No other technology has paved its way as successfully in Pakistan, as cellular telcom.
Despite slowing cellular density, the number of cellular subscribers in the country has increased to 97.3 million in April, from 95.4 million at the start of the year, according to latest data released by Pakistan Telecommunication Authority.
So even if the industry continues to grow at a turtles pace, it is quite likely that the subscriber base will reach the 100-million-mark in a few months, with the rapidly increasing population and the youth burst continuing to provide impetus for long term growth.
The biggest and most obvious change the industry has been witnessing is the rise in new cellular product offerings over the past few months.
With average revenue per user hovering around $2.5, mobile service providers are eyeing products beyond voice to keep their topline afloat.
In addition to the great variety of m-products, like banking, food recipes and news alerts, currently on offer, there is huge room for m-services growth in public service areas. M-services can overcome the issue of poor infrastructure by lowering the operating costs and a faster rate of processing.
A combination of m-ticketing and m-payment systems can be used to streamline the public transportation system. Automated processes will not only make transactions quicker but will also reduce leakages.
Following the model of many developing countries, like Philippines and Turkey, mobile connections can serve as an important access channel for governments to reach citizens at a lower cost.
In many countries, mobile channels are employed by governments for delivering important messages to citizens; such as security and natural disasters alerts, notification of license renewals, exam results, etc.
A new wave of expansion in the m-services portfolio can be expected down the line, as the next-generation (3G) mobile telephony is due to arrive very soon. Hopefully, the new technology would help develop an environment where operators will compete with each other on the quality front rather than prices alone.