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Tag: Pakistan

  • Axiata to sell loss-making Pakistan unit

    Axiata to sell loss-making Pakistan unit

    Axiata Group Bhd is planning to sell its entire 89% stake in Multinet Pakistan (Private) Ltd for a sum of US$1 on a cash-free and debt-free basis.

    The group told the stock exchange that its unit Axiata Investments (Labuan) Ltd (AIL) had entered into a share purchase agreement with Adnan Asdar Ali, who currently holds the remaining 11% stake in Multinet.

    It noted that Multinet’s financial performance has been declining for the last few years with accumulated losses of PKR754 million (RM25.64 million) for the financial year ended Dec 31, 2017.

    Accordingly, the group said Multinet’s contribution to its financial and business performance is immaterial.

    Axiata assured that the exercise will not have any material effect on the group’s consolidated net assets, gearing and consolidated earnings for the financial year ending Dec 31, 2018.

    Multinet is engaged in the business of providing telecommunication and electronic media services including internet services, design, development, implementation of networks including a wide range of non-mobile telecommunications services with a focus on the business-to-business (B2B) segment of the market.

    Axiata gained 2.7% or 11 sen at RM4.17 with 5.75 million shares being traded.

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  • Easypaisa facilitates online payment of Zakat and Donations

    Easypaisa facilitates online payment of Zakat and Donations

    Easypaisa, country’s largest and most trusted branchless banking service this Ramadan is enabling you to donate to your preferred charitable organization through the ‘Easypaisa Donate Online’ portal.

    The portal – bringing together the country’s leading philanthropic organizations under its umbrella including Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Edhi Foundation, Pink Ribbon Pakistan, Sahara For Life Trust, Akhuwat, Zindagi Trust, Aman Foundation, Saylani Welfare, SOS Children’s Villages, Development in Literacy, Pakistan Children’s Heart Foundation (PCHF) – enables people to pay Zakat or Donation to their preferred charity reliably from the comfort of their homes.

    ‘Easypaisa Donate Online’ will give donors the convenience of making their contributions to any of the listed organizations by choosing to pay via Visa or MasterCard, Easypaisa Account, or through any of the Easypaisa agents across Pakistan.

    “Telenor Microfinance Bank is proud to bring leading charitable organizations on to a single, convenient platform to enable donors make easy contributions with complete trust,” said Shahid Mustafa, President & CEO – Telenor Microfinance Bank.  “As a nation, we give a lot of charity and donations to every cause that comes our way, and we are committed to digitizing these payment flows to make it easier for registered charitable organizations and customers to collect and donate funds respectively in a hassle-free, safe and transparent way.”

    Telenor Microfinance Bank has revolutionized the financial landscape of the country through groundbreaking digital financial services. The Bank’s mobile banking service Easypaisa has been instrumental in empowering the society by ensuring the inclusion of the underserved masses into the fold of mainstream banking and financial system.

  • PC Gamers set to clash at Pakistan’s biggest PC gaming tournament ‘GameBird LAN Clan’

    PC Gamers set to clash at Pakistan’s biggest PC gaming tournament ‘GameBird LAN Clan’

    Telenor Pakistan, through its gaming platform GameBird, is inviting all PC Gamers from Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi to battle it out at Pakistan’s biggest PC gaming tournament ‘GameBird LAN Clan’.

    ‘GameBird’ is the first Gaming Brand of the country that connects developers and gaming enthusiasts to boost and vitalize the gaming ecosystem in Pakistan. In order to bring greater enablement to online players, GameBird recently introduced STEAM Wallet Codes in Pakistan where users can buy games and make in-game purchases on STEAM through their mobile balance. The service is currently available for Telenor users only.

    The tournament, marked by unmatched thrill and excitement will host two major games on STEAM platform i.e. DOTA 2 and CSGO, and will be carried out in three stages; Online Qualifiers, Lan City Qualifiers and the Final Lan Event which is set to take place in the country’s cultural capital Lahore,.

    Qualifying players from Karachi and Islamabad will travel to Lahore to participate in the final event. GameBird will entirely sponsor the cost of the qualifying players’ accommodation and travelling to make their trip a joyful experience. Once locked and loaded, the gamers will be contesting with tooth and nail for the big pool prize of PKR. 500,000 at the final event.

    “We are super excited to organize the biggest gaming event of the country.” said Durdana Achakzai, Chief Digital Officer at Telenor Pakistan while speaking about the tournament. “This will be a historic occasion where PC Gaming enthusiasts will clash for the crown of the best players in the country. Just like many other fields, Pakistan has unmatched talent in the online multiplayer gaming space. However, this sort of a country wide tournament requires suitable support of platforms to help make its mark on a larger level. We have kick started this venture with the backing of a major telco. Telenor Pakistan being the top proponent of digital technology and innovation attempts to fully utilize the opportunities in this field. We are undertaking initiatives to provide a conducive environment for game development and export to supplement the growth of the country’s digital industry.”

    The ‘GameBird LAN Clan’ is the first installment of the series of tournaments GameBird is planning to organize for gamers in the country.

    GameBird is an e-Sports platform for gamers and gaming app developers in Pakistan. The platform host Events, Tournaments, Broadcasts, and provides Reviews and Plays of different games. Gamebird is geared for more initiatives in mobile & PC gaming (tournaments, community meet-ups, etc.) in the near future.

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  • Alibaba buys Pakistani online retailer Daraz

    Alibaba buys Pakistani online retailer Daraz

    Alibaba has bought Pakistani e-commerce firm Daraz, as the Chinese tech giant looks to increase its presence in South Asia.

    Financial details of the transaction, which was announced on Tuesday, were undisclosed.

    Daraz, founded in 2012, is backed by European tech incubator Rocket Internet. It operates in Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Nepal as well as Pakistan.

    The deal marks another foray for billionaire entrepreneur Jack Ma’s Alibaba into the South Asian market. The e-commerce titan invested in India’s popular payment app Paytm in 2015.

    “Together with Daraz, we can now empower entrepreneurs to better serve consumers in the region through our technology and expertise,” Alibaba CEO Daniel Zhang said in a statement Tuesday.

    Daraz will continue to operate under the same brand, Rocket Internet said in a statement.

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  • Zong 4G – No.1 Data Company of Pakistan Continues its Expansion Nationwide

    Zong 4G – No.1 Data Company of Pakistan Continues its Expansion Nationwide

    In a prolific development, Pakistan’s largest telecom network Zong 4G has launched its operations in the port city of Gwadar, a future international business hub which has already seen foreign and local investment amounting in billions of dollars and rupees.

    The launch of fastest 4G services in Gwadar implies that foreign citizens from across the globe and local residents who have been pursuing their respective business endeavours in the port city will have unhindered access to the fastest 4G technology against reasonably affordable tariff. The move is likely to boost online businesses in the fast developing international city and the adjoining belt of rural Sindh.

    With its 4G consumer-base already having exceeded the 6 million mark, Zong eyes to keep expanding its matchless voice and data services.

    “Zong 4G’s network expansion symbolises our customer-centric approach to ensure that the interests of consumers stay above all the rest by offering them best and affordable network,” the telecom company said in a statement.

    “We keep expanding our operational portfolio to ensure enhanced operations in cities, towns, villages, and far-flung areas,” it said.

    The ongoing momentum of the rapid network expansion implies that Zong 4G continues to invest heavily in modernisation of the mobile network to respond to growing market needs.

    Innovation, performance and reliability have long been Zong’s hallmark. The No.1 Data Company of Pakistan epitomises professional excellence and digitised supremacy coupled with its customer-oriented policies with an aim to deliver the best but at highly affordable rates.

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  • Telenor Velocity hosted Pakistan’s first ‘IoT Hackathon’ in Lahore

    Telenor Velocity hosted Pakistan’s first ‘IoT Hackathon’ in Lahore

     

    Pakistan’s first ever Internet of Things (IoT) based Hackathon successfully concluded by Telenor Velocity in Lahore on 5th May. The two day event brought together innovators, key industry players, startups and experts to witness and participate in the historic event where Telenor Velocity partnered with Plan9 and DIY Geeks to provide passionate developers the opportunity to innovate and present one click digitized solutions for everyday problems.

    The IoT Hackathon took place at Arfa Software Technology Park, the province’s hub of technological innovation. At the event Waqar Nayyar, Head of IoT at Telenor Pakistan, introduced the new IoT Platform and IOT products to the participants along with sharing Telenor Pakistan’s vision of fostering a digital revolution in the country and the company’s extraordinary initiatives in the IOT ecosystem. Hackathon was attended by Ayub Ghauri – CEO Netsol, Ather Osama – Member Science & Technology and ICT at Planning Commission, Kashif Moin – CEO Zigron, Barkan Saeed – Chairman P@SHA, Dr. Umar Saif – Chairman PITB, Burhan Rasool – GM PITB, Atif Mumtaz, Director PITB and officials from Telenor Pakistan and Plan9.

    Speaking at the event, Dr. Saad Ghazanfar Kiyani, Head of Digital Partnerships, Telenor Pakistan said, “Telenor Pakistan has always been at the forefront of digital innovation and technology in the country and firmly believes in its power to deliver greater empowerment for our societies. The IoT Hackathon is Telenor Pakistan’s investment in the future and we hope to bring great minds together to build it.”

    Innovators were invited from across the country for the Hackathon to devise innovative solutions for day to day problems and promote socioeconomic progress and wellbeing. Participating developers pitched their ideas before a panel of judges on the last day while they worked collaboratively to bring the products and solutions to life over the past two days. Their ideas were mentored by top-industry experts, developers, and investors to help them leverage the full potential of Telenor’s IoT platform for potential up scaling.

    The judges panel comprised of Sophia Hasnain – CEO linked things, Faizan & Arsalan – co-founders Wattie.io, Ehtisham Rao – CEO and founder ServUp, Usama – CEO DIYGeeks, Waqar Nayyar – Head of IoT, Telenor Pakistan – Dr. Adnan Jabbar, Consultant IoT and Muhammad Azm Saeed Dar, Head of IoT partner solutions. The panel evaluated pitched ideas and reviewed finished products to announce the winners. ‘Smart Mirror’ was declared the winner of the event and secured a slot in Telenor Velocity’s next cohort along with prize money of PKR 125,000. ‘JF Labs’ and ‘Design IT’ were announced as the runner ups who received prize money of PKR 50,000 and PKR 25,000.

    Telenor Pakistan will continue to work with the winners of the Hackathon to help them refine and scale their products and solutions. The event also provided developers the opportunity to connect with similar startups, likeminded entrepreneurs and investor for potential future collaborations.

     

     

     

     

     

  • Telenor Pakistan Collaborates with LMKT to Provide IBM’s Accurate Weather Forecast to Local Farmers

    Telenor Pakistan Collaborates with LMKT to Provide IBM’s Accurate Weather Forecast to Local Farmers

    Telenor Pakistan, continuing its efforts to transform the Pakistani agriculture sector which is the primary source of livelihood for millions of Pakistani households, has partnered with LMKT, an IBM partner, to provide farmers across the country with localized and accurate weather forecasting data. The move aims to advance agricultural practices in Pakistan and educate farmers to help them improve their yields by making informed decisions based on latest weather conditions.

    Under the agreement, LMKT will be supporting Telenor Pakistan’s goals by implementing an accurate weather forecasting solution that will provide daily and hourly weather forecast at a resolution of 1 sq km from globally recognized platforms. It’s important to note that LMKT uses IBM’s state-of-the-art technology for its weather forecast services. The partnership will enable Telenor Pakistan to drive various agronomic advisory services to stakeholders in the agriculture sector through multiple channels including mobile devices. This will empower more than 5 million Khushaal Zamindaar users across Pakistan and farmers being supported by the CAPP (Connected Agriculture Platform Punjab) program in collaboration with Government of Punjab.

    “Being Pakistan’s primary digital lifestyle partners with a strong rural presence, and movers of many industry-first initiatives aimed at transformation of Pakistani agricultural sector, we at Telenor Pakistan know what the sector’s challenges are and how to resolve them effectively,” said Durdana Achakzai, Chief Digital Officer at Telenor Pakistan. “We are pleased to have partnered with LMKT, a leading technology company specializing in geographic information systems, to deliver hyper localized weather advisory to millions of farmers across Pakistan. These advisories are critical for the success of farmers and support our ongoing efforts to empower the Pakistani kissan and modernize our agricultural practices.”

    “This agreement with Pakistan’s top telecom and digital services provider, Telenor Pakistan, underpins LMKT’s continuous efforts towards establishing a highly accurate and standardized weather forecasting system in Pakistan,” said Muhammad Haroon Sharif, Vice President GIS, Research & Development LMKT. “We are working closely with different stakeholders including Pakistan Meteorological Department and independent research groups to help various industries that rely on accurate weather forecasting data such as agriculture, renewable energy production and utilities.”

    Telenor Pakistan has been working closely with the local governments in Pakistan to empower the country’s farmers through a number of digital advisory services. In December 2015, Telenor launched Khushal Zamindar, a user-friendly Robocall, IVR and SMS content based mobile agriculture service for small-scale farmers. Following its success and the ratio of female farmers using it, Telenor Pakistan launched its women-specific version called Khushaal Aangan in December 2017. In March 2018, Telenor collaborated with the Punjab Agriculture Department to launch Connected Agriculture Platform Punjab (CAPP) to improve farmers’ access to information, financial resources, and market.

    LMKT has recently launched real-time, location-based weather information for farmers as part of a digital farming initiative with Government of Punjab’s Department of Agriculture. The initiative aims to improve farming practices in the province by communicating relevant agronomic advisories to farmers.

     

     

     

     

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  • Telenor & QMobile collaborate to bring Pakistan’s most affordable 4G Smartphone

    Telenor & QMobile collaborate to bring Pakistan’s most affordable 4G Smartphone

    With an ambition to better connect Pakistan and empower the Pakistani society, Telenor Pakistan, country’s foremost telecom and digital services provider, and QMobile have entered into the next phase of their long-standing collaboration ushering in a new era of 4G ecosystem development through the introduction of LT-100, an LTE-enabled low-cost smartphone. Telenor Pakistan and QMobile had previously joined hands to enable all QMobile 4G phones with Telenor 850 MHz band, and launch new LT (LTE capable) mass market appeal series in 2017.

    The partnership entails both parties working together to develop and promote a robust digital ecosystem in Pakistan where industry’s best digital products and services are served to their mutual customer base. LT-100, a stylish and powerful smartphone delivers on customer expectations of up-to-date specifications, great design, and an attractive price of PKR 6,150. The smartphone comes with a great value combination with 3 Months Free Telenor Pakistan Bundle which includes 1GB/month data and PKR 100 balance/month.

    “We are delighted to enter the next phase of our partnership with QMobile as part of our unrelenting efforts to boost the country’s digital ecosystem which Telenor Pakistan continues to lead,” said Bilal Kazmi, Chief Marketing Officer, Telenor Pakistan. “Since the beginning, we have pursued a two-pronged strategy to develop and promote the digital ecosystem in Pakistan to enhance the mobile broadband outreach and experience while making supporting hardware affordable for the masses. We hope that this partnership will help us achieve our mutual digital inclusion goals faster and in a more effective manner,” he added.

    “The partnership seems natural as both QMobile and Telenor Pakistan share the ambition to empower the Pakistani society to equip our customers with the tools to keep up with today’s fast-paced digital world,” said Zeeshan Akhtar, Chairman and CEO, QMobile. “As we strive to build and promote a strong smartphone ecosystem in the country, together, QMobile and Telenor Pakistan will make technology and internet services more affordable and accessible for the masses.”

    LT-100 comes preloaded with My Telenor App, providing Telenor Pakistan customers unparalleled self-service experience and complete control over their mobile usage and bundle needs. The device will be available across Pakistan at all major mobile markets and retail shops, supported by an extensive communication campaign. Some of the key features of LT-100 include 4G-enabled all-band capability, dual SIM, Android 7.0, 4-inch screen, 8GB ROM with 1 GB RAM, and 5MP back and 2 MP front cameras.

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  • Telenor Pakistan introduces 24/7 Self-Service Booths across Pakistan

    Telenor Pakistan introduces 24/7 Self-Service Booths across Pakistan

    Leading the developments in digital ecosystem in the country, Telenor Pakistan has introduced Self-Service Booths across the nation to provide easier, securer, and round-the-clock access to its products and services.

    These booths give customers the option of availing multiple Telenor and Easypaisa services at their convenience such as buying and replacing Telenor SIMs, buying Easyload top-ups & Easycards, and open new Easypaisa accounts at any time of the day without having to visit the Telenor franchise or retailer. These booths will also enable customers to pay their utility bills as well as send and receive money.

    Featuring biometric verification, these state-of-the-art machines warrant safety and security against unregistered individuals and unauthorized transactions. Telenor Pakistan plans to place these self-service booths across Pakistan to extend greater enablement to its customers in consistence with its vision of fostering customer-centricity across its business operations.

    “Self-service booths are going to redefine customer facilitation in today’s digital age,” said Bilal Kazmi, Chief Marketing Officer at Telenor Pakistan. “Through this initiative, we aim to empower the customers by transferring accessibility of Telenor & Easypaisa services into customers’ own hands while reducing dependency on physical outlets characterized with long queues and waiting time. Being a customer centric organization, we are evolving the processes and channels to serve our customer better and we shall continue to introduce innovative ways to bring the best to our customers.

    The introduction of this round the clock Self Service Booth, bringing access, ease and convenience, is set to redefine the concept of customer services. As part of its #TelenorHearsYou outreach campaign, Telenor Pakistanis actively listening to its customer feedback and concerns, and is taking a proactive approach to ensure delightful experiences for them.

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  • Game development experts converge on Pakistan’s first Game Summit by Gamebird

    Game development experts converge on Pakistan’s first Game Summit by Gamebird

    Pakistan’s second most populous city and the country’s cultural center, Lahore, was the go-to place for game developing experts and enthusiasts from Google, Telenor, and the best of Pakistani talent in the industry. The event was Pakistan’s first Game Summit hosted by ‘Gamebird’, Telenor’s new platform that connects game developers to boost the gaming ecosystem in Pakistan.

    Pakistan has a vibrant gaming app developing ecosystem and this Game Summit was aimed at helping developers learn the latest tips and best practices about how to take their app business to the next level. The one-day, invitation-only event gave developers a chance to come together with Google, Telenor industry experts, and fellow app developers to ask questions, give feedback, share learnings, discuss projects, and be inspired.

    The top speakers of the Game Summit included Dr. Umar Saif – Chairman, Punjab Information Technology Board and Vice Chancellor of Information Technology University, Fawad Asghar – CTO, WeRPlay, Sadia Bashir – Founder & CEO, Pixel Art Games Academy, and Faizan Iftikhar – CEO, GeniTeam, among others.

    Telenor Pakistan has been developing initiatives to strengthen the local developer community, while Google has tools and insights with a focus on game creation and monetization. Together, the speakers from Telenor Pakistan & Google elaborated on their expertise and how the gaming ecosystem can benefit from it. Prominent local developers also shared experiences, challenges, and ideas on how to better contribute to the local game development ecosystem. Gamebox, Pakistan’s indigenous game store, was a sponsor of the Game Summit and showcased its offerings at the event.

    “We are proud and delighted to be hosting the country’s first Game Summit in a city that’s fast emerging as one of Pakistan’s key app development centers,” said Durdana Achakzai, Chief Digital Officer at Telenor Pakistan. “We are grateful to the experts from Google and the local gaming community for coming together and exploring ways to boost the Pakistani game development industry. We hope that the learnings the event’s participants take home today will prove valuable in putting Pakistan on the global map for gaming innovation. With Gamebird in place, we are expecting more of such knowledge-sharing networking events for the gaming community in the future.”

    Sharing his thoughts on the occasion, Umar Saif, the keynote speaker who is Chairman Punjab Information Technology Board and Vice Chancellor Information Technology University, said:

    “We congratulate Gamebird for hosting this insightful event and giving game developers the opportunity to demonstrate their skills. The launch of Google DCB has been a game changer for the gaming industry as it has provided earning avenues to game developers. I appreciate Telenor’s role in spearheading the launch of Google DCB in Pakistan and hope that Pakistani Gamers make good use of it to come up with a superb game in the near future.”

    Gamebird is an e-Sports platform for gamers and gaming app developers in Pakistan. The platform hosts events, tournaments, broadcasts, and provides reviews and plays of different games. Gamebird is geared for more initiatives in mobile & PC gaming (tournaments, community meet-ups, etc.) in the near future.

     

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  • Telenor Pakistan taps Nokia to manage network

    Telenor Pakistan taps Nokia to manage network

    Telenor Pakistan has contracted Nokia to expand and modernize its network based on a new customer centric network operating model.

    Under the terms of the deal, Nokia will manage the complete multi-vendor network operations for Telenor Pakistan using the Nokia Global Service Delivery Tools.

    Nokia will also deploy its AVA cognitive services platform to enable predictive and customer-centric approaches to network planning, optimization, operations and maintenance.

    Nokia’s cognitive analytics for customer insight software will also help Telenor Pakistan prioritize network investments based on insights collected from customers, using a combination of cloud service delivery, intelligent analytics and automation.

    Under the new operating model, 233 engineers and technology experts from Telenor Pakistan will work with Nokia to develop new ways of delivering services. Telenor Pakistan will increase its focus on network governance strategy while Nokia will exclusively manage field operations.

    “The decision to onboard Nokia is in line with Telenor Pakistan’s ongoing strategy for network expansion, transformation and virtualization,” Telenor Pakistan CTO Khurrum Ashfaque said.

    “Our ambition is to set up data ready operations by bringing capabilities of automation, intelligent field operation, smart planning and customer insights with new and advanced tools which we shall leverage through our new global partner.”

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  • Pakistan’s Jazz secures 4G license

    Pakistan’s Jazz secures 4G license

    Pakistani mobile operator Jazz has formally secured its 4G license after submitting the sole bid for a 10 MHz block of 1800-MHz spectrum in May.

    The license was officially awarded to the company during a ceremony on Friday.

    Jazz has become Pakisan’s third operator to be granted a 4G license, after China Mobile’s Zong and Warid Telecom.

    Jazz submitted the minimum bid of $295 million for the block of spectrum just before the auction deadline. The company chose to pay the whole price upfront rather than taking the option of paying in six instalments with interest applied.

    While Ufone had been expected to participate in the auction as the only remaining operator without the capacity to launch 4G services, the company declined to take part citing the high cost of 4G services and handsets in the market that it claims are out of reach for the average Pakistani consumer.

    Zong also sat out of the auction after stating that the operator will not does not require additional bandwidth in the near future.

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  • Jazz places sole bid in Pakistan 1800-MHz auction

    Jazz places sole bid in Pakistan 1800-MHz auction

    Pakistan’s Jazz has emerged as the sole bidder for a 10 MHz block of paired 1800-MHz spectrum conducted by regulator the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority. Jazz submitting the minimum bid of $295 million just before the deadline.

    The next generation mobile services auction drew limited interest from operators which mostly sat out of the auction, including Ufone – the only operator in the market without the capability to provide 4G services, which was expected to bid to rectify this.

    PTA now plans to evaluate Jazz’s bid, and if it is found to meet the required conditions the operator will be given two options for payment. Jazz will either be allowed to pay the whole price upfront, or pay a 50% first installment and five equal annual installment payments with interest.

    Jazz will also be required to pay a 10% tax on the auction. A PTA official stating that high reserve price – $85 million more than the equivalent asking price for the same spectrum in 2014 – and level of taxation may be to blame for the lack of interest in the auction.

    The report also cites an official at China Mobile’s Pakistani subsidiary Zong stating that the company has no need for additional bandwidth.

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  • Visa QR payments coming to Indonesia, Pakistan, Vietnam

    Visa QR payments coming to Indonesia, Pakistan, Vietnam

    Visa will soon be expanding its QR-based mobile payment service to ten more markets, including Indonesia, Pakistan and Vietnam.

    The service, named mVisa, is now live in India, Kenya and Rwanda, and will soon be available to merchants and consumers in the three new APAC markets, as well as Egypt, Ghana, Kazakhstan, and Nigeria.

    mVisa, a mobile solution, aims to provide easy and secure digital commerce to financial institutions, merchants and consumers in emerging markets.

    The service is designed to help merchants overcome infrastructure issues by allowing consumers to use their mobile phones to make cashless purchases at merchant outlets, pay bills remotely and send money to friends and family members by securely linking their Visa debit, credit or prepaid account to the mVisa application.

    mVisa digitizes the underlying account and allows consumers to transfer funds from their account to the retailer’s account reliably and securely by scanning a QR code.

    Use cases of mVisa include the allowing subscribers of Tata Sky, a direct-to-home service provider in India, to recharge their account by using their mobile phones to scan the WR code directly from the TV screen or online. This function allows Tata Sky customers to order and pay for monthly or one-time services from home without having to visit a physical retail outlet.

    Mahanagar Gas Limited, a utility provider in Mumbai, also issues customer bills printed with the mVisa QR code. Customers scan the QR code on the bill, as they would at a merchant outlet, and complete their transaction at their leisure.

  • Wi-Tribe to launch Pakistan’s first LTE-A network soon

    Wi-Tribe to launch Pakistan’s first LTE-A network soon

    Pakistan’s Wi-Tribe is on track to deploy the market’s first LTE-Advanced network in around May this year.

    The former Wimax operator plans to launch a network capable of speeds of up to 100Mbps within the next few months.  The company expects to raise this speed to 200Mbps by end-2018 and to 400Mbps by around 2019 as more advanced customer premises equipment becomes available.

    On Facebook, Wi-Tribe group chairman Hasan Bokhari and Wi-Tribe advisory board chairman Shahid Malik Chairman confirmed that the company has awarded Huawei a $15 million contract to help deploy the network.

    The executives said the network will be the first LTE-A deployment in the 3.5-GHz band in South Asia and the Middle East, and is expected to be fully operational in June.

    Wi-Tribe plans to invest over $25 million in LTE-A over the next three years, and its owners have committed to reinvesting all profits from the company’s operations over this time back into the business.

    “We see a very bright future through LTE-A insha’Allah, and intend to offer not just competitive packages with unrivalled technology, speed and reliability but with the advantage of having all this backed up by our Tribers who will continue to deliver the best customer support in Pakistan,” the executives wrote.