Editor’s Blog (IT Insight)

I must say I’m impressed by PTCL’s quick service in two latest offerings by them:

1. Broadband Pakistan
2. IPTV service (which is not yet launched fully)

Maybe it is because I live in Islamabad, but for some reason PTCL is acting really fast. Some say that is because of heated competition in the market. Gone are the days when we had to get a ’safarish’ (reference) of a VIP to get even a phone line installed in our homes. PTCL now gives many services on just a phone call after Etisalat acquired it and the market became full of telcos.

Imagine! I was just browsing PTCL’s website and came across this new broadband service by them, I clicked on signup form and just filled it up to see what happens next. Here we go, I got a message that I will be called for this and I thought “Yeah rite! ;)”. To my surprise, I got a call next day at around 10:00am, asking me “Sir, should we come to install DSL at your home?”. I was like what? Are you really from PTCL? I told them I’m already using another ISP for DSL, they helped me out in getting myself unscubscribed from the other ISP and I was using PTCL’s broadband the same evening.

The latest surprise came to me when I got a call froma lady saying “Sir, I’m calling from PTCL. We’re offering IPTV for free to our valued DSL customers. IPTV is this.. that.. blah blah!” I was like “Hey! I’m interested, now plz stop! and tell me what to do next?”. She said “Our engineers will come to your place and give you free equipment and you will be able to use our IPTV service FREE for 2 months”. And here they were, IPTV is now here in my room and its working excellent.

Yesterday, Omantel acquired 65% stake in WorldCall. Interestingly, like Etisalat and China Mobile, Omantel also has no experience of doing business in a competitive environment.

Etisalat when acquired PTCL was a monopoly operator at home (UAE), whereas PTCL had to compete with 12 other LDI (Local Distance & International) operators in Pakistan. Similarly, China Mobile’s first international acquisition was Paktel. China Mobile also has no experience of working in a competitive environment. Now Omantel, which was recently privatized, has to compete with around 14 telecom operators in the country (if we include PTCL as well).

The question is whether these three monopoly-loving companies will be able to survive (or succeed in the next stage) in Pakistan’s de-regularized telecom industry?