Telcos Lost Rs. 600 Million Yesterday, But That’s Not the Only Thing to Worry About

Pakistan TelecomMobile cellular operators incurred an estimated loss of Rs. 600 million yesterday due to forced service suspension in 15 cities of the country on directives of Pakistan Telecommunication Authority, citing security reasons on Ishq-e-Rasool day.

At least two operators, who wanted not to be named, confirmed ProPakistani that revenue loss during this 14 hour service shut down is estimated to be around Rs. 600 million.

This figure translates into Rs. 180 million (or above) loss for government under the head of taxes namely FED and WHT, for which no one in the government is going to take responsibility for. This loss is in addition to Rs. 500 million in taxes that government had to bear just a month ago for blocking mobile phone services on Eid night.

Cellular officials told ProPakistani that almost 40 to 45 percent of mobile phone subscribers remained offline during yesterday’s planned shut down, causing cellular blackout in 15 population rich cities.

This was the second time in two months that cellular operators were directed to suspend mobile phone service for security reasons. Earlier, operators were asked to shut down service in four major cities on Eid night, a time at which mobile phone usage (and revenues for operators) grows by 20 times as compared to usual days.

All mobile phone operators, as we spoke with them, seemed utterly frustrated and were more worried about government’s fast becoming habit of blocking cellular service than the loss of Rs. 600 million. They rightly feared that government is overlooking industry’s concerns and interests to cover its inability of providing security on critical occasions.

We have more coverage planned on the topic, in which we will discuss the long term impacts of this cellular suspension, ins and outs of government’s decisions, damage caused during the blackout and more. We will also try to dig out any hidden agenda or secret aims, if any, associated with these service suspensions. Just after the break (on Monday inshAllah).

Tech and telecom reporter for over 15 years


  • It’s just the starting bro :) Our lovely interior minister, Sir Rehman Malik has learnt a new trick! Now just see how he abuses his power :)

    • Tum logon ki janen bhi bachao to galian he dete ho :) no wonder why we dont have any good leaders. What efing loss? aik din nai hoa profit to kia hogia? qyamat agai? If they earn 600 million per 14 hours usually then I bet agle 14 hours mein unhon nai 1 billion rupees tak ka revenue gain bhi kar lia hoga.

  • well i was in china for my study in province of xinjiang…..whr was ethnic riots back in 2009….chinese authortirs suspended mobile service and internet service over there completelu for a month…..and then they allowed only intra country callz but did not allow for txt msgz…..they completley suspended sms and internet for a year…..they completly blocked intl calls from cell phones ….i do remeber for a year our parents got a pblm to contact us…..in city there was one pco whr we had to go that was govt ownd …..we have to write even cell number of the caller nd duration……
    so dear i think china is far more advance in every thing from us …..if they did like this a year why can not ths happen in pak

    • You cannot compare Xinjiang to Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi. Did China ever blocked service in Bejing or Shanghai for even one hour? Xinjian is like Pakistan’s FATA, where the Cell Service has been blocked for last 4 years.

      And China is not far more advanced in everything from us, try to get some self-respect. Even after running to PCOs to call home for one year, you still believe that China is advanced country in every thing?

  • all burden of our intelligence failures has been put on telecom operators shoulders.
    if this is how “security” is provided ,then we don’t need ISI, FIA, IB, MI

    just block roads when you feel like
    block telecos when you feel like and so on…

    • People like you are responsible for making Pakistanis sound idiot in the rest of the world :)

      PS: I’m also a Pakistani! So you don’t have to get mad and start saying that some Indian is saying that!

  • Well its for our safety. especially its for blocking the sim bombs and intellengence wing of terrorists.

  • Please correct following line in the post above.

    “This loss is in addition to Rs. 500 loss in taxes that government had to bear just a month ago for blocking mobile phone services on Eid night.”

    Rs. 500 loss is nothing for them :) By the way why there are errors in the posts on propakistani so frequently. Sub say pehlay post karnay kay chakar to nahi kia…like Geo News :)

    Please read your post before posting…Maza kharab ho jata hai…

  • I think this was a good step. In place where we have problem of unregistered users and where SMS is so commonly used to change public opinion, this is the best they could do.

  • loog 3G mang rahay hain yahan to 2g b band ho raha hai NO MOBILE SERVICES ………
    PTCL ka profit kitna hoa YESTERDAY?

  • I really dont think that the telcos incured such a big loss
    because most of its users have daily packages so the revenue stream was still active, which means they not only saved there resources but they earned money as well for services they werent providing

  • Not a single call or sms is important then any single innocent pakistani’s life.

    You will agree, if you consider that this single pakistani is YOU.

  • besides all this..i Must say PTA must make a policy for sending text and stop night packages. they are all abused by youth.

    I heard there is a limit of sedning text in India which is 20 sms per day. I must say that the owner Aamir (pro pakistan) must speak up regarding this issue – night packages must be stopped and there should be a limit of sending text for free in a day then start charging heavily.

      • ok I might be wrong but there is still should be a limit of sending text for FREE in Pak and stop night packages. Don’t you agree with this?

        • No, I don’t think *I* or the government should impose a limit on people.

          I expect people to be responsible.

          I expect parents to monitor their children and raise them correctly.

          Is it now your job to punish the entire population because you cannot raise your children well?

  • It is just a beginning let see where government leaves out all telecom operators. It is going to harsh all five operators that think about, before investing in Pakistan.

  • @saawan
    dear i think u have not much info about xinjiang
    xinjiang’s cities are far more better than our karachi lahore and islambad

    you should google for urmuqi,shihezi,sanji,wusu,kalmai

    xinjiang is not like fata it is 2 times bigger than that of our pakistan

    urmuqi is business hub for electronics goods for central asia and our pakistanisss

    there are i think enough sky scrapers in only urmuqi ….which will not in pakistan

    they had dsl back in 2002-2003 and of 4 mb which we r using today

    they gotta 3 g in 2010 mid…..

    and at the end china getting 80% oil requirement from xinjiang main source of china gas production….

    dear their average towns are far more better than our district level cities…

    i think we should discuss on facts and tactics not on the things which are just baseless……..

    • You are comparing apples to oranges and missing the point here. Xinjiang is not capital of China or their main financial hub. China would never block essential services for their Capital or Financial Hubs like Bejing or Shanghai. Also, can you compare your Ramadan and Friday prayers in Xinjiang to what you see in Pakistan? Not everything revolves around 4mb DSL speed and a sky high building.

  • All officials were gathered and was worried what to do now after ‘double sawari’.

    Rehman baba, phone band kar detey hain.

    Zardari, Shabaash!

    :D

  • once more that need is to improve technology all calls and sms should recorded inside and outside the pak, for the long term time.. . .. . . .

  • if 600 million is the loss of telco’s then according to my calculations the loss of taxes should be 213 million (19.50% GST 16 % FED) how come is it mentioned as 500 million

  • It’s just the starting bro :) Our lovely interior minister, Sir Rehman Malik has learnt a new trick! Now just see how he abuses his power :)

  • well i was in china for my study in province of xinjiang…..whr was ethnic riots back in 2009….chinese authortirs suspended mobile service and internet service over there completelu for a month…..and then they allowed only intra country callz but did not allow for txt msgz…..they completley suspended sms and internet for a year…..they completly blocked intl calls from cell phones ….i do remeber for a year our parents got a pblm to contact us…..in city there was one pco whr we had to go that was govt ownd …..we have to write even cell number of the caller nd duration……
    so dear i think china is far more advance in every thing from us …..if they did like this a year why can not ths happen in pak

    • You cannot compare Xinjiang to Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi. Did China ever blocked service in Bejing or Shanghai for even one hour? Xinjian is like Pakistan’s FATA, where the Cell Service has been blocked for last 4 years.
      And China is not far more advanced in everything from us, try to get some self-respect. Even after running to PCOs to call home for one year, you still believe that China is advanced country in every thing?

      • @saawan
        dear i think u have not much info about xinjiang
        xinjiang’s cities are far more better than our karachi lahore and islambad
        you should google for urmuqi,shihezi,sanji,wusu,kalmai
        xinjiang is not like fata it is 2 times bigger than that of our pakistan
        urmuqi is business hub for electronics goods for central asia and our pakistanisss
        there are i think enough sky scrapers in only urmuqi ….which will not in pakistan
        they had dsl back in 2002-2003 and of 4 mb which we r using today
        they gotta 3 g in 2010 mid…..
        and at the end china getting 80% oil requirement from xinjiang main source of china gas production….
        dear their average towns are far more better than our district level cities…
        i think we should discuss on facts and tactics not on the things which are just baseless……..

        • You are comparing apples to oranges and missing the point here. Xinjiang is not capital of China or their main financial hub. China would never block essential services for their Capital or Financial Hubs like Bejing or Shanghai. Also, can you compare your Ramadan and Friday prayers in Xinjiang to what you see in Pakistan? Not everything revolves around 4mb DSL speed and a sky high building.

        • well actually what “Sawaan” here is trying to say is k China k 2 baray financial centers Shanghai aur Beijing ko zara Pakistan k 2 baray financial centers Karachi aur Lahore se compare karain!! And then tell k kia China kabhi wahan services suspend kar sakta hai??

          I agree Chinese cities like Tianjin, Guangzhou, Shenzen, Nanjing, Chongqing, Chengdu are far more developed than our Faisalabad, Sialkot, Peshawar, Multan, Quetta etc!! :)

  • all burden of our intelligence failures has been put on telecom operators shoulders.
    if this is how “security” is provided ,then we don’t need ISI, FIA, IB, MI
    just block roads when you feel like
    block telecos when you feel like and so on…

    • People like you are responsible for making Pakistanis sound idiot in the rest of the world :)
      PS: I’m also a Pakistani! So you don’t have to get mad and start saying that some Indian is saying that!

      • Tum logon ki janen bhi bachao to galian he dete ho :) no wonder why we dont have any good leaders. What efing loss? aik din nai hoa profit to kia hogia? qyamat agai? If they earn 600 million per 14 hours usually then I bet agle 14 hours mein unhon nai 1 billion rupees tak ka revenue gain bhi kar lia hoga.

  • Well its for our safety. especially its for blocking the sim bombs and intellengence wing of terrorists.

  • Please correct following line in the post above.
    “This loss is in addition to Rs. 500 loss in taxes that government had to bear just a month ago for blocking mobile phone services on Eid night.”
    Rs. 500 loss is nothing for them :) By the way why there are errors in the posts on propakistani so frequently. Sub say pehlay post karnay kay chakar to nahi kia…like Geo News :)
    Please read your post before posting…Maza kharab ho jata hai…

  • I think this was a good step. In place where we have problem of unregistered users and where SMS is so commonly used to change public opinion, this is the best they could do.

  • loog 3G mang rahay hain yahan to 2g b band ho raha hai NO MOBILE SERVICES ………
    PTCL ka profit kitna hoa YESTERDAY?

  • I really dont think that the telcos incured such a big loss
    because most of its users have daily packages so the revenue stream was still active, which means they not only saved there resources but they earned money as well for services they werent providing

  • Not a single call or sms is important then any single innocent pakistani’s life.
    You will agree, if you consider that this single pakistani is YOU.

  • besides all this..i Must say PTA must make a policy for sending text and stop night packages. they are all abused by youth.
    I heard there is a limit of sedning text in India which is 20 sms per day. I must say that the owner Aamir (pro pakistan) must speak up regarding this issue – night packages must be stopped and there should be a limit of sending text for free in a day then start charging heavily.

    • – I heard there is a limit of sedning text in India which is 20 sms per day.
      You heard Wrong.

      • ok I might be wrong but there is still should be a limit of sending text for FREE in Pak and stop night packages. Don’t you agree with this?

        • No, I don’t think *I* or the government should impose a limit on people.
          I expect people to be responsible.
          I expect parents to monitor their children and raise them correctly.
          Is it now your job to punish the entire population because you cannot raise your children well?

  • It is just a beginning let see where government leaves out all telecom operators. It is going to harsh all five operators that think about, before investing in Pakistan.

  • It means average income of a cellular company is 600 million *365 :O and they still increasing call rates

  • All officials were gathered and was worried what to do now after ‘double sawari’.
    Rehman baba, phone band kar detey hain.
    Zardari, Shabaash!
    :D

  • once more that need is to improve technology all calls and sms should recorded inside and outside the pak, for the long term time.. . .. . . .


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