Pakistani Operator Passes 30 Million Subscriber Landmark

The Pakistan based operator, Mobilink announced last week that it had passed the 30 million subscriber mark. The company also noted that it has injected more than US$ 2.5 billion in the telecommunication sector of Pakistan, with an additional US$ 500 million earmarked for 2008.

Zouhair A. Khaliq, President & CEO, Mobilink commented "We have come full circle to become a shining example of a very successful multi-national organization whose achievements both on the national and international fronts have been recognized by numerous world bodies."

He added. Mobilink's 6,500 km optic fiber backbone, which runs across Pakistan, has further enabled the company to become a total communications solution provider with high speed data connectivity products soon in the offing. By providing last mile connectivity the company is positioned as a one-stop shop for meeting communication requirements of any enterprise and individual. The Optic fiber network will increase to cover another 2000 kilometers very soon.

According to a recent 'quality of service' survey conducted by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority, PTA, Mobilink topped the averages to attain the 'Best Quality Service' accolade on the overall count with 97.08% success.

Despite the subscriber landmark, the company has seen its market share shrink following the launch of Telenor into the market. Mobilink started last year with a 46% market share, and 22.4 million subscribers - but this has shrunk to around 40% now, according to figures from the Mobile World analysts. Telenor meanwhile has seen its subscriber base roughly double over the same timeframe, and its market share rise from 13.75% to around 18%.

On the web: The Mobile World - Mobilink

Posted to the site on 2nd January 2008