SIM reverification drive, under which each and every SIM in Pakistan is supposed to get re-verified through biometric verification system, is likely to impact the overall outlook of Pakistani cellular industry.
According to industry experts, a total reshuffle in telcos’ ranking — in terms of subscribers — is not out of question, however, a lot will depend on how aggressive and effective each telco can get during next two months or so.
While it might seem little unfair, but the fact is that cellular companies will have to re-verify subscribers that they attained in decades, that too with-in just 90 days. All un-verified subscribers after the deadline will get blocked.
A total reshuffle in telcos’ ranking — in terms of subscribers — after SIMs re-verification is not out of question
Experts, while discussing the issue with ProPakistani, said that any operator out-doing others during these three months will manage to grab a strong position in April 2015.
Sohaib Sheikh, a senior telecom expert, opined that telcos that adopted more transparent and legitimate approach towards achieving sales during past few years will win re-verification race. “However, a strong strategy during verification drive can surely out-run legit sales during past decade or so and hence it is extremely important for telcos to make sure that they are able to mobilize their customers for re-verification of their SIMs”, said Mr. Sheikh.
Telcos might get little more time after 90 days as a buffer , anticipated Sohaib Sheikh.
Telcos with transparent and legitimate approach towards achieving sales during past few years will win re-verification race
While industry agrees that very cellular company will lose customers, apparently no one is chattering about the final ranking of telcos that we may get after the re-verification.
If we consider that everyone will lose customers in equal proportion then Mobilink — as being the largest operator — will have the biggest share of churned customers. Not to mention, according to this assumption, Warid will become the least impacted operator.
Experts said that SIM reverification drive will get us more clearer picture about the industry positioning and operators with better quality of service, better support and loyal customers will out-shine others.
You can also share your thoughts in below comments and participate in below poll:
Where is warid in this poll?
Fixed.
Warid is most favorite company of ProPakistani team. Don’t you know Shah??
I thought u said Telenor was ProPak’s favorite company? Come on man, i’ve heard this BS enough. Everyone is saying that one or another company is ProPak’s fav! I personally will say the opposite, that ProPak loves each and every company apart from Zong :D hehe…
LOL
Amir Bhai is ki details btao
Mobilink is the logical loser in this poll as it has accumulated a lot of inactive subscribers just by being in the industry far longer than others.
what if gov couldnt block all unidentified millions of sim by pressure etc.
Mobilink offices are trying very hard to retain its large customer base by various unethical tactics. I visited twice Jinnah Super office in Islamabad of Mobilink to disown two sims which are showing up against my name as per PTA website.
On first visit i was told that the sims will be removed in 45 days (i don’t know why it takes so long). However the sims were still showing in my name even after two months. So i paid another visit on 19 Jan 2015 at 9:15 am. This time they took my thumb impression. I repeatedly told them that i am not doing any verification and rather i want to disown the sims, however they were of the view that even for removal of sims, thumb impression is needed. I went through the process and now i just checked to find out that the two mobilink number are still against my name. I contacted Mobilink online support who told me that there is no request from me for removal of sims. Speechless i am. Now i wonder how to get rid of these nuisances from my name. Instead of doing these kind of cheap tactics, the Mobile Network in Pakistan should promote healthy competition and retain their customer by quality of service.
If you know these numbers.
Simply call Mobilink helpline and ask them to block these numbers.
But sir, they ask me to visit the Customer Service Center (CSC). I don’t have any idea of the numbers too which are on my name. And visiting their CSC is a nighmare. No one having a full time job can afford to keep visiting offices the way we have to do just for a simple task. I had visited Ufone, Mobilink and Telenor on one day. Ufone removed on my first visit, while Telenor on second, however for Mobilink it seems i have to visit once again. It is really and ordeal given the fact that Biometric verification is ongoing too. Also the conduct at the Mobilink office is not near anything like professional.
The office in Jinnah Super Market is not very much different from a roadside shop. The agents or representative sitting there are casually dressed and are more interested in selling sims and listening to music with headphone immersed in their ears. It took me a while to explain and convince them to start the process of removing sims from my name. But it seems that they did not complete it too. I have to find another office in Islamabad, as going to this one is useless although it is nearest to me.
You did a mistake here. You did not own those numbers. So, there was no point in verifying them using biometric. Now you did verify and now you do own those numbers. A fraud by Mobilink though. They preyed on your trust.
bhai woh helpline pe call se block nahin karty , original cnic ke sath khud jana parta hai franchise ya service center. yeh hi in ki tactics hain ke system ko itna mushkil bna do ke koi bnda sim remove dis own na krwa saky public jahan marzi jaye. inhein revenue milta rahy
imran bro. kindly take few time for a glass of water , then type all this in an email to PTA, i hope you will get removed your extra numbers on your cnic
it is discrimination if customer wants to remove extra sims from his nic, so is it his right,
Are you using any Mobilink number? if yes, then you only need to own that number at the time of biometric verification. Then within 24 hours, you will receive a SMS in which you will be able to see the other numbers too which are registered against your CNIC and you will be asked to own or dis-own. If you don’t own that numbers, they will be automatically removed from your CNIC after 26.02.2015.
But bro, how i will receive SMS when there is no Mobilink number with me? I don’t use any Mobilink number. I just wanted to remove SIMs from all network which are registered against my name but are not used by me. I m done with all except Mobilink.
I got an email from PTA yesterday that I can remove Sims from my name even by calling to Customer Service Center too. However when I called Mobilink CSC they asked me to visit CSC and declined to remove Sims with online verification. This is a glaring non-conformance to the Regulatory Authority I.e PTA. (PTA letter is attached herewith, read para-3 of it which clearly states that Sims can be removed by calling to the Network CSC and verifying details).
The bottomline is that these Cellphone Networks trying to show large number of customer base even after the verification process. They don’t mind doing it by hook or by crook and by frustrating customers.
What I feel is that when they took my thumb impression when I went there on 19 Jan 2015, they did not actually remove the Sims, rather they have “verified” me. This evident from the fact that the Sims are showing against my name at http://www.CNIC.Sims.pk. If this much hyped verification goes on in this way, then we are doomed. The cellphone networks will lure ignorant customers and will try to verify even those numbers which are they don’t want to keep.
The exact same thing happened with me with Telenor.
It is true, the same happened with me, i had to visit mobilink centres 3 times to get a sim off my name. And i could tell by their faces they were doing something wrong. It was the third time when i made a scene at their franchise, they finally removed my name from that sim. I think this is the most unethical and shameful thing telcom company could ever do. Making profits through fake stats and risking the misuse of sims.
With few calls I had with mobilink support , to me it was very unprofessional. Few days back I called mobilink. for confirming that will I have to give my thumb impression again. As I had given it while getting a new sim as old was damaged. The person who took my call without hearing from me started shouting that you need to verify your sims. Your calls are blocked. I told him I am still able to call, i have sim verified biomaterically but still he shouted and did not give me chance to ask next question before hanging up.
Than I tried to call, it was all working good. And Guess what, after few days I got message that your sim is already verified, you does not need to do it again.
This is how unprofessional mobilink support is. Couple of times i called them and they seem to just hangup after saying what they have to say.. listen less.
Well i think that the telcos rank (after SIM re-verification) will be as follows
1.Telenor
2.Mobilink
3.Zong
4.Ufone
5.Warid
Let’s see …
mirza sb. mobilink top pe rahy ga. bcoz sims doosry networks ki bhi jaa rahi hai. equal na sahi magar loss by size and quantity. personal experience btata hun. sim verification ke liye gya. ufone waly hath pe hath rakh ke bethy hue thy. mobilink office mein khary hony ko bhi jaga na thi
Agreed. Mobilink will remain on top. Multan aur lahore both cities mn dekha. Mobilink mn ghusne ki jagah nhn baki companies k pas koi khas rush nhn.
Shart na lgana shuru kr dain log…ha ha ha
40% + of Lahore is Warid’s share.
I personally use Mobilink sim …. but i have a hunch that Telenor will outnumber Mobilink….. by the way your are very right about Ufone … they are pathetic and they are looters … and after this process is over they’ll see the bitter reality
According to telenor will be ultimate looser bcoz its mostly subscriber base is in rural areas which don’t have much awareness as compared to urban areas. And Mobilink will remain on top after verification
r Sim verification karta ho I think kay mobilink top per ray gaa kun kha Telenor ka Biometric Verification System flap ho gia aur in kay data base main masla hi in ki aksar Sims bund ho jain gi Telenor per ported no jo customers kay nam per nahi hi woha in kay system per naam nai hota hi woha sari Sim jo Telenor per ported bund ho Jay Gi mobilink top per rahy ga aur Telenor aur zong main mukablala ho ga cellzone bhakkar
Najumi sb…ap k totay ny faal nikali thi kia :p
haha. waqya e najumiyo walay style mein peshangoi kr rhe hain Irfan Ullah sahb.
i still remember the day when i had to visit Warid Franchise in Murree Mall Road, the procedure adopted by Warid Rep to Issue Sim was simply add five own references (it was mandatory for Warid New Connection) and even issue without getting the Copy of CNIC of Customer , same case with Ufone in PEshawar , when Ufone Announced that Ufone Sim can be get by Free and can be activated using 600 Recharge Card. People outside the Franchise at that time rush over the franchise and break the glass door of Franchise.
Sieriously I want to know: WHO CARES ABOUT THE NUMBERS?
What difference does it make in your ordinary life? All we care about is how much it cost to make calls and send SMS and use 2G/3G/4G.
Is it some popularity contest? If Mobilink has 5 million more numbers than Telenor, what difference does it make to me? Should I join Mobilink because it has more numbers?
I don’t understand.
It tells a lot about the operators, more the subscribers mean more people trust on that network and that is more reachable as well as reliable.
100% Agreed. Nnikami qom hai jis topic pe laga do behs shuru kr dete hain. BTW hum dono bhi yehi kr rhe hain :D
I do not agree with the poll above, it have a missing option, which is “All of Them” We know in early ages all of them have sold the unverified sims, and lots of those sims are not even used today anymore. So yeah all will lose. Can’t point out any single Operator..
Why All of them?
He is asking who will lose “more” costumers? If the word more is used, then it means there should be only one operator who will lose more subscribers and all others will lose less, as compared to that one.
I am using my ufone sim in KSA,
so can anyone tell me how to verify my sim?
is there any procedure……?
have you tried contacting the embassy?
Yes, you are right. They verified those sims against your CNIC. If you wanted to dis-own those number you should not go through biometric process.
@Aamir , Sir kindly highlight this issue which we are discussing in the comments section. Your efforts to create awareness on the verification process are truly commendable. If you could also write on the responsibility of Cellular Networks to carry out the verification process in letter and spirit then it ll be a great service. Thank you
Telcos are aware of the situation and they are going to issue a statement on this, that will address your concerns.
Warid will lose minimum customers as they have consistent users. All warid users are happy with their network including me. Quality matters bro. Zong and Ufone will be effected most in my view.