New mobile services
August 26 2006: The announcement by the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority that mobile phone services will soon be available to those living in Azad Jammu and Kashmir and the Northern Areas is welcome news. Those living in these remote areas have since long been unable to participate in the telecom revolution that has taken the rest of the country by storm. In the past security and strategic reasons were often cited for not extending mobile phone services to these regions and only the army-operated Special Communications Organisation was allowed to offer limited service, and that too in the major cities of which there aren’t too many. However, the earthquake of Oct 8. last year changed all that and the ensuing tragedy must have softened the hearts of those who were still resisting opening the region to mobile phone services.
The introduction of these services will increase the teledensity rate (measured in terms of the percentage of the population with access to a mobile or landline connection) which has jumped to 27 per cent from a mere 3. 66 per cent just four years ago. The total number of mobile phone connections in the country, according to government figures, stands at over 35 million and this is an indication of the astounding level of growth of cellular-led communications services. In this age of rapid and affordable communication, people residing in remote areas of the country also have the right to enjoy the fruits of growth in modern telecommunications and keep in touch with their loved ones, many of which have migrated to cities like Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad to pursue work. Of course, technology comes with a price. Those who use cellular phones services in the cities often complain of unreliable connectivity, bad or inaudible voice quality and faulty billing. There are other problems as well and one hopes that when the mobile phone companies begin operation in AJK and the Northern Areas they will try and keep quality of service in mind as well. Also, the PTA would do well to ensure that the interests of mobile phone users, especially their right to have a reliable and affordable service, are safeguarded.
Source: The News
Date:8/26/2006
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