• January 21, 2015
• Information Technology, Social Media

KARACHI: Cellular SIMs retailers on Tuesday complained about ‘harassment’ by law enforcers and feared the ‘coercive’ modus operandi may dislodge the entire re-verification process of customers through Biometric Verification System. Retailers said the government had assigned them a ‘big’ project to re-verify over 103 million SIMs across Sindh but the law enforcers’ actions pushed them […]

• January 12, 2015
• Information Technology

In fighting the multi-faceted war against militancy, we not only have to defeat the TTP and its allies but ensure they can never rise again. One of the many things that need to be done is to destroy their communications network. According to the government, there are over 100 million unregistered SIMs. It has now […]

• December 26, 2014
• Information Technology

Emrys Schoemaker is a communications expert in the consequences of technology adoption in societies and democracies, particularly communication technologies such as mobile phones and social media. He is the Director and co-founder of iMedia Associates, a UK-based firm that specialises in supporting communication for social change in countries including Pakistan, Nigeria, and Afghanistan. Emrys is […]

• September 23, 2013
• Information Technology

Sir: As expected, the prime minister’s recent announcement to block all ‘unregistered’ cell phone SIMs went completely unheeded. As the vague announcement did not clarify what kind of SIM would be considered unregistered, everyone thought it best to ignore the statement until something more specific was agreed upon. The misuse of SIMs is deeply related […]

• May 15, 2013
• Information Technology, New Media

ISLAMABAD: The Short Messaging Service (SMS) for verification of voters list launched by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), in collaboration with Nadra and telecom companies, received over 55 million hits and generated multi-million rupee revenues for each stakeholder. When contacted, Secretary ECP Ishtiaq Khan said on Tuesday the total hits on this service were […]

• January 22, 2013
• Information Technology

By: Jawwad Rizvi LAHORE: With the government insisting on the biometric verification of purchasers of SIMs, under the plans currently being debated is the installation of biometric verification units – each worth an estimated Rs50,000 – at all outlets selling SIMs. Prospective buyers will have to submit their finger and palm impressions, which will then […]

• January 21, 2013
• Information Technology

By: Farooq Tirmizi KARACHI: For Pakistan’s mobile telecommunications companies, the next source of revenue increases is one that has been with them all along: post-paid subscribers. All they need now is a strategy to make this market segment work for them. The marketing and business analysis departments of the mobile telecommunications companies in Pakistan are […]

• January 11, 2013
• Information Technology

By: Usman Cheema ISLAMABAD: It is expected that the mobile services will remain blocked in several areas of country on March 14 as a preventive measure to stop any possible terrorist activity in long march announced by Tahir-ul-Qadri. Industry would have to suffer a loss of Rs 1 billion again due to blockage of mobile […]