for the third generation in which it uses EV-DO and EV-DV. So what steps must be taken by the industry to promote CDMA? One positive step needs to be taken by the government to remove the restriction on mobility which will allow CDMA operators to flourish in the market reaching their full potential.

The debate on whether the time is suited to introduce 3G technology in Pakistan has gained a lot of momentum since the past year. Does 3G appear to be a plausible changeover after the apparent flop of Wimax technology in Pakistan?Or is the market ready to take a plunge in to the 3G world that has taken over not only the developed but even the emerging economies such as China and India?

It is an established fact that out of a teledensity of 60.2%,  the mobile user penetration has reached almost 58.3% as of March ‘09 with around 91.4 cellular subscribers in Pakistan (PTA). One might consider that with such a large number of mobile users, the market for introducing 3G is undoubtedly present. True, the trend is moving towards purchasing 3G compatible handsets, but the fact of the matter is, that is this transaction on the basis of the “cool features” or the usefulness of the product? I’ve seen many people, who might not even be aware of how to type a text, purchase a cellphone that boasts such “fancy” features.

This brings me to my second point, that even with such a deep penetration, the rate of GPRS subscribers has still not reached a handsome amount, specially if compared to India. The number of people using facebook on their cell phones is undoubtedly increasing but yet again this ratio is still very minute. Coupled with a low GPRS subscriber rate is the low broadband penetration. Even with low rates and high speeds, the rush towards broadband subscription lacks the heat. Therefore, the picture that comes to the mind is that Pakistan is evidently not ready for 3G.

However, the flip side of the coin shows a different picture. To have access to broadband, first and foremost a PC or a laptop is required. The cost of a PC starts at around $400 and is surely not in harmony with the average income per capita. 3G handsets, on the other hand, have had a sharp decrease in their prices and cost no more than $70. The picture that now pops up is that with a single 3G handset the probability of a high rate of internet users can easily be worked up on.

However, up comes another drone attack from the anti-3G minds : low literacy rate in Pakistan poses a hindrance for the success of 3G. This might, to some extent, really appear to be a rock in the path. But again, one needs to realize that out of a population of 17crore, 56.8% own a handset. And this 56.8%, if not knowing how to text, can easily attend a call and make one as well. 3G, is not just limited to data packages but also provides other benefits, such as Video Conferencing. Say, if people can learn how to dial a number, how difficult can it possibly get for a person in Nathia Gali, to show on his cell phone, a live coverage of his serene surroundings?

Secondly, the major cell phone subscribers are the ones residing in the metropolitan cities of the country. And yes they do comprise of the educated class, who do tweet their status online throught their cell phone. This clique demands on-the-go high speed internet connectivity as well- a feat that can best be provided by 3G technology.

3G license auctioning has still not been executed, even though it has been a year since its inception. Is the governement ready to auction the spectrum and most importantly, are the cellular companies up for the challenge in the current economic scenario, where even the telecom sector of Pakistan has suffered a blow?

I have been reading a very interesting book, Social Media Marketing by Ajit Jaokar, Brian Jacobs, Alan Moore and Jouko Ahvenainen. The book is about marketing, role of data and the the emergence and convergence of three distinct but connected (based on data and conversations) media types: Mass Media (such as TV or outdoor), Social Media (social networks) and Mobile Media. Its a must read for marketing professionals, technologists who are interested in marketing analytics and for executives who want to understand the big picture and to see where the opportunities are.

Social Media is defined as any media form that links people and communities – including many smaller sites, mobile internet services and telephony. This book is interested in approaching marketing communication from a social media perspective, and in the data and analytics (from online and from mobile telecommunications sources) that allow us the opportunity to improve that process.

Most of the media is (or used to be) in broadcast mode: “we talk, you listen.” The rise of online social media has changed perceptions. The book talks about Hot Media vs Cold Media and shows the opportunities available with the transition from the age of mass media to an age of networks.

Social media marketing can be used as a part of a two stage process: – first, to identify certain patterns in data, second to verify those observations by specific social media campaigns which also seek permission from the customers.

The provider sends personalised messages to the receiver, and over time, the visibility of the participant’s digital footprint grows and leads to better personalization. Therefore, we start with passive digital footprints (based on data patterns) and transition to active digital footprints (based on trust).

The Importance of Data – this is the key point and the value of this book. Here are some excerpts.

A data led approach to social media is universal because every organization has access to such data from the many touch points through which it engages with the customer.

Like the impact of the social media, the impact of mobility is also disruptive for the traditional media. The mobile operator faces a different problem from the broadcaster. The operator might know the customer individually, but not know much about the customer. Specifically, the operator does not know the user’s preferences, which can be used to create a more personalised message (and by extension a message that is more likely to be useful to the receiver).

Mobile media complements mass media (like television) by providing the individual with the personalization which mass media lacks.
This can happen in potentially three interconnected ways:
a) Patterns: Spotting behavioural patterns
b) Promotions: Specific marketing activity or promotions to validate observations from the patterns
c) Partnerships: Creating partnerships between traditional media and mobile media to get as wide a network as possible (or extend
your own network within a converged ecosystem)

The discussion about digital footprints is where the data and analysis starts making the connections.

There are two classifications for digital footprints: Passive Digital Footprints and Active Digital Footprints. A passive digital footprint is created when data is collected about an action without any client activation, whereas active digital footprints
are created when personal data is released deliberately by a user for the purpose of sharing information about himself/herself.

Cross Post from TelecomPk.Net

I’ve been trying to stop myself from ranting here about this – but this is important enough to point out.

UFONE apparently doesnt seem to believe in or understand consumer choice and seems to think that as customers we’re inherently sheep, bound to baa at whatever the overlords in their offices think is the truth – that perhaps the only meaning in our lives comes from waking up everyday to construct effigies of their corporate leadership and dance around them all day singing songs of their praise.

I’m talking about their completely unethical and downright brazen, anti-competitive, anti-consumer-rights act of automatically subscribing people to the utunes service – you know, the service that makes you hear extremely annoying songs when you’re trying to call and reach someone.

I personally hate that idea – the only time I’m calling someone is if its something serious, when I’m thinking about something important in my head about the conversation I’m about to have with the other person… to hear a random love-song or jingle at that time I think is a completely rude interruption.

However, I’ve never spoken about it because I figured that it was the choice of the person I was calling – who was I to complain about what someone does or does not choose as their call-in tone.

But where I absolutely draw the line is Ufone – a dumb carrier I just use to connect with others – interfering in my life by automatically subscribing me to this brazen service too.

This is a consumer rights violation, because (1) I never ask them to subscribe (2) I dont like the service and dont want to ever subscribe as a conscious well-informed choice and (3) This isnt even part of my individual lifestyle or phone behavior. My phone is primarily for business and the absolute last thing I want is for a client to call me and say “Yeah… so why do you have *so and so romantic song* as your tone on your phone number… I didnt think you listened to music like that”

And it doesn’t seem to help that I’ve unsubscribed several times now – it just keeps resubscribing every month… the overlords at Ufone seem to insist that I *must* do as they say – why, because everyone must agree with whatever they believe to be truth?

The only consolation in their unethical behavior is that the number you call to access UTunes is 666 – YES, seriously… atleast they are self-aware enough to know that this service is the manifestation of the devil himself. I guess the only advice I could offer to you then is that if you’re thinking about Ufone… er… repent?!

Babar Bhatti gave an interview for an article on Wi-FiPlanet.com titled “WiMAX gives boost to education in Pakistan”. It’s a very insightful article, one which specifically tells us of how WiMAX can be utilized.

The company in question, KZO is delivering it’s education solutions over the wateen’s wimax network to atleast two schools in Islamabad, and if/when they get funded, which expand it to other cities. Their technology is described as,

The technology that KZO uses to deliver the educational component in the ED-LINKS exchanges—and is starting to use for distance learning in Pakistan—was developed by KZO Innovations, a subsidiary. The company claims its platform goes well beyond other streaming video-based e-learning products, of which there are several.

The KZO technology can use video from almost any source, including professionally-produced lessons and recorded teleconferences. The real differentiator is its Web 2.0 features. Users can text message in real time while the video plays. They can also add tags and other annotations to the video while it’s playing to index and extend it.

There was always a lot of speculation on the impact high speed broadband will have on the country, however, i wasn’t sure education would’ve been one of the first to be impacted. While there are many other issues to be resolved within the education system of the country, this project would definitely be one in the right direction.

I wonder what other applications can be developed for the Pakistani community using Wimax as a delivery method?