PTCL invested $83 million to enhance Ufone network capacity
ISLAMABAD .Jan 08: Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) has invested US$ 83 million to enhance network capacity of Ufone and one million more connection will be provided to customers by June this year, said Chairman PTCL, Akhtar Ahmad Bajwa.
Talking to APP here on Wednesday, Bajwa said at present Ufone has 0.6 million connections capacity and the expansion contract has already been signed to further expanding the network capacity.
He said Ufone, a subsidiary of PTCL, would resume sales with increased capacity and improved network coverage within next few months.
He said Ufone is the first and the only cellular company in the country, providing new services including Pay via SMS, Ufone Guide, Ufone TELE SMS and some other to its customers.
The number of wireless and mobile cellular users is expected to surpass the number of fixed line users during next few years, he said in response to a question.
He said (PTCL) is all set to introduce pre-paid billing card system from this month to facilitate its consumers. The people would be able to pay their bills without going any where through their line phones, Akhtar Bajwa added.
He said initially this service is being introduced in Islamabad and by June this year, would be extended to Karachi, Lahore and other big cities of the country.
Akhtar Bajwa said this service will ensure timely payment of telephone bills without the burden of standing in long queues and enable them to deposit their bills without any hassles.
The Chairman said the pre-paid cards, having denominations of Rs 300 to 2000, would be easily available at all PTCL customer service centres and private shops.
The Chairman said as the new era of competitiveness in telecom sector was set to begin, PTCL has adopted numerous measures to keep consumers satisfied and attached with the company.
He said to retain the corporate customers in the competitive scenario to emerge after deregulation of the telecom sector, PTCL has focussed its marketing and customer care areas.
The Chairman said to facilitate corporate consumers who contributes about 70 percent revenues of the organisation, PTCL has set-up special corporate customer centres in Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi.
He said to provide better and improved infrastructure to the customers, PTCL has initiated a project of optical fibre access (broad band access), which will start functioning by June this year.
The another project being started by PTCL is billing and customer care to facilitate the total five million customers, he said, adding the residential customers who are 75 percent of total customers and contribute 30 percent of revenues, will largely benefit from the project.
He said under this project, 2800 exchanges of PTCL throughout the country would be inter-linked so as to get on-line information.
The Chairman said to provide telecom facility to the people of rural areas of the country, a new project – Wireless Local Loop (WLL) is being launched from June this year through which 6000 new villages would be linked with PTCL network.
After implementation of this project total number of villages linked with network would reach 24000, which would be 50 percent of total villages of the country, he added.
Bajwa said during last six months, PTCL has provided about 0.25 million new connections while 21 new cities were added on optical fibre, reaching total of 426 cities.
He said during last six months, PTCL added 154 new digital and most modern exchanges on its network.
The Chairman said work on PTCL Cable TV is also in process and would be launched by December this year.
He said the organisation, on the directions of Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunications had already taken substantial steps for the promotion of IT in the country.
Over 1730 cities and towns of the country have been illuminated with the Internet facility while the rest will also be provided with the facility in near future, he added.
To a question, he said, performance of PTCL will not be affected after deregulation as the Company has given added impetus to its human resources development related pursuits.
The existing work-force of PTCL is well equipped with the modern managerial and telecom skills and have the potential to compete with the present day challenges, he said, adding, the organisation has taken a number of measures for human resource development.
PTCL is also investing in human resources development sending its professionals abroad under certain projects, he said.
Source: Business Recorder
Date:1/8/2004
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