Cellular mobile phone culture rapidly growing: PTA

According to a special report compiled by Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) recently, the Cellular mobile phone culture is rapidly growing in Pakistan, as the number of cell phone users has increased at a rate of 172.7 percent during the last one year. As per data compiled by the PTA, the total number of cell phone subscribers was 2.4 millions on June 30, 2003,while it has crossed the level of 6.4 millions on June 30, 2004.
Meanwhile, the award of licenses to two new cell phone operators through open auction to a UAE based Al Warid and Norway based Telenor has increased the growth pattern in the cell phone industry, the report adds.
Further during the last few months more than 4.5 millions new subscribers have entered into the family of cell phone users. As per calculations of PTA, the cell phone population will touch the level of 10 millions from existing 6.85 million, by the end of the current fiscal year. These calculations are made on the bases of market data. Compiled, and surveys conducted by the PTA experts.
As per the information Mobilink remains at the top of the list of four mobile operators as it has the largest subscriber base as per report. Mobilink according to information retained 4.23 million users on October 31, 2004 while Ufone 1.61 million users, Insta phone 0.56 million users, Paktel 0.35 million users on period ending October 31 2004, the report adds.
Meanwhile, award of two new cell phone licenses to world class cell phone service providers has ignited a "war" among the four existing companies to bring more and more users into their net.
The competition would further increase when the two new companies commence their services in the first quarter of the next year. "It would not only increase the population of cell phone users but also decline in the call rates significantly", the report predicts.
The contents of the PTA report additionally reveal that fixed line teledensity is 3 percent with a number of 4.46 million land line users, while mobile phone teledensity is 4.56 percent, with a subscriber base of about 6.8 million. With the beginning of service by the two new entrants, another three million subscribers would add into the said cell phone population in 2005 to make it 10 million, the report concludes.