KARACHI, Jan 12: Operators of wireless local loop (WLL) say that there is a market for an additional 10-15 million lines in the next five years.
Two players -- Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) and GO CDMA of Tele card - are in a race to grab more customers.
Two new players are expected to enter the market in the next six months. While the WLL has limited mobility, its technology coupled with cheap call costs may pose a serious challenge for existing mobile phone operators and land line companies.
Dawn tries to solicit views from the current operators of WWL and their future plans. Tele card Limited chief executive officer Fazal Hussain said his company would be adding the bulk of WLL lines in the first two years. He forecast around two million lines during this period.
The company intends to invest over $300 million in WLL, LDI and its corporate network service in the next five years. "As many as 1,000 jobs are expected to be created in the next year in the process of business expansion with rapid pace, thus taking the total to 1,500 jobs," he said.
He said the WWL service was being launched in 185 stations of the country, as against 85 places being offered by its competitors, both in urban and rural locations. The company has acquired frequency in all 14 telecommunication regions of Pakistan.
Mr Hussain said that telecom revolution had started in Pakistan and this year the government would take tentative steps in moving into the information age in order to achieve a rapid progress in this sector.
More recently, PTCL has also started its WLL services. At present PTCL is operating on 450 MHz. This is part of Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz's directive to provide 250,000 lines in rural areas. Telecard is operating on 1,900 MHz frequency.
Senior executive vice-president, corporate affairs, PTCL, Mashkoor Hussain, told Dawn from Islamabad that the company was aggressively investing in the WWL segment in order to increase its subscriber base and become a leading player in the coming years.
Without quoting the actual investment in the WWL, he said a major chunk of overall investment by PTCL was going in the WWL segment. A senior PTCL official said that PTCL, which had initially decided to introduce WLL in rural areas, had also planned to provide WLL connection in urban areas.
He said the WWL facility would be provided in all major cities. Currently, a survey is being conducted in Karachi to ascertain the area situation where the facility will be provided.
"I cannot say as to how many phone lines will be given to Karachi, but efforts are underway to provide the WLL service in January," the official said, adding that PTCL has planned to give two million wireless connections in both rural and urban areas by June 2005.
The range of wireless phone for city areas will be two to six km, while in rural areas it will be within the range of 20km. The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority has already fixed the range for wireless connection of four to five km in the city area.
The WLL in simple words means connecting subscriber's phones in homes and offices with a limited mobility at less than landline prices. WLL operators claim that it is now time to say goodbye to linemen, and hassle of wires all over the place. The WWL will also provide SMS and internet access.