PTCL Tops 500,000 Wireless Broadband Customers

Pakistan Telecommunications Company Limited (PTCL) has announced achieving 500,000 wireless internet customers mark.

Launched in 2009, PTCL’s EVO wireless internet service has grown steadily, and now serves customers in more than 250 cities and towns across Pakistan. PTCL EVO wireless broadband is Pakistan’s fastest wireless internet service, offering customers’ superior internet experience on-the-go, and has also revolutionized the way people connect with each other and reach out to the world with improved learning and development opportunities.

In 2012 alone, the company achieved more than 300,000 wireless customers through its portfolio of wireless products, including EVO 3.1 Mbps, EVO Nitro 9.3 Mbps, EVO Wingle 9.3 Mbps, EVO and Nitro Clouds and EVO Tab.

Furqan Qureshi, PTCL Senior Executive Vice President (SEVP) Commercial while commenting on this achievement said, “PTCL has pioneered a broadband revolution in Pakistan through its quality and customer-centric approach. At PTCL, we believe in introducing innovative yet affordable telecom solutions to meet the everyday needs of our customers and this continuous growth in our wireless customer base is a testament to their increasing confidence in our services.”

PTCL wireless broadband also boasts the world’s first & most cutting-edge EV-DO Rev.B commercial network. PTCL is the first telecom operator in the world to commercially launch EV-DO Rev.B products, which offer fast internet connectivity up to 9.3 Mbps.

Togetherness is the Future of Smartphones

By Mr. Jung Hyun Park, MD Samsung Electronics Pakistan

It was forty years ago that the world’s first mobile telephone call was made in New York. Mobile telephones in the 1970’s and 1980’s were huge pieces of equipment. That first call was made on a chunk of plastic that was nine inches tall with thirty circuit boards, it took ten hours to charge up and had a talk time of thirty-five minutes. Who could have possibly imagined that a device that was originally designed as a telephone would evolve to become a life companion.

During those forty years, mobile phones have undergone rapid and constant change – the evolution of the mobile saw many milestones seemingly come from nowhere: the text message, group chats, voice notes. Then came the ground-breaking ability to share an image in real time: to take a photo with your phone and immediately send it as a ‘multimedia’ message, to somebody on the other side of the world. Anticipating key trends such as the instinctive desire to share what one can see and feel is what enables manufacturers to stay ahead of the game.

For the world’s leading mobile telephone company like Samsung, there is a heavy responsibility to continue to deliver innovative technologies that bring people closer to the things that matter in life – to make living a richer, easier and fuller experience. This is the direction of travel for the Smartphone. The purchase of a Smartphone is no longer about its ability to make a call, send a photo or upload a document. Smartphones are now a way of life, a personal assistant, a constant companion that has the ability to make every part of life easier. The challenge is to offer Smartphone customers a platform that makes human interaction central to everyday life. Understanding the human need to share, to reach out and engage positively with other people is central to the future development of the Smartphone industry.

Until now, the Smartphone has been a passive device – waiting for us to lift it, hold it and press it. Samsung has signalled an end to this relationship. The technology inside this Smartphone is so advanced that the device can be manipulated either by voice or by a simple wave of the hand. The future (for now at least) is in the gesture. ‘Air Gesture’ means that the GALAXY S4 can be manipulated without even touching the screen – so if it is raining or too cold to take your gloves off, the Smartphone can be controlled by simply waving your hand over it. ‘Samsung Smart Pause’ enables you to control the screen with your eyes. Whilst watching a video, it is possible to ‘press pause’ by looking away – the movie starts again as soon as you look back.

The GALAXY S4 also features a ‘Group Play’ function – users can enjoy music, photos, documents and games with those around them without even requiring a wi-fi AP or cellular signal. This innovation enables users to connect directly with others to share, play and co-create content and entertainment instantly. These are the features that Smartphone users demand.

These innovations are a major milestone on the Smartphone road map, but it is not the final destination. The ability to wander down the road and speak to a relative at home many miles away was nothing short of miraculous in 1995, but it rapidly became commonplace. Gesture-based interaction will also soon become the accepted reality. So too will the reliance on our smartphones to provide important lifestyle solutions. They are already our companions.

Samsung sold more Smartphones than any other company in the world in Q4 of 2012. It did this by understanding that the Smartphone is more than just a telephone, more than a media player and much more than a digital camera. Samsung has focused heavily on developing technologies that foster interaction with others. Moreover, the world of the Smartphone is now moving towards a focus on community – connecting people with their communities, their loved ones and the wider society.

The direction of travel in the Smartphone market is towards togetherness. Producing a best-in-class piece of hardware that is beautifully crafted and equipped with software that helps people to live a richer, simpler and fuller life is the ultimate goal. Using a Smartphone is now second nature to hundreds of millions of people. Using it is now increasingly effortless, graceful and supportive of a better living experience.

Nokia Introduces Dual SIM Enabled Nokia Asha 210

Nokia today unveiled the latest device in its Asha family, designed to offer consumers more social experiences at an affordable price. The Nokia Asha 210, available in Single-or Easy Swap Dual-SIM variants, features a Nokia design and smart imaging that sets it apart from the crowd.

It supports Wi-Fi to help people enjoy more of the Internet for less and is the world’s first phone to have a dedicated WhatsApp button.

The Nokia Asha 210 has a QWERTY keyboard and a dedicated WhatsApp button for fast access to instant messaging. To celebrate the Nokia and WhatsApp partnership, WhatsApp is offering their service for free on all Nokia Asha 210 devices with the WhatsApp button for their lifespan. Combined with Facebook, Twitter and support for popular email accounts such as Gmail, the Nokia Asha 210 is designed to ensure that people are never more than a few clicks away from their friends and family.

The Nokia Asha 210 comes with a 2MP camera that can be accessed through a dedicated hardkey even when the keypad is locked. The smart camera also offers a choice of image capture, editing and sharing options

People can also share photos and other content quickly by using Nokia’s innovative Slam feature, which comes built-into the Nokia Asha 210. It works by enabling the transfer of content such as images or videos to another Bluetooth-enabled phone without the need to pair devices.

• Social phonebook integration with the ability to launch WhatsApp direct from contact cards in the Phonebook
• Preloaded YouTube launcher for direct video streaming
• Chat screen notifications that keep users up-to-date on new conversations
• Single-SIM and Dual-SIM models featuring Nokia’s exclusive Easy Swap technology that enables consumers to change SIM cards without having to turn off the device
• WiFi On/Off control button
• Nokia’s renowned long battery life: up to 46 days with Single-SIM and up to 24 days with Dual-SIM

The Nokia Asha 210 is available in yellow, cyan, black, magenta, and white. The estimated retail price for the Nokia Asha 210 is around 72 USD and it is expected to start shipping in the second quarter of 2013.

Mobilink to Launch HTC Butterfly and Nexus 4 in Pakistan

After Ufone’s announcement of launching Galaxy S4 exclusively in Pakistan, it is now reliably learned that Mobilink has decided to take up the challenge by introducing two Smartphones in the country.

One of them is the Google’s flagship device Nexus 4 and other one is HTC Butterfly, we have confirmed with sources.

Nexus 4

Key Features of Nexus 4:

• 4.7″ 16M-color WXGA True HD IPS Plus (768 x 1280 pixels) capacitive touchscreen and Gorilla Glass 2
• Stock Android OS v4.2 Jelly Bean
• Quad-core 1.5 GHz Krait CPU, 2 GB RAM, Adreno 320 GPU, Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro chipset
• 8 MP autofocus camera with LED flash and geotagging, face detection, Photo Spheres
• 1080p video recording @ 30fps with continuous autofocus and stereo sound
• 1.3 MP front-facing camera, 720p video recording
• 16GB of built-in storage
• Wi-Fi a/b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct, GPS, microUSB port with TV-out support, Bluetooth v4.0
• 2100mAh battery and Wireless charging

Price and Availability:

Though it is kind of late for Mobilink to offer this device in Pakistan, but good news is that Mobilink is offering this phone at a discounted price of Rs. 43,000 and to sweeten the deal further a data bucket of 2 GB for 90 days and 15 days Mobile music free trial is added to the package.

Nexus 4 will be available on Mobilink Business centers starting tomorrow, i.e. April 26th, 2013.

HTC Butterfly

Key Features of HTC Butterfly:

• 5″ 16M-color 1080p Super LCD3 capacitive touchscreen display
• Curved Gorilla Glass 2 & 441ppi pixel density
• Polycarbonate unibody design
• Android OS v4.1.1 Jelly Bean with Sense 4+ UI
• Quad-core 1.5 GHz Krait CPU, 2 GB RAM, Adreno 320 GPU
• 8 MP autofocus camera with LED flash and geo-tagging
• 1080p video recording @ 30fps, continuous autofocus and stereo sound
• 2.1 MP front-facing camera, 1080p video recording
• Wi-Fi a/b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct and DLNA
• GPS with A-GPS, GLONASS
• 16GB of built-in storage; microSD card slot
• MHL-enabled microUSB port, Bluetooth v4.0 and NFC
• Accelerometer and proximity sensor

Price and Availability:

Though we were hoping that HTC Pakistan will bring the much awaited flagship device HTC One in Pakistan, the real competitor of Galaxy S4. But seems like — after the announcement of HTC Butterfly — we have to wait a little longer now.

The specs of Butterfly are great but I am not sure if this device can stand against Galaxy S4.

Mobilink is going to launch this phone for a price of Rs. 70,000 with one year warranty of Brightex. Mobilink customers will also get, 1 GB mobile internet for 30 days, a Pouch and Screen Protector for free.

HTC Butterfly will be launched in Pakistan on May 2, 2013.

Mobilink Foundation Upgrades National Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine

Rashid Khan, President & CEO, Mobilink (C) and Dr Fazle Maula, Director, NIRM with Mobilink Torchbearers at the inauguration of the upgraded treatment facility at NIRM

Mobilink Foundation has upgraded the therapy and rehabilitation facility at the National Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine (NIRM) by contributing a state-of-the-art Triton DTS Spinal Retraction Unit as well as refurbishing the treatment area.

The facility was inaugurated by Rashid Khan, President & CEO Mobilink, in the presence of Dr Fazle Maula, Director, NIRM.

The ‘Spinal Retraction Unit’ was imported by the Mobilink Foundation to aid the NIRM in providing specialized therapy and treatment for up to 1200 patients every month. Mobilink Foundation Torchbearers (employee volunteers) also participated in the refurbishing of the treatment area to ensure patients would be treated in an environment that is pleasant and conducive to rehabilitation.

Rashid Khan, President & CEO, Mobilink highlighted, ‘The Mobilink Foundation is a reflection of Mobilink’s responsibility towards Pakistan and the communities that we operate in. The provision of this rehabilitation unit and the participation of our Torchbearers in refurbishing the facility is another step towards our goal of improving healthcare in Pakistan. NIRM is Pakistan’s leading institution for helping the physically challenged, and this contribution is meant to further aid the NIRM efforts in their noble cause.’’

Shafqat Hussain Naghmi, Secretary, Capital Administration & Development (CA&D) emphasized, “NIRM is the leading government-managed institution in the country for providing quality healthcare to the physically challenged. I am glad to see their efforts being recognized by the Mobilink Foundation and the contributions being made to enable NIRM to further improve treatment offered to the needy.”

Dr Fazle Maula, Director NIRM added, “The efforts of the NIRM in providing rehabilitative services have been greatly aided by the provision of the ‘Decompression Therapy System (DTS)’as well as the involvement of Mobilink’s volunteers in refurbishing the physical treatment area. This facility will help us make a positive change in the lives of people who are hindered by their physical disabilities.”

The National Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine (NIRM) was established in 1988 under a presidential order to provide state-of-the-art health care facilities for all type of disabilities. In addition to routine health services for the handicapped, the institute provides innovative rehabilitative techniques, conducts research and acts as a repository of information related to physical disabilities. NIRM also provides technical support and guidance to policy makers and planners.

Telenor Posts Flat Revenues During Q1 2013

Telenor Pakistan reported flat revenues with marginal increase in revenues during first quarter 2013.

In its group financial report, Telenor said that its Pakistani operations generated Rs. 22.40 billion during first three months of 2013, slightly up from Rs. 21.73 billion it had generated during same duration last year showing a growth of mere 3 percent.

Telenor said that growth in revenues was mainly impacted by regulatory restrictions on sale of new SIMs, price increase of international incoming traffic after implementation of ICH – due to reduced traffic and a noticeable increase in grey traffic – and government forced network suspensions.

Financial report mentioned that ARPU in local currency decreased by 12%, again both as a result of government enforced network outages and the effect from establishment of International Clearing House (ICH) resulting in a large reduction of incoming international traffic.

The EBITDA margin was reduced by 2 percentage points following a reduction in gross margin due to forced industry contribution to implementation of grey traffic monitoring equipment and increased vendor transition costs for operation and maintenance.

Operating profit was negatively affected by accelerated depreciations of NOK 235 million related to the on-going network modernisation.

Capital expenditure increased during the quarter as a result of good progress on the network modernisation and 1,325 sites were swapped during the quarter. It is expected to be completed towards the end of
2013.

The number of subscriptions increased by 277,000 during the quarter. Telenor said that the regulatory restrictions on SIM sale through retail channels, introduced in December 2012, continue to hamper subscriber growth. However, company is making efforts to strengthen alternative sales channel. At the end of the first quarter, the subscription base was 5% higher than at the end of first quarter last year.

Telenor said that average traffic minutes per subscriber per month stood at 222, down from 238 during same duration last year. Telenor said that it has 332,000 postpaid customers out of its total subscribers base.

Check below the financial highlights from the quarter:

PTCL Offers 100Mbps Broadband for Rs. 26,000 in Limited Areas

Remember when we last told you about PTCL’s (ultra) high speed broadband over FTTH, it appears that things are rolling in the positive direction. PTCL had then denied to share any information with us then, we assume the project was in test phase at that time.

Now – through a WiredPakistan user – we have come to know that high speed broadband services over FTTH are being offered by PTCL in limited areas of Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi.

According to a marketing brochure these high speed broadband services are offered at following prices:

• 4 Mbps: Rs. 2,999
• 6  Mbps: Rs. 5,999
• 8 Mbps: Rs. 7,999
• 10 Mbps: Rs. 10,999
• 20 Mbps: Rs. 13,499
• 50 Mbps: Rs. 15,999
• 100 Mbps: Rs. 25,999

All these packages – if availed – come with unlimited on-net calls and Smart TV services for free. One time installation charges of Rs. 15,000 are applicable.

50 Mbps package appears to be best value and most suitable for various medium to large-sized businesses. Home users, on other hands, will be contented with 10 Mbps at most.

Areas of service availability include F-11 in Islamabad and Centaurus, Blue Area in Islamabad.

It appears that services are being tested as of now as pilot and hence details for service availability is very limited. Internet hungry enthusiast can contact PTCL corporate sales’ staff for further information and service deployment.

Cyber Secure Pakistan 2013: Dealing with Hackers and Threats

Since last few years we do get regular news about hacking attempts and defacements. Here are few example stories Shahzebx covered lately:

• Google’s Pakistan site, 284 others hacked by Turkish hacker group Eboz
• 2000 Pakistani websites Hacked By Indian United Hackers
• 20 Pakistan websites Hacked and defaced by jaguar for 26/1
• Top Pakistani Government & other 250 Websites Hacked by Indishell
• Pakistan’s Punjab Assembly Website Hacked
• Bangladeshi hackers defaced top Pakistani websites
• Pakistani websites are experiencing massive hacking attempts by Israeli hackers

And the list goes on and on.

Is seems like a cyber-war is going on and there is an immense need of creating awareness about data and information security at all levels i.e. from government to an individual level to secure our cyber fronts.

It was last year in May that Pakistan Information Security Association (PISA) took an initiative to pull up a Flagship Conference on Cyber Security to spread awareness at all levels involving relevant stakeholders of the industry. You can recap the archives of the conference here.

After an year, when the threats have only increased, there is another conference planned on April 20th, 2013 with a focus on to creating awareness about cyber security amongst the general public and corporate sector about Information Security issues.

CSP 2013 will continue to evolve the tradition of securing industrial and organizational data transactions.

At Cyber Secure Pakistan 2013, additional director general FIA, project director NR3C, Minister of IT and Telecom along with Secretory IT will grace the conference with their presence. Dignitaries from Google, Microsoft, Interpol, Cyber Secure Malaysia, EC-Council USA, Oman CERT and Australian Federal Police along with other organizations will be there to discuss their point of views and experiences.

Besides discussions by experts, the conference incorporates different sessions like training and competition in order to pull out the right talent from industry. For that reason NTFS Forensic Analysis training will be given by the CERT team from Malaysia in collaboration with NIMIS. ‘Capture the Flag’ hacking competition with exciting giveaways for the winners is also set in place in collaboration with Tranchulas.

The conference is pertinent for all professionals working in the field of Information or Data Security.

Cyber Secure Pakistan 2013 is carrying the following objectives:

• Bridging the gap between local and global Information Security practices;
• Educating about adapting new streams (tracks) of Information Security for bringing positive change in the IT industry;
• Improving our infrastructure according to the current immediacy of global threat;
• Highlight the hidden talent of professionals working in the back end to bring Pakistan back on the global talent map;
• Bring academia and industry closer to each other for bringing change and solving our collective problems.

You can get yourself registered at:http://www.cybersecurepakistan.com/registration.php

Just to mention, Shahzebx is the official Blog Partner for the conference and we will be brining you all the updates from the conference.

Ministry of IT and Telecom is in official support of the conference where as ICT R&D is among the sponsors for this year’s Cyber Secure Pakistan 2013.

Internet Speeds Get Back to Normal as Repair of Undersea Cable Gets Completed

IMEWE  Segment 1  repair  has  been  completed after almost one month and cable has been powered  up  for  the  traffic,  said a statement issued today.

Statement said that post repair system performance has been verified and undersea cable is now functioning in full throttle. Repeaters performance and splice loss all are as per the acceptable values.

Reportedly, the shunt fault was located at  116.7 KM from Mumbai link where the cable was observed to be dragged on sea bed by fishing liners.

It maybe recalled that IMEWE got damaged on March 10th, after which PTCL and other Pakistani ISPs had to route traffic to other under-sea cables connected to the country.

During  the  cable  fault  Pakistani Internet Service Providers took  necessary actions to minimize the impact  on  the  services  to  customers in Pakistan, by making alternate arrangement for internet capacity.

This has been made possible because of multiple submarines cable systems facility in Pakistan.

It merits mentioning here that SMW4 – another undersea cable connected to Pakistan – was also damaged during last month, and its repair work is likely to get complete by April 21st, 2013, that is when Internet speeds in Pakistan will be fully restored.

Pakistani Hackers Deface Over 1,000 Indian Election Commission Websites

In response to hacking incidents of Election Commission of Pakistan by Indian hackers, a hacker group from Pakistan has hacked over 1,000 Indian Election Commission websites.

“This targeted hacking incident is in response to Indian hackers’ attempt of damaging Election Commission of Pakistan website”, said an email which was sent to Shahzebx from a hacker group identifying itself as “True Cyber Army”

“We have not damaged any data, instead just replaced the banners of few websites — saying Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) — to leave the mark. However, we may change our mind and deface all the websites or even delete the data since we have complete control over all Indian Election commission websites”, warned True Cyber Army.

True Cyber Army has shared the admin and password details of 1,059 Indian Election Commission websites with Shahzebx and said that fate of these websites rest in the hands of Indian Hackers and their behaviour in future.

“If Indian Hackers don’t stop attacking Pakistani websites, we reserve the right to fight for the integrity of our homeland”

It maybe recalled that website of Election Commission of Pakistan was shut down last Friday after an attack by Indian hacker who identified himself as NIGh7 F0x. The hacker defaced the homepage of ECP website and later compromised its availability. ECP is since struggling with the availability of website due to increased traffic.

Monet Contracts with Fundamo to Offer Shared Mobile Money Solutions in Pakistan

A shared mobile money network, built on Visa’s Fundamo technology, that can be tapped by banks and telcos is preparing to launch in Pakistan, said a statement issued yesterday.

Monet –  a subsidiary of Abu Dhabi Group – has secured approval from the State Bank of Pakistan to build its network, which is being offered to local firms planning to launch mobile money services.

Built on Fundamo technology, Monet says its offering will provide a managed service platform, agent management services and bill aggregation services to new financial institutions and network operators interested in entering branchless banking services.

The first clients are Pakistan’s sixth largest financial institution, Bank Alfalah, and Warid Telecom, who have teamed up to launch a new brand on the platform.

Monet says that its network will make it cheaper, easier and quicker for firms to tap into Pakistan’s huge unbanked market.

According to the Pakistan Access to Finance Survey, only 12% of the population has access to formal financial services, yet mobile penetration stands at nearly 70%, says the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority.

A recent study by the Boston Consulting Group estimates that 35% of the country’s adult population will be using mobile financial services by 2020.

Ali Abbas Sikander, CEO, Monet, says: “We are building an open and collaborative eco-system which benefits all the stakeholders of the financial services ecosystem in Pakistan. Collaborative mobile financial services, as opposed to bank-led or telco-led deployment, is the paradigm shift which will assist in creating a bigger and less costly enabling environment for the issuers, acquirers and service providers.”

Aletha Ling, COO, Fundamo, adds: “The platform allows service providers to think big, start small and scale fast. The result will be an ecosystem that that will support the long term and sustained growth of the Pakistani mobile financial services market.”

AbacusConsulting Sponsors Mobile Commerce Conference in Karachi

AbacusConsulting sponsored the 6^th International Mobile Commerce Conference 2013 in collaboration with its technology partner Sybase, an SAP Company.

The conference and exhibition, which took place in Karachi Sheraton on March 14, 2013, showcased end-to-end solutions for Mobile and Branchless Banking which are being implemented in developed and emerging markets alike.

Tarik Husain, Senior Director of mCommerce for SAP, voiced his opinions with the press. “We are delighted not only in seeing the proliferation of mobile banking in Pakistan, but in witnessing how it continues to help change and improve the lives of many by empowering them to use financial services for the first time via their own mobile devices or retail agent in their vicinity. As a result, the increased mobile financial services activities in the country can help further fuel the economy.”

Abbas Ali Khan, Partner AbacusConsulting, talked about the opportunities represented by this field by stating that “Pakistan happens to be one of the fastest developing markets for branchless banking in the world and mCommerce services will create opportunities of unprecedented scale for bringing unbanked segments of society into the fold of financial networks. This, however, is only just the beginning of limitless opportunities; the field of mCommerce is open and willing to be exploited. Here at AbacusConsulting, we are fully committed in leveraging our vast knowledge in the field of mCommerce, where we are now highly recognized and experienced”.

AbacusConsulting’s on ground team of experts in the field of Mobile Money, its vast and in-depth knowledge of the domain being dealt in, combined with the senior management’s robust efforts in promoting the services of this highly dynamic field show the company’s seriousness towards developing mCommerce and mBanking in Pakistan. Being a part of some of the most dynamic and prominent deployments in country also speaks volumes of AbacusConsulting’s experience and expertise in the field.

It is hoped that the 6^th international Mobile Commerce 2013 will go a long way in the development of Mobile Financial Services in the region, ushering the country into a new era in terms of mBanking and mCommerce services.

SpeedCast Partners with Supernet and Comtech to Deliver Cellular Backhaul Services in Pakistan

SpeedCast, Asia’s leading satellite telecommunications service provider, together with partner Supernet, today announced the award of two multi-year contracts to provide their CelCast™ cellular backhaul service for more than 30 sites in Pakistan. SpeedCast and Supernet selected Comtech EF Data, the global leader in satellite bandwidth efficiency and link optimization, and leveraged their market-leading modems to deliver a highly optimized and efficient cellular backhaul solution for their customers.

SpeedCast and Supernet partnered to deliver a high quality GSM backhaul network in Pakistan, which is now utilized by two of the leading GSM service providers to extend their reach in the mountainous northern areas and far flung remote areas in the south of Pakistan.

Cellular backhaul projects are substantially more complex than basic IP networks, because of the real-time nature of the voice and data traffic. Network implementation was particularly challenging for 20 of the sites, because it involved stringent implementation time-lines and the requirement of minimum outage during the change over from the incumbent service providers to the Supernet and SpeedCast network. Moreover, the operators have strict service level agreements for performance, to guarantee a high level of quality for their users.

“Cellular operators are increasingly outsourcing their satellite-based cellular backhaul requirements today. We are pleased to have partnered with Supernet to deliver our cellular backhaul service in Pakistan,” stated Pierre-Jean Beylier, CEO of SpeedCast. “Supernet is an experienced partner with a strong local presence, who understands the requirements of such demanding networks.”

"These projects are a welcome addition to our rich portfolio of GSM backhaul over satellite service in Pakistan. We are pleased to be working with SpeedCast and Comtech EF Data to deliver bandwidth efficiencies and cost-effective expansion options for our existing and new customers. These recent contracts are a testament to the quality and reliability of our service,” stated Hamid Nawaz, COO of Supernet. “It is rewarding to partner with a leader in Asia to deliver a compelling solution for customers in Pakistan and surrounding regions.”

SpeedCast’s CelCast™ product is a cellular traffic backhaul solution that enables mobile operators to expand their 2G or 3G coverage in a rapid and cost-effective manner. This managed service allows cellular operators to deliver service to remote and hard-to-reach areas, while minimizing their capital expenditure and avoiding significant increases in their operating expenditures. SpeedCast’s CelCast™ is deployed and in service in multiple countries throughout Asia and the Middle East.

Comtech EF Data’s CDM-625 Advanced Satellite Modem combines advanced forward error correction with DoubleTalk® Carrier-in-Carrier® bandwidth compression for maximum savings under all conditions. DoubleTalk® Carrier-in-Carrier®, based on Raytheon Applied Signal Technology’s patented "Adaptive Cancellation" technology, allows transmit and receive carriers of a duplex link to share the same transponder space. The combination of advanced technologies enables users to minimize OPEX/CAPEX and maximize throughput/availability without using additional transponder resources. The CX-U Series brings together access device and cellular backhaul traffic optimization, offering a variety of interfaces and transmission options.

Andy Rubin Calls it a Day as Android Chief

Andy Rubin, the guy in charge of Google’s Android operating system will finally step down from his post after a long, fruitful period of 8 years. He will be replaced by Sundar Pichai who has already worked on the Chrome browser and Chrome OS among several other things.

Rubin is the person behind the enormous success of the biggest smartphone operating system on the planet and has worked with a number of tech giants including Apple and Carl Zeiss.

The announcement was made by Google CEO Larry Page in the official Google Blog. "Sergey and I first heard about Android back in 2004", Page writes, "when Andy Rubin came to visit us at Google. He believed that aligning standards around an open-source operating system would drive innovation across the mobile industry. Most people thought he was nuts. But his insight immediately struck a chord because at the time it was extremely painful developing services for mobile devices".

He isn’t going out of the picture though. "Having exceeded even the crazy ambitious goals we dreamed of for Android — and with a really strong leadership team in place — Andy’s decided it’s time to hand over the reins and start a new chapter at Google. Andy, more moonshots please!" Page is obviously hinting at a new position for Rubin in the future.

Android was founded by Rubin and his 2 other colleagues in 2003. It encountered a series of financial troubles until Google bought it in 2005, bringing Rubin to Google. Success came quickly without breaking records. Praises starting coming by the end of the last decade as Google started the use of new technologies in their phones and also with the launch of their own ‘Nexus’ phones. As of now, 750 million devices run Android worldwide and 25 billion apps have been downloaded from the Play Store – the Android Market Place – so far.

Moving forward Larry Page is optimistic about the new chief of the Android department. "Going forward, Sundar Pichai will lead Android, in addition to his existing work with Chrome and Apps." Page writes. "Sundar has a talent for creating products that are technically excellent yet easy to use—and he loves a big bet. Take Chrome, for example. In 2008, people asked whether the world really needed another browser. Today Chrome has hundreds of millions of happy users and is growing fast thanks to its speed, simplicity and security. So while Andy’s a really hard act to follow, I know Sundar will do a tremendous job doubling down on Android as we work to push the ecosystem forward."

One thing which has always been a characteristic of Rubin’s work is his innovation and taste. Now that he has left Android, it will be interesting to see which way he will go from now onwards and what wonders will he be able to achieve from there.

Intel Pakistan Celebrates Women Day with Women in Media

Intel Pakistan, in collaboration with Karachi Press Club, celebrated International Women’s Day with women in media. The event titled ‘Intel Celebrates Women’ was held at Karachi Press Club and included a panel of leading women achievers, Jehan Ara (President P@SHA and Bolo Bhi), Nezihe Hussain (Owner, SWOT), Salma Jafri (Content Marketer, Social Media Trainer and Writer) and Sana Saleem. The program is a stepping stone for the National Digital Literacy Mission, an initiative by Intel Pakistan which aims to bring affordable computing and connectivity to the masses.

Widely attended by media women in Karachi, the event focused on digital literacy, problem-solving and collaboration skills for professional and personal growth of women in media. In celebration of the International Women’s Day, various programs were also highlighted which have been implemented in Pakistan to equip girls and women with digital literacy skills in remote areas of the country. Intel believes that education is a fundamental right for everyone and has worked for decades to improve education around the world.

It also recognizes the major role technology plays as both a bridge and an accelerator, in not only improving the quality of education, but also improving access to education. Inspirational stories of women who have benefitted from programs like Intel Easy Steps , Intel Teach and the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair which are making a difference in the community, were also shared with the audience. The main aim of these programs is to empower girls with the tools, resources and opportunities they need to succeed. Every year, Intel invests more than $100 million in corporate contributions around the world in areas such as education.

Through access to technology, scholarships and community learning programs, Intel provides girls and women with opportunities for quality education, new job skills and personal growth.  Intel’s global partnerships and programs emphasize technology and digital literacy to accelerate change – improving lives, enabling innovation and transforming economies.

Speaking at the event, Asma Aziz, PR & Marketing Manager, Intel Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka said, “At Intel, we will continue our decades-long commitment to education as a means to accelerate change—improving lives, enabling innovation and transforming economies. We seek innovative approaches that support Intel’s vision to create and extend computing technology to connect and enrich the lives of every person on earth. In a developing country like Pakistan when women are empowered with technological tools, resources and opportunities to learn, they can not only transform their lives but also help to improves lives of everyone they touch”.

The interactive session covered a wide range of topics such as understanding components of a PC, browsing the internet, chatting, sending emails and how the computer can be used to search for relevant information for news updates and articles. Additionally, the session discussed the importance of new social media sites to make more meaningful and quality connections for professional growth. Audience got an opportunity to share ideas, ask questions from Intel representative & panellists.