Cell phone subscribers number jumps to 60.9 million

The number of mobile subscribers in the country has jumped to 60.9 million with cellular density, rising to 39.16 percent. According to recent statistics, during May, the mobile phone subscribers in Pakistan increased by 2.6 million and the total subscribers' base jumped to 60.9 million that attributed to new telecom policy, which has broken the over five-decade-old monopoly of Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL).
With the introduction of cellular mobile policy in October 2003, new entrants, eg UAE-based Warid Telecom and Norwegian Telenor captured the market rapidly.
Equity Research at Aqeel Karim Dhedhi Securities revealed that Ufone took the lead by capturing 33.7 percent, ie 0.828 million out of total 2.6 million subscribers, followed by Warid and Mobilink, having 0.561 million and 0.494 million subscribers respectively.
The market shares of Ufone and Warid are steadily increasing, whereas Mobilink's share was slightly down, but it was able to retain the position of market leader. Ufone's market share is up by 0.49 percent from 21.4 percent in April 2007 to 21.9 percent in May 2007.
Similarly, Warid, Telenor, Paktel could be able to increase their market shares. On the other hand, Instaphone is losing ground in the market as it has already lost nominal market share and currently enjoying only 0.5 percent of the total market share.
The telecom sector's share almost three percent in the total GDP growth in the previous fiscal against 1.93 percent contribution to the sector made during 2003-04 on rising tele-density and increased interests of foreign players in the country's telecom market, experts said. A huge investment of 950 million dollars in the country, contributed by six cellular companies, ie Mobilink, Ufone, Telenor, Warid, Paktel and Instaphone during 2005, they said.
Telecom firms are facing cut-throat competition in the country and every market player is planning a continuous expansion to remain stay on the top. Ufone has recently added Cable and Wireless Isle of Man to its list of GSM and GPRS roaming partners to increase its GSM roaming partners to 192 and destination to 117, while Ufone's GPRS roaming partners have soared to 78 and destinations to 58.