Jazz, Pakistan’s leading digital operator and a subsidiary of the VEON Group, has announced a partnership with Infobip, a global cloud communications provider, to offer a one-window communication suite to Jazz Partner Enterprises.
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Jazz, one of Pakistan’s largest telecom operators, is closely monitored by Pakistan Revenue, which is dedicated to providing readers with the latest updates on Jazz’s financial activities and developments.
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Jazz pays $106 million for license renewal
ISLAMABAD: Jazz, leading cellular mobile operator in Pakistan, has paid around $106 million as fee for license renewal, said an official statement issued Tuesday.
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Jazz, Ericsson collaborate to boost digital skills in Pakistan
KARACHI: Jazz, Pakistan’s leading digital operator, has partnered with Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) to boost digital skills for their entrepreneurial community in Pakistan through the Ericsson Educate program with an aim to accelerate local innovation, according to a statement released on Monday.
This year long partnership comes under Jazz xlr8, Pakistan’s premier accelerator program for startups, and aims to solidify Ericsson and Jazz’s mission to enhance the nation’s digital skills and increase access to education in the country.
Promoting the portal locally through Jazz’s own youth-oriented programs, Jazz will also work towards upskilling local talents and increasing the readiness of youths for jobs in the telecom and ICT sectors.
The Ericsson Educate platform will strengthen the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) skills of selected youth through a well-curated online course on 21st-century technologies that include 5G networks, Internet of Things (IoT), automation, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Machine Learning (ML). Upon successful completion of the course, participants will receive Ericsson-accredited digital badges of recognition, boosting their portfolios in the job market.
Commenting on this momentous development, Aamer Ejaz, Jazz’s Chief Digital Officer said, “We are thrilled to partner with Ericsson to elevate digital skills in youth and entrepreneurs across Pakistan. Being inclusive, scalable, and easy to use, Ericsson Educate will help us provide participants access to quality educational content on some of the most transformative digital technologies revolutionizing the nation today.”
Aamir Ahsan Khan, President and Country Manager of Ericsson Pakistan, said: “By leveraging our strong global expertise in the industry 4.0 space, Ericsson will also support Jazz to conduct webinars run by Ericsson experts focused on emerging and next-generation technologies, providing participants valuable insights to prosper in the digital age.”
Through close collaboration with Jazz, the Ericsson Educate program will offer adequate and inclusive learning opportunities to upskill the digital talents of youth and entrepreneurs across Pakistan, in turn accelerating the digital development of the country.
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Jazz supports breast cancer awareness campaign
KARACHI: Aimed at raising awareness on breast cancer, Jazz, Pakistan’s leading digital operator and the largest internet and broadband service provider, conducted month-long campaigns to drive reinforcement for prevention, reminder of periodic checkups, and educate the masses including its own employees.
Pakistan has the highest incidence of breast cancer among Asian countries; one in nine women is at risk of being diagnosed with breast cancer, and 40,000 women die of breast cancer every year, out of which only 19,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer.
Jazz offices and experience centers were lit up pink to serve as a reminder and draw attention to this critically important message, encouraging women to have regular check-ups and destigmatize the taboos associated with breast cancer.
Additionally, the company collaborated with Pink Ribbon to organize nationwide awareness sessions for all branches and joined hands with Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre for SMS and billboard awareness campaigns.
“Jazz is committed to empowering Pakistani women through the power of the internet by providing digital access to effective, quality essential health care services. With over 21,000 women remaining undiagnosed with breast cancer, our campaigns were aimed at creating conversation around this topic. Our thoughts and prayers remain with those who have lost their lives fighting against breast cancer,” said Sabahat Bokhari, Head of D&I, Jazz.
Shaukat Khanum, Pink Ribbon, and ITTEHAD teams also visited Jazz offices to highlight the importance of breast cancer early detection, destigmatizing the examination, timely diagnosis, and efficient treatment methods. Jazz has provided employees with Pink Cards (valid for family members as well), which offer females up to 50% discount on various healthcare tests such as hormone profiles, and mammograms, among other women-related medical tests.
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Cellular mobile operators provide free calls in Pakistan
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) directed cellular mobile operators to provide free on-net voice calls to their subscribers in flood hit areas.
In a statement, the PTA said cellular mobile operators will provide free on-net voice calls to all their subscribers in flood affected areas with Zero / Nil balance.
According to the PTA, there will be no call setup charges applicable on call connection and customers having no balance will be able to make on-net calls.
PTA is continuously monitoring the communication channels in the affected areas, ensuring connectivity and providing updates, where necessary.
READ MORE: SBP issues IBAN list for donations to PM flood relief fund
Furthermore, the PTA has allocated a short code of 9999 to enable mobile phone subscribers to donate to Prime Minister Flood Relief Fund 2022. Users can donate Rs10 by typing ‘fund’ in SMS option and sending to 9999.
The PTA in another statement said that due to flash floods, damage to optical fiber cable and power outage, connectivity services have been impacted in Chitral, Upper Dir, Donbala, Swat, Medan, Lal Qila Samarbaghidar, Tank and Dera Ismail Khan.
In comply with the directives of PTA, Telenor has announced free calls to people in flood affected areas.
The company said that it had allowed free Telenor to Telenor calls to victims of flood hit areas. The company said that it stand with the people of such areas in these difficult times.
Another leading mobile phone operator i.e. Jazz announced to facilitate with free calls to people of flood hit areas. In this regard, the company provided free minutes to Jazz to Jazz and Jazz to PTCL to support relief activities in the areas.
The company further said that subscribers in Balochistan can make calls without having balance for one tonight. Furthermore, it announced to start this free calls services soon in Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
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Jazz announces free calls to calamity hit Balochistan
KARACHI: Jazz, the leading cellular service provider in Pakistan, on Monday announced free calls to facilitate the people of calamity hit Balochistan.
In a statement, the operator said that in order to facilitate the people of Balochistan during this calamity, all Jazz to Jazz and PTCL calls are free.
READ MORE: Floods affect telecom services: PTA
Despite extremely challenging conditions, all efforts are being made to ensure the provision of essential telecom services in flood-affected areas.
Earlier, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) had said that the recent flash floods in Balochistan have caused multiple optic fiber breaks impacting voice and data services in Lasbela, Kech, Panjgoor, Gwadar, Awaran, Ziarat, Mastung and adjoining areas.
READ MORE: Norwegian envoy calls on PTA Chairman
About 343 cell sites of three cellular mobile operators (Telenor, Ufone and Zong) and PTCL had been affected due to floods.
Efforts are being made to resolve this unprecedented situation. PTA is working with the concerned operators for early restorations of affected communication channels.
READ MORE: FBR, PTA introduce temporary registration of cell phones
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Jazz, Telenor seek reduction in taxation
ISLAMABAD: Phone carriers in Pakistan including Jazz and Telenor have sought reduction in taxation.
Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Miftah Ismail held a meeting with delegation of telecom sector comprising of CEO Jazz Aamir Ibrahim and CEO Telenor Pakistan Irfan Wahab Khan, at Finance Division on Wednesday.
Federal Minister for IT and Telecommunication Syed Amin-ul-Haq, Chairman Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), Chairman Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and other senior officers attended the meeting.
The delegation briefed the finance minister on the contribution of IT sector in the economic development of Pakistan.
READ MORE: PITB, Faysal Bank sign MoU to facilitate freelancers
It was shared that currently IT and Telecommunication sector is facing various issues including serious challenge of profitability.
In same view, the delegation requested for reduction in taxation over the items that hardly fall under purview of luxury goods.
It was also shared that growth of IT and telecommunication not only contributes in increasing the exports but also in overall growth of GDP.
READ MORE: FBR establishes IT center against cyber security attacks
The finance minister acknowledged the role of IT and Telecommunication in overall economic development of the country.
Moreover, the Finance Minister assured the delegation of all possible support regarding taxation issues and emphasized to make greater contribution in enhancement of IT and Telecom related exports.
The delegation thanked the finance minister for support and cooperation.
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Jazz invests Rs14.9 billion during first quarter
KARACHI: Jazz has invested PKR 14.9 billion under its ‘4G for all’ ambition during the first quarter of 2022, taking its overall investment in Pakistan to US$10.2 billion, according to a statement on Thursday.
A majority of its capital expenditure during this quarter was on the addition of approximately 500 new 4G sites, reaching a population coverage of its 4G service to 55.7per cent.
READ MORE: Jazz recognized for driving change beyond workplace
This network expansion played a key role in increasing Jazz’s 4G customer base by 27.8 percent YoY to reach 36.7 million while its overall subscriber base touched close to 75 million.
The performance of its digital services during the quarter solidified Jazz’s position as the country’s leading digital operator. Its digital financial service, JazzCash, reached 15.7 million monthly active users and 145, 000 active merchants. Its self-care app, Jazz World, continued to enjoy strong customer adoption levels with monthly active users growing by 23.1per cent YoY to reach 10.5 million.
READ MORE: Jazz Digital Park inaugurated in Islamabad
Jazz CEO Aamir Ibrahim, said, “We are continuously investing in expanding the outreach and capacity of our 4G network mainly in semi-urban and rural areas to empower the underserved, especially women, to benefit from the digital services portfolio we offer.
READ MORE: Jazz’s investment in Pakistan crosses $10 billion
“Jazz remains committed to addressing the barriers to an inclusive digital ecosystem, including device affordability, so our fellow citizens can access health, financial, and other life-enhancing services through mobile broadband.”
Other streaming and entertainment platforms such as Tamasha, Bajao, Jazz Cricket, and Deikho, also enjoyed further growth as their quarterly usage increased multiple times YoY.
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Projects worth Rs8 bn launched for broadband services
ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication (MOITT) has launched seven more projects worth over Rs8 billion to provide broadband services to over 2.5 million people in the un-served and under-served areas of the four provinces.
Out of total amount for the projects around Rs 3.5 billion projects allocated for Balochistan, according to a statement issued on Monday.
The projects were approved here on Monday at the 81st meeting of the Board of Directors of the Universal Service Fund (USF), since then, the number of projects for providing optical fiber cable and broadband services from 2018 to date has reached a record 56 and the total cost (subsidy) has exceeded Rs 52 billion.
READ MORE: Telenor gets Rs1.36bn contract for broadband services
The meeting was chaired by Secretary IT & Telecom and Chairman USF Board Dr. Muhammad Sohail Rajput while Chairman PTA Major General (Retd) Amir Azeem Bajwa, Member Telecom Muhammad Umar Malik, CEO Telenor Irfan Wahab Khan, Imran Akhtar Shah, Kokab Iqbal, Sibte Hassan Gardezi and other officials were present.
Chief Executive Officer USF Haaris Mahmood Chaudhry gave a detailed briefing to the Board about the projects.
READ MORE: Jazz awarded project worth Rs344 million for providing broadband service
Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Syed Amin-Ul-Haque, while congratulating the USF Board on the launch of the projects, said that whatever the political situation, the MOITT and its subsidiaries, especially the Universal Service Fund, continue to perform.
He said that Ministry of IT through USF is committed to connect the people in remote areas with digital world.
The minister said projects started during the tenure of present government are being ensured to complete in stipulated time. While for all the projects under the rules only the lowest bidding telecom operators were selected, he said.
Earlier addressing the meeting, Secretary IT and Chairman USF Board Dr. Muhammad Sohail Rajput said that the provision of broadband services to the residents of the un-served and under-served areas of the country is as much needed as for the big cities.
READ MORE: Telenor gets contract for providing broadband services
He said that while the implementation of projects for the four provinces has been ensured under the rules and regulations, the projects worth Rs 3.57 billion have been approved in principle, giving special importance to the deprived Balochistan.
Dr. Sohail Rajput further said that although the wide area of Balochistan and the provision of broadband services to the spread population is costlier than any other area, but the Board under the direction of Federal Minister for IT Syed Amin-Ul-Haque always included Balochistan in its priorities.
Meanwhile, according to the Projects approved at the USF Board of Directors meeting, the project to provide 4G services in Qila Saifullah and Zhob in Balochistan has been awarded to Pak Telecom Mobile Limited (Ufone) with total subsidy is Rs 3.57 billion while the completion period would be 18 months.
The project would facilitate to more than one hundred thousand populations of 111 villages spread over an area of 8,408 sq. km.
The plan to provide broadband services in Jhang, Bhakkar and Toba Tek Singh districts of Punjab has been given to Pakistan Mobile Company Limited (Jazz) on which the amount of subsidy given is Rs. 2.25 billion with one-year completion time.
READ MORE: Contracts worth Rs5.11 billion awarded for next generation broadband
In a short span of time, facilities will be provided to a population of over 1 million in 722 villages spread over an area of 8,925 sq. km. The meeting also approved the project of uninterrupted Voice and Broadband services on 95 km section of Hakla D.I Khan Motorway connecting Dera Ismail Khan, Lakki Marwat, Mianwali, Attock and Rawalpindi districts to Jazz at a subsidy of Rs 375.33 million.
Similarly, a plan to provide broadband service in six Mauzas on the outskirts of Islamabad has been handed over to Jazz at a cost of Rs. 11 million.
A project to provide mobile services in a Mauza of Mandi Bahauddin has also been handed over to Jazz at a cost of Rs. 22.6 million.
Under optical fiber cable (OFC) program, 555 km long fiber optical cable laying project in Larkana and Qambar Shahdad Kot districts of Sindh has been given to PTCL with total subsidy of Rs. 1.61 billion and completion period is one year.
By connecting the 62 union councils of these districts, it will be possible to provide high speed connectivity to the population of more than 1.2 million.
Another project under Optical Fiber Cable Program, PTCL was also given a project to lay 106 km long cable for a population of more than 136,000 in 6 Union Councils of Haripur and Islamabad out of total cost Rs. 410 million, the subsidy approved of Rs 235 million.
In addition, the USF Board of Directors has approved in principle the appointment of Ms. Alia Afridi from among the 3 shortlisted names after interviews of 37 candidates on the recommendations of the Human Resource Committee for the post of Company Secretary in the Universal Service Fund.
Ms. Alia Afridi has high academic qualifications and significant experience in the related field.
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Jazz recognized for driving change beyond workplace
KARACHI: To recognize the commitment in improving the lives and livelihood of women through technology, the Overseas Investors Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OICCI) awarded Jazz with the ‘Driving Change Beyond Workplace’ award at the Women Empowerment Awards 2021 held on Thursday.
Abdul Aleem, Secretary General, OICCI presented the award to Wajida Leclerc, Chief People Officer, Jazz.
READ MORE: OICCI organizes Women Empowerment Awards
Jazz is dedicated to enhancing diversity and women’s empowerment within its business model and focuses on uplifting women in the society through the power of the internet.
Female specific products and services are designed to help address many of the wider gender inequalities by digitally enabling them to access health, financial, and other life-enhancing services.
READ MORE: Jazz Digital Park inaugurated in Islamabad
The company’s digital financial service, JazzCash, under the GSMA Connected Women Commitment Initiative, has committed to increase the proportion of women in their mobile money customer base by 2023. In addition, all its sustainability programs ensure 50% women participation ranging from urban to rural areas so women can lead the change.
“Inclusivity being at the heart of all our policies, we have always paved the way for gender equality within the organization as well as the society at large. This recognition further validates our holistic approach towards empowering women internally and externally and renews our vigor as we move forward in our journey of creating a digitally inclusive ecosystem in Pakistan,” said Wajida Leclerc, Chief People Officer, Jazz.
READ MORE: Jazz’s investment in Pakistan crosses $10 billion
Jazz is an equal opportunity employer and is creating and nurturing an inclusive and empowering culture. It’s one of the first telecom companies with a high female representation in its executive leadership. Not only does the company promote gender diversity in its work environment, it also has programs focused entirely on attracting and facilitating the female gender including the most recent ‘She’s Back – Women Returnship Program’ for women looking to return to work following a career break. Jazz is among the few early adopters in Pakistan to fully commit itself to the Women Empowerment Principles, introduced by UN Women and the UN Global Compact that focus on steering corporates to promote gender equality and women empowerment.
Champions of Change Coalition, a globally recognized, high-profile coalition working to achieve change on gender equality issues recently welcomed Jazz CEO Aamir Ibrahim as the coalition’s member aiming to accelerate progress in creating more inclusive and progressive organizations in Pakistan.