Bangladesh’s mobile subscriber count dropped by 1.2 million in December 2024, continuing a six-month decline. The downturn was attributed to a rise in SIM taxation and economic challenges, with mobile operators losing millions of customers. A gender gap in mobile ownership also persists, with men far outpacing women in access.
Zong 4G hosted a delegation from NIPA as part of the Senior Management Course, offering insights into the company’s technological advancements and contributions to Pakistan’s digital ecosystem. Discussions covered network expansion, AI, and data governance. The visit highlighted Zong’s commitment to Pakistan’s digital transformation and fostering sector collaboration.
Pakistan’s government plans to launch 5G services by mid-2025, aiming to resolve internet speed issues. Despite financial concerns highlighted in the PTA’s 2024 report, the government remains committed to overcoming challenges in transitioning to 5G, with an emphasis on improving connectivity and telecom industry growth.
Pakistan’s mobile phone imports declined by 7.46% in the first half of FY 2024-25, totaling $733.425 million. While monthly imports showed a slight increase, the year-on-year growth remained negative. Locally manufactured handsets reached 28.43 million, with smartphones accounting for 65% of the market.
Nayatel has partnered with Agile Managex Technologies to deliver Bitdefender’s top-tier cybersecurity solutions across Pakistan. This collaboration aims to enhance endpoint security for businesses, offering AI-powered malware detection, real-time protection, and centralized management, helping protect against sophisticated cyber threats as Pakistan’s IT sector continues to grow.
Mobily was awarded the “Best Wholesale Company in the Middle East” at the 18th Telecom Review Leaders’ Summit for its role in advancing Saudi Arabia’s digital transformation. The award highlights Mobily’s commitment to providing innovative digital solutions and its support for Saudi Vision 2030 through cutting-edge infrastructure and global connectivity.
The Overseas Investors Chamber of Commerce has reaffirmed its commitment to developing Pakistan’s IT and telecom sectors at the Tech Festival ITCN Asia. The event emphasized collaboration among government, private sector, and academic institutions, with forecasts suggesting IT exports may grow from $10 billion to $18 billion by 2028.
Bangladesh’s telecom operators lost 3.65 million mobile subscribers and 2.2 million internet users during the July-August uprising, according to the BTRC. The largest losses were seen by Banglalink and Robi Axiata. The reasons behind the significant drop in subscribers remain unclear.
The Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) successfully recovered a Rs5 million penalty from Wateen Telecom after a prolonged legal battle. The penalty stemmed from an exclusive agreement between Wateen Telecom and DHA Lahore, which violated the Competition Act, 2010. The recovery was made under the CCP’s authority to enforce penalties on non-compliant entities.
The government has approved Ncell’s request to pay its license renewal fee in four annual installments of Rs5 billion each, with interest applied to the second, third, and fourth installments. This decision comes despite legal concerns raised by the Office of the Attorney General, which advised against the installment option.
