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Through this collaboration, MMBL and Daraz will provide adequate opportunities to promote Small and Medium Size Enterprises (SMEs), more so now as the e-commerce platform is going through an all-time boom via the 11.11 sale.
Both the organizations are firmly committed to promoting women’s financial inclusion through the provision of enabling digital financial ecosystem that contributes directly towards empowering this underserved, yet influential segment, which comprises almost half of the country’s population.
MMBL’s flagship program, Women Inspirational Network (WIN), and Daraz’s Ibtida would together provide an incredible boost to our joint mission of upskilling women entrepreneurs and provide them easy access to digitally equipped growth opportunities.
Sharing his enthusiasm, Ehsan Saya, Managing Director at DarazPakistan, said: “We strongly believe women are not only the cornerstone of our society but instrumental in securing a better future for Pakistan. One of the most amazing things about our platform is how easily female entrepreneurs can sell their products all over Pakistan – empowering them is the epitome of uplifting communities.”
This partnership will allow freshly onboarded MMBL female sellers to be charged zero per cent commission for the first three months, giving them ample time to set up their businesses.
Moreover, female sellers from Daraz will be able to apply for MMBL loans at concessional rates.
ISLAMABAD: Supernet Limited, one of Pakistan’s leading telecommunications service providers and systems integrators, has secured telecommunication projects worth Rs100 million
A statement issued on Monday said that the company had been awarded three equipment supply projects consisting of equipment and services in the domains of satellite communications, telecommunications, and power with a combined equivalent value of Rs. 100 million.
The projects have been awarded by a strategic organization thereby expanding the customer base of its Telecommunications and Defense Business Unit, said a news release issued here on Monday.
The equipment and associated support and warranty services shall support the customer’s large communications network in the country. Supernet has already successfully delivered one project in totality.
The second project is on track to be completed by the end of November 2021 with the third one expected to reach completion in the 1st quarter of 2022. Head of BU, Telecoms and Defense at Supernet Ali Akhtar, said, “We are thrilled to have been awarded these projects with each one being awarded through a competitive bidding process resulting in our solutions being picked as the best techno-commercial ones.”
“We have successfully been able to on board a new client, widening our customer base, and we’ve done it by winning significant business right off the bat. We are as always, grateful to our customers for their trust and confidence in us as well the cooperation of our partners in our supply chain”, he added.
Supernet Limited, one of Pakistan’s leading telecommunications service providers and systems integrators, has been operating since 1995. Supernet offers a full portfolio of local-to-global integrated communications infrastructure solutions to Telecoms, Defense, Enterprise and government entities.
Supernet’s “Connectivity” products and services include a broad spectrum of Wide Area Network (WAN) and Metropolitan Area Network (MAN) solutions based on satellite, fiber optics, microwave and radios.
In recent years, Supernet has established its expertise in domains including cyber security, power, networking, and surveillance solutions as part of its “Beyond Connectivity” initiative thereby offering a richer portfolio of solutions and services to customers.
Subsequent to the imposition of the ban on July 20, 2021, the PTA remained in communications with the TikTok management.
As a result of continuous engagement, senior management of the platform assured PTA of its commitment to take necessary measures to control unlawful content in accordance with local laws and societal norms.
The company also assured that the users who are continuously involved in uploading unlawful content will be blocked from using the platform.
Keeping in view the assurances, the authority has decided to lift the ban on TikTok forthwith.
The PTA will continue to monitor the platform in order to ensure that unlawful content contrary to Pakistan’s law and societal values is not disseminated.
KARACHI: Ericsson (NASDAQ:ERIC) has announced the appointment of Aamir Ahsan Khan as Country Manager of Ericsson Pakistan, according to a statement issued on Thursday.
Aamir is set to lead a strong cross-functional team aided by a network of partners to support communication service providers and increase Ericsson’s digital footprint in the country.
Having joined Ericsson 14 years ago, Aamir brings forward progressive and professional experience in information technology, telecommunication, and management, with a proven record of increasing business through relationship-based client management and streamlined processes.
“I am thrilled to lead Ericsson Pakistan during such an exciting time when connectivity is transforming industries and helping us reimagine the possible,” Aamir said.
“In my capacity as Country Manager, I aspire to build strong strategies that will not only innovate our current client offerings, but grow Ericsson’s regional business, and support the digital transformation momentum in the country. By working together with various public and private business partners in Pakistan, I aspire to accelerate digital innovation in the country and prepare Pakistan for the digital era.”
The PTA said that unwanted calls/messages can be disruptive, but there are measures to minimize them.
For blocking telemarketing communication, a person needs to register his number on the “Do Not Contact Register (DNCR)”. In order to register the person need to send a message by typing ‘reg’ and SMS to 3627.
To allow telemarketing communication again, type ‘unreg’ and SMS to 3627.
The PTA said that concerned service provider may be contacted in case of issue or for details about tariff/subscription charges.
To block spamming/unsolicited communication, the PTA issued procedure under which a person should type spammer’s cell number, give a space, paste the received message and SMS to 9000.
SMS charges of PKR 0.10 (inclusive of taxes) apply for each SMS to prevent abuse of facility.
For blocking obnoxious/unknown calls and SMSs, the PTA suggested to dial *420# (for Jazz, Telenor & Ufone subscribers) or 420 (for ZONG subscribers). Concerned service provider may be contacted to get detail about tariff/subscription.
The regulator further said that in case an issue is not resolved, the complaint may be lodged to PTA through an online complaint management system:
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Telecom Company, Ufone has secured its largest syndicated financing facility jointly led by MCB Bank Limited (MCB) (Agent bank), Allied Bank Limited (ABL), Bank of Punjab (BoP), National Bank of Pakistan (NBP), and United Bank Limited (UBL) to fund the acquisition and rollout of its 4G services across Pakistan.
President and Group CEO, PTCL & Ufone, HatemBamatraf signed the agreement for the syndicated financing of PKR 21 billion at a ceremony held in Islamabad, which was also attended by President, MCB Bank, Imran Maqbool; Group Head, Corporate Finance & International Banking, MCB Bank, Mr. ShoaibMumtaz; President Allied Bank, AizidRazzaq Gill; Chief, Corporate & Investment Banking, Allied Bank, OwaisShahid; Head Investment Banking, Bank of Punjab, Umer Khan, AbidKitchlew Divisional Head C&IBG, National Bank, and Farooq Ahmed Khan Group Head Corporate & Investment Banking, United Bank Ltd .
Ufone has recently been awarded 4G Spectrum License as a result of competitive bidding during the spectrum auction held by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA). The company’s investment in 4G spectrum will go onto enhancing its network capacity and readiness besides delivering superior connectivity and user experience to its customers.
Speaking at the ceremony President and Group CEO, PTCL & Ufone, HatemBamatraf expressed his gratitude to the banking consortium for the timely financial support and said “The Financing Solution will go a long way in bringing high quality mobile broadband services to the people of Pakistan. It will improve quality of network services and usher in a host of socio-economic opportunities for growth and development for our customers” He further added “ It is a mutual goal that both Pakistan’s banking and telecom industries are working to achieve in order to create shared value for the communities we serve.”
KARACHI: Xiaomi, a global consumer electronics and smartphone giant, has decided to manufacture mobile phones in Pakistan. In this connection, Xiaomi has joined hands with Select Technologies (Pvt) Limited (SELECT), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Air Link Communication Limited (AIRLINK), as its manufacturing partner for Xiaomi mobile phones in Pakistan.
“We are targeting a production of initially around 2.5 – 3 million handsets annually subject to smooth supply chain which is expected to add approximately $450 million annually in top line revenue numbers and will have a material incremental impact on the EPS [earnings per share] of the company other than the normal course of business,” said a statement issued by Air Link Communication Limited on Monday.
According to the company, the production facility will be located adjacent to the AIRLINK’s existing state of the art mobile manufacturing facility at Quaid-e-Azam Industrial Estate, Kot Lakhpat, Lahore.
The production facility will facility is anticipated to be operational within the month of January 2022.
“… SELECT will be the manufacturing partner whereas AIRLINK will continue to be one of the largest distributors of Xiaomi phones in Pakistan,” the company added.
Courtesy the manufacturing of Xiaomi phones by SELECT, AIRLINK expects to substantially increase its distribution and retail business of Xiaomi phones in Pakistan.
Facebook at its annual developer conference announced to change the name to Meta. The company said it would better “encompass” what it does, as it broadens its reach beyond social media into areas like virtual reality.
According to BBC, the company, which announced the change at its annual developer conference, said it would better “encompass” what the firm now does. It also revealed plans for a metaverse – an online world where people can game, work and communicate in a virtual environment, often using VR headsets.
The name change follows a series of negative stories about Facebook, based on documents leaked by an ex-employee.
“The metaverse is the next frontier,” Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg said in a presentation at Facebook’s Connect conference, held virtually on Thursday. “From now on, we’re going to be metaverse-first, not Facebook-first.”
Facebook’s name change is the most definitive signal so far of the company’s intention to stake its future on a new computing platform — the metaverse, an idea born in the imaginations of sci-fi novelists, according to Bloomberg.
In Facebook’s vision, people will congregate and communicate by entering virtual environments, whether they’re talking with colleagues in a boardroom or hanging out with friends in far-flung corners of the world.
The company has announced its financial results for the nine months period ended on September 30, 2021 at its Board of Directors’ meeting on October 18, 2021.
PTCL Group posted revenue of Rs 102.4Billion in first nine months of 2021 that is 7 per cent higher as compared to the same period of last year.
U Bank continued its growth momentum and has achieved 23 per cent growth in revenue.
PTML (Ufone) also posted revenue growth of 4.6 per cent despite stiff competition in the market.
PTCL Group delivered robust financial and operational performance and posted a net profit of Rs 3.7Billion as compared to Rs 1.6 Billion for the same period of last year.
PTCL’s revenue of Rs 57.3 Billion for the nine months period is 7.3 per cent higher than the same period last year, mainly driven by Broadband and Corporate & Wholesale business segments.
The company has posted operating profit of Rs 3.7 Billion, which is higher by 44.3 per cent compared to the same period of last year.
Net profit of Rs 5.7 Billion has significantly increased by 39.2 per cent from last year.
The company is upgrading its existing infrastructure and network, besides expanding FTTH across the country to offer seamless connectivity for greater customer experience. Prompt deployment of FTTHand strong performance in Corporate and Wholesale segments are the cornerstone in PTCL’s topline growth, which along with focus on cost optimization program, has significantly increased the company’s profitability.
PTCL Consumer Business showed consistent performance as it reports 5th straight quarter of growth. During the 9 months of 2021, company’s Fixed Broadband business grew by 12.7 per cent YoY, whereas PTCL IPTV segment also grew by 13.5 per cent. Within broadband business, the groundbreaking PTCL Flash Fiber, Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) service showed a tremendous growth of57.5 per cent, whereas PTCL Charji /Wireless Broadband Segment grew by 17.8 per cent.Voice revenue stream has declined on account of lower voice traffic and continued conversion of customers to OTT services.
Business services segment continued its momentum sustaining market leadership in IP Bandwidth, Cloud, Data Center and other ICT services segments. PTCL’s Corporate business grew by 12.9 per cent as compared to the same period last year, while Carrier and Wholesale business continued its growth momentum and achieved 10.3 per cent overall revenue growth. International voice revenue has shown declining trend like domestic voice revenue.
Being the national telecom carrier and connectivity backbone in Pakistan, PTCL Group strives to provide innovative solutions to accelerate growth for a ‘Digital Pakistan’ through robust telecommunication infrastructure and enhanced customer experience.
On the wireless portfolio, PTML (Ufone) acquired additional 9 MHz 4G spectrum in the 1800 MHz Band in NGMS spectrum auction in September 2021, fulfilling its commitment to provide enhanced customer experience through quality services across Pakistan. The additional spectrum will meet the increasing demand for wireless data products amongst the consumers in Pakistan in addition to providing innovative products and services.
After acquisition of 4G spectrum, Ufone intends to fully modernize its network and further enhance its coverage across Pakistan. The network upgradation and modernization has already started paying dividends with significant improvement in data user experience for customers.
In addition to the acquisition of 4G spectrum in Pakistan, Ufone has also renewed and acquired more spectrum in Azad Jammu & Kashmir/Gilgit Baltistan to bolster its existing service. Through this, it has reaffirmed its commitment to provide quality data services to the people of Pakistan and AJK/GB.
UBank, the microfinance and branchless banking subsidiary of PTCL, continued its growth trajectory and has achieved 23 per cent growth in its revenue over the corresponding period last year, by increasing its advances portfolio and treasury investments. The bank grew its funding book to a PKR 70 Billion by leveraging on its deposit and corporate finance arms, which is in line with the bank’s ambition to maintain its superior liquidity position. Major strategic initiatives undertaken by the bank include venturing into the Low-Cost Housing, International Remittance, and Islamic Banking space. The bank plans to invest in technology to make the most of the opportunities available on the digital banking front.
PTCL Razakaar, PTCL’s employee volunteer force, arranged open-air picnics for over a thousand children across 17 locations in Pakistan in collaboration with schools, orphan homes and charity organizations.
PTCL Group has so far vaccinated 98 per cent of its employees in one of the largest staff vaccination drive by a corporate company in the country, demonstrating duty of care to its people and ensuring the safety of people it serves.
The PTA said that after dismissal of a petition from Islamabad High Court, PTA has renewed Jazz License due for renewal since 2019.
Renewed License has enhanced terms and conditions for coverage and Quality of Service, as established during the recent Pakistan Spectrum Auction.
The license signing was held at PTA Headquarters on Monday.
The license is renewed at a price of $449.2 Million out of which Jazz has already paid $333.64 million on account of license renewal fee and applicable markup.
