ISLAMABAD: After offering 3G trial service for few days in Pakistan, now cellular companies are all set to formally launch the 3G in major cities of Pakistan after paying 50% of license fee to Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA).
According to reports, Lahore, Karachi, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Peshawar, Quetta and Multan will be the first cities to receive 3G service from various cellular companies.
PTA might award licences to all telecom operators in a grand ceremony to be held at Prime Minister House next week.
Let’s take a look at each cellular service provider and its plans for 3G,
Mobilink:
Mobilink is the largest telecom operator in terms of users.
It is the only one to offer free 3G service in five cities of Pakistan namely, Faisalabad, Karachi, Multan, Quetta and Peshawar while others only offered in two or three cities.
According to reports, Mobilink will commercially launch 3G in Karachi, Quetta, Multan, Faisalabad, Lahore, Peshawar, Islamabad and Rawalpindi in next few days.
Ufone:
Ufone made most of 3G advertising campaign and it was the only operator to have offered 3G service in most organised manner, enabling customers to actually view a complete map of coverage area of their city on its website.
But Ufone played it safe and offered free 3G trial in Islamabad, Rawalpindi and Lahore only. Although reports are that Ufone will give same 3G deal to Karachiites in a day or two.
As for the commercial launch, Ufone is also aiming Karachi, Quetta, Multan, Faisalabad, Lahore, Peshawar, Islamabad and Rawalpindi.
But Ufone’s focus will remain on Islamabad, Rawalpindi and Lahore in terms of 3G specifically.
Telenor:
Telenor is the only company to have paid the licence fee to PTA, which means it is the only company to have the authority to launch 3G commercially for now.
And also Telenor was the first one to offer free 3G trial in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Karachi and Lahore.
However, Telenor will ignore Karachi and Lahore for some time when it will launch commercial 3G as company plans to strengthen its signals and networks in these two cities.
But Rawalpindi and Islamabad will receive a lot of attention from Telenor.
Zong:
Zong has been surprisingly quiet in 3G and 4G mega saga going on in Pakistan, provided the fact that it was the only company to have won both 3G and 4G spectra from PTA.
Like others, Zong also gave the opportunity of free 3G to its customers and it was satisfactory.
But Zong has been a little upset as it was the only 4G owner in Pakistan earlier but now Warid is coming up with 4G LTE (Long Term Evolution) which is even better than 4G.
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