Cell phones have become as common as a toothbrush among many Pakistanis. The perceived needs for the two are quite similar - they are handy, essential, indispensable, and quite good for some oral exercise.
And the latest numbers released for cellular subscription in Pakistan for 1QFY11 prove that the popularity of the multipurpose gadget has indeed spiraled with the number of subscribers in the country crossing the 100 million mark.
The show stealer amongst the mobile service providers was Zong, which outperformed its counterparts by registering an increase of 11 percent over FY10 in its subscription base for 1QFY11, helping it achieve an approx 60 basis points increase in its market share.
The picture, however, was not as rosy for Mobilink, the subscriber base of which fell by over 2 percent this quarter compared to where it stood at the end of FY10. Still, Mobilink continues to be the market leader, albeit its market share dropped from 32.5 percent at end FY10 to slightly over 31 percent for 1QFY11.
The rapid growth of cellular penetration in Pakistan is remarkable, and with an average growth of 6 percent in FY09 and FY10, and a greater awareness and extensive marketing by the service providers, the trend of mobile penetration is expected to increase further over the years.
The increasing use of mobile telephony spells even more benefits for the country, Telenors Easypaisa being a very successful and prominent example. The ICT Development Report 2010 also highlights m-health as an additional means of exploiting the widespread cellular penetration.
"M-health or other applications, including telemedicine, can deliver healthcare services at a distance, by providing and exchanging information for diagnosis, treatment and prevention of diseases and injuries," says the report.
Improved mobile penetration can also potentially help increase internet penetration in the country, in particular broadband penetration, which stood at a low 0.95 million at end August 2010 - a small percentage compared to mobile subscriptions.
Since installing mobile broadband requires less investment than fixed broadband connections, it can be a viable option. In addition, a mobile signal can span multiple localities and reach several people more easily than fixed broadband connections.
Consequently, the introduction of the 3-G mobile cellular signal, an advanced technology that merges PC applications with the functionalities of mobile phones, will be a very welcome development for the country.
Lessons can be drawn from Bangladesh which launched Grameenphone, a mobile broadband service using 3-G technology, which has over 4.5 million subscribers, helping increase internet penetration considerably in the country. According to a study conducted by the Boston Consulting Group, the number of internet subscribers in Bangladesh will increase to 20 million by 2020.
Heeding to the options mentioned above, and looking at the extraordinary growth of mobile phone usage in Pakistan, numerous potential benefits can be reaped out of the extensive cellular penetration.
With policy makers seriously exploring the introduction of 3-G technology in the country, prospects appear even brighter for the telecom sector. Its about time the cellular services companies think beyond merely increasing the subscription base and think along more innovative lines.
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