KARACHI, Sept 4: System problems in the Ufone network have prevented the mobile phone company from activating connections issued shortly after the launch of its new package.

Well-placed sources told Dawn on Wednesday that a large number of new prepaid connections issued after Aug 28 had not been activated because of some technical problems in the network of the mobile phone company.

Officials at the Sharea Faisal outlet of Ufone told Dawn that the mobile phone company was repairing the network. They added that the connections would be activated in 48 to 72 hours.

They admitted that hundreds of Ufone subscribers had been inconvenienced by the delay in activation of connections.

They also admitted that the Ufone helpline number 111-333-100 was not working, adding to the anguish of a large number of subscribers whose connections had not been activated.

A Ufone customer told Dawn that he had acquired a connection 0333-2185044 on Aug 29 and he had been promised that his connection would be activated within 48 hours.

“When my connection was not activated after 48 hours, I called the Ufone helpline number and found, to my dismay, that it was either engaged or not working. On Sept 2, I spoke to a Ufone official who promised that my connection would be activated after midnight. The promise never materialized. Then I went to the Ufone outlet on Sharea Faisal on Sept 3 and some officials said that they had received complaints about non-activation of connections and mine would be activated by 3pm on Sept 4. Again their promise did not materialize.”

The Ufone customer wondered why the mobile phone company was issuing new connections when its network was not working properly.