In a strategic move set to reshape Pakistan’s telecom landscape, Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) is eagerly looking forward to regulatory approvals for acquisition of Telenor Pakistan.
PTCL’s President and Group CEO, Hatem Bamatraf, while speaking with media on the sidelines of GITEX in Dubai, stated that the strategic acquisition is expected to strengthen the market while enabling the company to invest more significantly in new technologies and infrastructure, ultimately benefiting consumers with enhanced services.
PTCL’s President and Group CEO, Hatem Bamatraf, emphasized that the decision was made after careful consideration, recognizing the potential benefits not just for PTCL but for the entire Pakistani telecom industry.
“We believe it’s a great step, not only for PTCL but actually for the entire telecom market and Pakistan,” Bamatraf stated.
He highlighted the global trend of in-market consolidations, especially in emerging markets where purchasing power differs from that of advanced economies.
“There are so many advanced markets out there that have three or even two players. So you can imagine an emerging market like Pakistan, where the purchasing power is not similar to other advanced economies, the consolidation becomes even more essential to have customer centric players,” he explained.
After acquiring Telenor Pakistan, PTCL aims to create a more focused entity capable of investing in cutting-edge technologies and infrastructure.
“After the acquisition, the people of Pakistan should expect a level of experience and access to technology that they have never seen before. This is our promise and this is our commitment,” Bamatraf assured.
He further elaborated on the broader impact of the acquisition, stating that it would elevate the level of competition in the market, which would ultimately reflect positively on consumers. “This will result in a situation that will improve and elevate the level of competition, and it will finally reflect back to the consumers of the Pakistani telecom market,” he said.
Beyond enhancing telecom services, PTCL envisions playing a pivotal role in Pakistan’s digital transformation. “We believe that the telco today is an enabler of digital transformation and digital economy for so many countries, and Pakistan is no different,” Bamatraf noted.
He emphasized that the government’s strategic focus on the digital economy aligns with PTCL’s objectives. “The government of Pakistan has announced time and time again that their focus is the digital economy, and they want to put Pakistan on the map of digital transformation and digital economy,” he added.
Bamatraf stressed that PTCL is committed to being an enabler and a vehicle to fulfill the country’s digital aspirations. “We are playing our part as a telco, or technology player as we prefer to refer to ourselves, to be an enabler and become the vehicle to fulfill the desire of the country and the government to achieve the digital goals,” he said.
The acquisition is anticipated to bring significant value not only to customers but also to the economy and the overall progress of the nation. “The integration of Telenor will actually result in significant value contribution to the customer, the economy, and the overall progress of the nation,” Bamatraf emphasized.
Addressing potential concerns among employees regarding the acquisition, Bamatraf underscored the importance of open communication and employee engagement.
“I am a believer that the essential ingredient of any success of any organization is the people behind the organization,” he stated. “You need to continuously communicate and update the employees. You need to create an environment of openness where people feel secure to share their ideas, where people don’t feel threatened and scared to suggest solutions or express their opinion.”
To foster this environment, PTCL has implemented various initiatives, including regular town halls and casual meetings with employee groups.
“I have regular town halls with the people. I also meet with groups of people frequently on a casual basis,” Bamatraf shared.
“We have different sorts of forums—that are mainly for the operations and management of the business—but I take the opportunity to keep people posted about the strategy and developments of the market through such forums.”
With the integration of Telenor Pakistan, PTCL acknowledges that communication with employees becomes even more crucial. “The integration of Telenor will also raise a lot of concerns among the people, and that’s why it has become more important for us to communicate with people on a regular basis,” he noted.
The acquisition marks a significant milestone in Pakistan’s telecom industry, promising not only improved services for consumers but also a leap forward in introducing newer technologies, driven by a customer centric market player with greater investment capacity. The move is expected to elevate the level of competition, foster innovation, and contribute to the nation’s digital goals.
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I think that if this Acquisition Goes through (which is very Likely outcome), then Ptcl Group will not Bid in 5g Auction. This Bamtraf Guy is talking big but we know what his Company did in 2014 Auction and Subsequent Network Rollout. They were too chicken to go for 4g Spectrum and not even bid for 10Mhz in 3g(2100Mhz) Band. even now they have least number of 4g Cell sites AND on average more expensive Packages than other networks which has resulted in Ufone being Relegated to Last position among all Telcos.
So if History Is anything to go by They’ll opt out of 5g Spectrum.
I’m not a fan of this merger either, but Ufone packages are least expensive of all remaining. And even give discount upon their least pricing from time to time, making it even cheaper.
The track record of PTCL is very poor. Its services have been one of the worst. What will it contribute by taking over Telenor? These statements on paper look good. The ground realities, however, are quite different. I am writing this all by being a long time customer of PTCL till recently.
Untill Ufone seperates from PTCL along with the upcoming Telenor division; no amount of acquisitions can help it. Simply put, PTCL is a government-run company, and you can see what happens to all of them, just like PIA. There is no hope for such nationalised companies to innovate or do anything useful.
He is lying and musguiding the **Govt. And People of Pakistan I bieng the PTCL Subcriber of Broadband Internet Service and also all Five Members of my family are PTCL MOBILE SIM subcriber. We are bullied and have no choice to change subcribtion from PTCL to Other Telco. As PTCL had increased th3-times since last almost a Year thier Broadband Internet and Mobile recharge charges. If ththey become ONE OF BIG PLAYER OF TELECOM THEY WILL MONOPOLIZE BIG SHARE PEOPLE TO PAY WHATEVER PTCL INCREASED SERVICES CHARGES. Govt. Should Stop this company being big player of telco in the Pakistani Market??**
Why would the government stop it? The government already holds 62% shares in Ufone.