Qubee, with a monthly 0.2 percent rise in its subscriber’s base, is set to become the fourth largest broadband network in the country as it has crossed over 60 thousand subscribers in only four cities of the country, industry sources informed Pakistan Today. It will replace wi-tribe, which claims to have 80 thousand subscribers and a 0.15 percent monthly increase in its subscriber’s base.
Meanwhile, worldcall could also replace wateen as the second largest broadband network, as the latter is undergoing a monthly three percent decline in its subscriber base, sources added. Wateen, currently, has 0.15 million subscribers and is undergoing a decrease in its subscriber’s base, while worldcall is said to have over 0.1 million subscribers and an over 10 percent market share, sources added. The DSL segment of Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) is witnessing a monthly four percent increase in its subscriber’s base.
This, along with its EvDo service, makes it the largest player of the broadband sphere of the country. Vptcl has also seen a two to three percent monthly increase in its subscriber’s base, primarily in rural areas. Sources informed that Qubee has planned an aggressive expansion plan and would go to offer its services in over five cities of the country, while wi-tribe has deployed their network in Faislabad. However, it has not started selling its services yet.
It is pertinent to mention that broadband base, with 1.2 million subscribers, stands at one percent against the tele-density of 66.8 percent and an annual growth of five percent. While, PTA Chairman Dr Mohammad Yaseen recently said that the broadband market of Asia is expected to reach $605 billion by 2011. According to PTA’s annual report for the year 2009-10, broadband in Pakistan passed a subscription mark of 0.9 million at the end of September 2010 compared to a subscription base of 0.4 million at the end of FY 2008-09. A total of 486, 839 news subscribers have been registered by broadband companies during the FY 2009-10.
The report further says that new technologies like WiMax and EvDO are gaining market share as WiMax and EvDO have a total share of 28.6 percent and 12.3 percent respectively. DSL, HFC, FTTH, are rapidly losing share, as a deteriorating condition of fixed line infrastructure and poor quality services has triggered an 11 percent loss for DSL in one year.
