ISLAMABAD: As the culture of sending Eid cards is on the decline in the country, cellphone companies expect over one billion SMS after sighting of the Shawwal moon and the same number on Eid and following days.

As the numbers of subscribers of the five cellular companies in the country have reached 95.6 million, the number of SMS is likely to cross the record level of one billion.

The high number of SMS is also expected due to various discounts offered by the companies. 

‘The companies are able to offer massive discounts especially on SMS due to increase in the systems’ capacity,’ said an official of a leading mobile company.

According to data collected from the cellular companies, an average of around 270 million SMS is floated daily in Pakistan. With almost 59 per cent of the country falling under coverage of cellular industry, the flow of SMS has jacked up.

‘Now SMS is a viable substitute for greeting cards and even letters for people living in remote areas,’ the official said, adding on occasions like Eid the average number of SMS increases by 400 per cent.

The unofficial data collected from cellular companies said that during moon sighting and late past mid-night around 300 million SMS were expected at Mobilink system followed by around 250 million with Ufone, 200 million Telenor, 150 million Warid and 100 million with Zong, the youngest cellular company in the country.

An official of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) said since the cellular firms in Pakistan were not public listed companies; therefore, they were not bound to give business details to the public.

The companies expect an exchange of one billion SMS during the Eid day and the following day too.

‘Talking on the phones and exchanging SMS is now part of our culture even for those living in rural areas and people exchange SMS whenever they have free time,’ said an official of the marketing department in a mobile company, adding that with increase in call rates the SMS usage would also continue to grow in the country.