KARACHI: The broadband Internet service in Pakistan is witnessing sharp growth as the number of subscribers has grown by more than 60 per cent during last fiscal, with operators pinning hopes that the customer base is likely to double in the next two years.

In its annual report, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority said that the broadband market in Pakistan 'underwent a great degree of technological and strategic transformation during the last fiscal year,' as competition intensified with the launch of WiMAX technology by one of the operators.

'Notwithstanding, the fact that wireless technologies took over a major share of broadband market, the number of broadband users in the country jumped the one million mark, multiplying to 1,491,491 at the end of financial year 2011 from 900,648, recoding 66 per cent increase,' said the PTA annual report 2011.

'Broadband spread went up from 0.55 per cent to 0.89 per cent. The broadband clientele of Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) was the highest with 848,379 holding 57 per cent market share trailed by Wateen with 218,506 customers and 15 per cent market share.

However, the telecom regulators admitted the fact that broadband penetration level in the country still hovered around one per cent of the population despite strong competition in the market, lower tariffs, government initiatives and technological edge.

'This situation calls for concerted push on the part of operators and the regulator alike. Scores of analyses, studies and industry consultations have been carried out at PTA to assess the root causes of slow growth in broadband penetration,' it added.

Elaborating market share, it said that PTCL retained its status as market leader with 848,379 subscribers representing 78 per cent growth and 57 per cent market share from its DSL and EvDO services.

According to the report, DSL stayed as the most used broadband technology in Pakistan, with PTCL and Link Dot Net being the major operators offering this service to customers whose number reached 695,245 at the close of the fiscal WiMAX services had won tremendous success since its inauguration in 2007 by Wateen and later launched by Wi-Tribe and Qubee as well.

The report has also lifted hopes of the operators, who see the service growing fast this year as well that would gradually obsolete the narrowband technology.

'Though the subscriber based touched almost 1.5 million mark, the users of broadband are higher than seven million,' said Wahaj-umSairaj of the Internet Services Providers Association of Pakistan (ISPAK). 'The prospects are quite encouraging as the technology has reached almost Tehsil level.