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Tag: Pakistan

  • 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.

  • Pakistan boosts orange exports to Indonesia

    Pakistan boosts orange exports to Indonesia

    Indonesian fresh fruit importers say Pakistan will face tough rivalry from China. Pakistan hopes to see an increase in exports of its famous Kinnow oranges to Indonesia, as it has started to infiltrate the market through giant retailers.

    A press statement from the Pakistani Embassy made available to The Jakarta Post states that consignments of the Pakistani Kinnow have started arriving in Jakarta, and are currently being sold in many major grocery chains, including Carrefour, Ranch Market, Hypermart and Giant.

    The Kinnow is a larger orange, touted to be extremely easy to peel and is cited as having a unique flavor as a result of the soil and climate in which they are grown.

    “The Pakistani Kinnow made its entry into the Indonesian market at New Year and the Chinese New Year, to make them more joyous occasions. Last year, Pakistan’s exports of Kinnow oranges to Indonesia amounted to US$23 million and this figure is expected to grow significantly in 2017,” the press statement read.

    Indonesia has a preferential trade agreement (PTA) with Pakistan, which began in 2013, and Pakistan’s Kinnow oranges are allowed access through the country’s main port in Tanjung Priok, North Jakarta.

    In exchange, Pakistan exempts Indonesia, the world’s largest crude palm oil (CPO) producer, from paying 10 percent import duty on that commodity.

    Following the PTA, imports of Kinnow oranges from Pakistan reached $19.3 million in 2014, from $3 million in 2013.

    However, Indonesian Fresh Fruit and Vegetables Exporters and Importers Association chairman, Kafi Kurnia, said that it was unlikely Pakistan could significantly boosts its exports of Kinnow oranges because of fierce competition from similar oranges from China.

    Kafi noted that since existing regulations limited the size of imports of certain fruits, importers tended to be choosier.

    “The Kinnow imports arrived during a very good time, at around Chinese New Year. However, they have a lot of fierce competition, mostly from Chinese exporters. If my importing quota was limited, especially during this time, I would definitely prioritize oranges from China,” he told on Monday.

    Even so, the Kinnow orange will remain a major competitor for locally produced oranges, as there was a lack of research and development that could help raise the quality of local fruit and vegetables.

    Indonesia is also home to many other tropical fruits such as mangosteen, rambutan, snake fruit, jackfruit, soursop, breadfruit, guava and starfruit, but they are not exported in great quantities or even consumed heavily at home.

    The government aims to boost tropical fruit production by expanding land for fruit plantations while also improving infrastructure and transportation systems to reduce high distribution costs, as part of efforts to become the biggest tropical fruit producer in Southeast Asia by 2025 and in the world by 2045.

    Meanwhile, National Agriculture Council chairman Benny Kusbini concurred that a lack of uniform quality among locally produced fruit was an obstacle when it came to competing with imported fruit sold in Indonesia.

    He also noted that poor infrastructure remained a problem as some fruits were cheaper to import than to transport from regions in Indonesia.

    “The Kinnow, for example, can be very cheap to import from Pakistan to Indonesia. Sometimes 10 kilograms of Kinnows can be imported for only $5 to $6. Compared to oranges from Medan, for example, it is difficult to compete with those prices,” he told the Post.

    Indonesia imported $666.37 million worth of fruit and $558.08 million worth of vegetables in 2015, according to data from Trade Map.

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  • PTCL signs fiber leasing deal with Zong

    PTCL signs fiber leasing deal with Zong

    Pakistan’s largest operator PTCL has secured a fiber leasing agreement with China Mobile’s Pakistani mobile unit Zong.

    Under the agreement, PTCL will deploy 789 kilometers of fiber for Zong’s mobile network.

    The fiber leasing agreement will also allow Zong to utilize PTCL’s nationwide fiber footprint, which will help the operator further expand its 3G and 4G networks nationwide.

    PTCL and Zong signed a memorandum of understanding in December last year which declared PTCL as Zong’s preferred partner for infrastructure and technical expertise. PTCL has meanwhile been making efforts to position itself as the “carrier of carriers,” the report states.

    Zong is Pakistan’s third largest mobile operator by subscribers with a market share of around 19% as of late 2014. China Mobile first entered the Pakistani market in 2008 by acquiring an operating license from Millicom, and holds a 100% stake in Zong Pakistan.

  • Telenor Pakistan launches 4G services

    Telenor Pakistan launches 4G services

    Telenor Pakistan has commenced a nationwide 4G rollout. launching services in six cities.

    The company will offer 4G services to customers free of cost as a promotional exercise in the initial launch areas, which include select locations in Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Multan, Peshawar and Swat.

    Customers in the cities will be able to obtain 4G SIMs at the operator’s sales and service centers and franchises.

    Telenor Pakistan plans to rapidly roll out the service to other cities in the nation, the operator said in a statement.

    “For Telenor Pakistan, this represents a huge leap forward towards realizing our ambition of bringing Internet for All and empowering Pakistan with digital technology,” the statement reads.

    Telenor Pakistan was the only bidder for 4G spectrum during a recent auction of a 10 MHz block in the 850-MHz band. The operator secured the spectrum for $395 million.

    The operator will be competing against China Mobile subsidiary Zong, which this week announced it has expanded its 4G coverage to over 100 cities nationwide.

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  • VimpelCom to invest $1b in Pakisan over five years

    VimpelCom to invest $1b in Pakisan over five years

    Global telecoms group VimpelCom has announced plans to invest $1 billion in its Pakistani operations over the next five years.

    The company plans to roll out what it says will be one of the largest and most ambitious IT infrastructures in the industry for its Mobilink and Warid operations.

    With the new systems the company aims to ensure faster rollout of new products and services, particularly in areas including mobile entertainment, communications, the IoT and mobile financial services.

    Mobilink recently completed a merger with Warid to create Pakistan’s largest mobile operator with over 50 million customers.

    The merger was announced  in November last year, won regulatory approval in May and closed at the start of this month.

    At a press conference announcing the investment plans Mobilink CEO Jean-Yves Charlier said with the merger 38 million Mobilink customers will be provided with 4G while 12 million Warid customers will be provided with 3G.

    He also said around 1,500 joint Mobilink-Warid franchise shops will be opened nationwide. The operator has also made a commitment to the government to roll out services to remote areas.

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  • Telenor wins 4G license in Pakistan for $395m

    Telenor wins 4G license in Pakistan for $395m

    Norway’s Telenor has secured a 4G license in Pakistan for $395 million as the sole bidder for an 850-MHz spectrum block.

    Telenor Pakistan will join China Mobile subsidiary Zong in holding a 4G license following the auction. The operator is seeking to capitalize on burgeoning demand for mobile broadband in a market where smartphone shipments soared 123% in the first quarter of last year.

    As of the end of April, the number of broadband users in Pakistan grew to nearly 29 million, the report states, marking a higher population penetration than India, Nepal and Bangladesh.

    Telenor Pakistan was the lone bidder for the 10 MHz block of 850-MHz spectrum, even though the auction was open to both domestic and international participants. The government had been hoping to use the auction to attract a new entrant into the market.

    The operator will be allocated the spectrum within 30 days of making its payment.

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  • Businesses to explore Indonesia

    Businesses to explore Indonesia

    Pakistan’s businessmen should take advantage from the large Indonesian market, an envoy said. Ambassador of Indonesia Iwan Suyudhie Amri, talking to the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) Vice President Nasir Saeed, said bilateral trade needs to be enhanced as Pakistan and Indonesia are potential markets.

    Ambassador Amri said Pakistan’s rice and meat have great demand in Indonesia and therefore Pakistan’s businessmen should avail this opportunity.

    He said the LCCI is playing a significant role to strengthen the trade and economic relations between the two countries.

    Saeed said the implementation of Pakistan-Indonesia preferential trade agreement will begin a new era of cooperation and serve as a foundation for enhanced economic and trade cooperation.

    He said local businesses will increase exports to Southeast Asia’s largest economy under the preferential trade agreement.

    “There is also a lot of scope for Indonesia to make investment in Pakistan. Indonesia has a fairly advanced petro-chemical, rubber, plywood, telecommunication and tourism industry,” he added.

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  • Zong Pakistan, Fortumo team for direct carrier billing

    Zong Pakistan, Fortumo team for direct carrier billing

    Mobile payments company Fortumo and China Mobile Pakistan (Zong) have entered into a direct carrier billing partnership in Pakistan.

    Digital content merchants and app stores using the Fortumo carrier billing platform can now collect payments from 26 million Zong customers in the country. Fortumo is the only global direct carrier billing provider in Pakistan, where the company has been working together with Telenor Pakistan since July 2014.

    “Millions of people in emerging markets are accessing the internet only from their phones,” said Gerri Kodres, chief business officer at Fortumo. “This new digital audience is connected to the world but cannot access paid content as a majority of them do not own credit cards.”

    An estimated 56 million Pakistanis now have a smartphone. The adoption of smartphones in the country is helped by both Zong and Telenor Pakistan launching 3G networks in 2014.

    Fortumo’s direct carrier billing platform allows users to make payments over a data connection by confirming purchases with one click on their phone. Payments are processed without any additional information required from the mobile user which provides a significant conversion improvement compared to any other online payment method.

    Fortumo’s direct carrier billing platform is currently available to over 1.3 billion people in 16 Asian countries. Globally Fortumo covers 95 countries and reaches over 3 billion end-users with its carrier billing solution.

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  • Indonesia to Import 1m Tons of Pakistan Rice in New Deal

    Indonesia to Import 1m Tons of Pakistan Rice in New Deal

    Indonesia to Import 1m Tons of Pakistan Rice in New Deal. Pakistan is the world 11th largest rice producer with annual production of 6.9 million tons milled rice.

    Indonesia will import 1 million metric tons of milled rice over the next four years from Pakistan, in a move to shield the country’s food security against volatile weather patterns.

    The two governments, represented by Indonesia’s Trade Minister Thomas Trikasih Lembong and Pakistan’s Ambassador to Indonesia Mohammad Aqil Nadeem, signed a memorandum of understanding on Tuesday.

    The deal, with an estimated worth of $400 million in imports between 2016 and 2019, will be executed by Indonesia’s procurement agency, Bulog, and Pakistan’s Trading Corporation of Pakistan.

    Indonesia currently has similar MoU with Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam, though only some of the deals have been realized.

    Pakistan is the world 11th largest rice producer with annual production of 6.9 million tons of milled rice.

    The country saw trade with Indonesia rise 27 percent to $2.2 billion last year following a Preferential Trade Agreement in 2013.

    Indonesia enjoyed $1.8 billion surplus in the trade, thanks to its palm oil exports.

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  • Online retailer Daraz raises $55 M

    Online retailer Daraz raises $55 M

    Online retailer Daraz, which has presence in Pakistan Daraz.pk, Bangladesh Daraz.bd and Myanmar shop.com.mm, has secured EUR50 million ($55 million) in its first major financing round. 

    The investment comes from the CDC Group, the UK Government’s Development Finance Institution (DFI) focused on supporting and developing businesses in Africa and South Asia – as well as Daraz’s existing investor Asia-Pacific Internet Group (APACIG).

    Founded in Pakistan in 2012 as an online fashion business, it has since then has expanded its business model to a general marketplace for quality brands within electronics, home appliances, fashion and many other categories.

    The company said the funding will be used to continue to grow the business in existing markets and for expansion into other frontier markets in Asia.

    “Taking the e-commerce business model into these exciting markets is a fascinating journey. Although internet penetration is still relatively low, the market is developing fast and its potential is immense,” said Bjarke Mikkelsen, CEO of Daraz. “By making Daraz a success, we are not only building a great business but also creating jobs and infrastructure in the countries we operate in – that’s what makes it so exciting”.

    Daraz is part of APACIG, a joint venture between German internet platform Rocket Internet and Qatari telecommunications provider Ooredoo which began its operations in the region early in 2014.

    Today, it is one of the fastest growing internet platforms in the  region, currently 14 e-commerce companies in 15 countries.

    Hanno Stegmann, CEO of APACIG, said Daraz is one of the most promising companies in their portfolio.

    Last month, it  announced today an ambitious plan to launch one new startup company every three months, which it says is part of the strategy to build one of the largest Internet platforms in the APAC region.

    The first company to be launched as part of the  strategy will be online beauty marketplace Vaniday, starting in Australia. The marketplace offers curated selection of offers and can book treatments such as massages, hair appointments and manicures.

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