Increased Volume for Broadband Users:
WiTribe also has a great offer for its existing and new broadband users. Limited packages now have doubled volume whereas unlimited packages now have a Fair Usage Policy of 200GB up from the measly 60GB previously. Given below are the details of the revised packages:

For more details regarding WiTribe broadband packages click here

Wi Net TV:
WiTribe has changed the subscription model for its Wi Net TV streaming service. It is now free to use for all non WiTribe subscribers. However they will get limited access to live channels and Video on Demand feature. Full access to Wi Net TV is a value added service for non WiTribe users with the following Tariff:

There are a few terms and conditions for non WiTribe users as follows:

1) All non WiTribe users will be able to use Wi Net TV for FREE.
2) FREE users will get limited access to TV Channels & Video on Demand.
3) Premium/International channels will not be available for viewing in FREE mode.
4) Upon accessing paid channels, user will be prompted to upgrade to “Premium” mode.
5) FREE users may receive Ads on screen and on the web page.
6) Upon recharging the account, the user access will be upgraded to “Premium” mode.
7) Premium access will be available till expiry of credit.

Upgrading to PREMIUM gives you:

a) Ad free viewing experience.
b) Uninterrupted access.
c) Exclusive international channels.
d) Prepaid billing.
e) Watch live TV on upto 3 screens simultaneously.
f) Watch latest movies via Video on Demand.

For WiTribe customers the following terms and conditions apply:

1) Monthly subscription charges for Wi Net TV would be PKR 100(from March 2016 onwards)
2) FREE mode will not be available to WiTribe users.
3) Charges will be included in monthly bill.
4) Once subscribed, users will get access to premium content.

For more details regarding Wi Net TV click here

Khurram Zahid

The post Do More With Wi-Tribe’s Revised Fair Usage Policy appeared first on Smartchoice.pk.

PTCL is the only telecom provider that’s offering all three services as a bundle all over Pakistan. This bundle includes Smart TV Set Top Box, DSL Broadband Internet and Landline Telephone. It’s called the Triple Play bundle. However you can purchase just the Smart TV services if you are already using PTCL internet services. But if you’re not a PTCL Broadband DSL user then you’ll need to get a Landline connection to avail these services as the Smart TV Set Top Box is connected to your internet modem.

Now let’s talk about a few features that you will get with PTCL Smart TV packages that your normal cable operator doesn’t provide you and can be really useful and exciting.

TV On Demand:
TV on Demand is an exciting feature of PTCL Smart TV packages that allows viewers to watch programs from the past 4 days at their own convenience.

Personal Video Recorder:
With the Personal Video Recorder viewers can schedule the recording of their favorite program to be aired in the next/upcoming 4 days. The viewer can watch these recorded programs at their time of convenience. The recorded program is stored for 4 days from the time of recording.   

Time Shift TV:
Time Shift TV is an awesome feature that enables you to playback live TV channels at any time you want. If you miss an important part of a movie, drama or a sports event, you can view it by rewinding the particular channel.

Parental Control:
This feature enables parents to restrict certain channels which are not suitable for viewing by minors. Restriction is enabled by assigning a password to particular channel thus empowering parents to control the content their children can watch on PTCL Smart TV.

Electronic Program Guide:
Electronic Program Guide is a feature packed on-screen guide that enables viewer interaction during channel and program selection. It can schedule broadcast television programs and enables viewers to navigate, select, and discover content by time, title, channel, genre, etc. by use of their remote control. It also provides access to billing details, changing password and managing favorites.

Video On Demand:
Video on Demand is a service that provides end users to interactively play videos and films through a catalogue available on the Electronic Program Guide.  A film that is selected, for example, will be available for multiple viewing for 24 hours without any extra charge. Do keep in mind that this feature is charged as per movie basis or you can purchase bundles.

PTCL Smart TV App:
One thing to note here is that unlike Cable TV, PTCL Smart TV only displays one channel on multiple TVs however the Smart TV Android/iOS mobile app enables you to live stream other channels on your smartphones and tablet PCs  so you don’t miss those exciting cricket matches while the females in your house are watching their never ending drama episodes!

Huge Number of Channels:
With PTCL Smart TV, you can flick between more than 120 channels. One thing to note is due to restrictions by regulatory authorities, indian channels are not available on PTCL Smart TV.

Pricing Details:

All prices exclusive of applicable taxes
PTCL Triple Play comes with 500 off net mobile minutes & 100 international Zone 1 destination minutes.
Value Added Services are free.

How To Order:
To avail PTCL Triple Play offers  from SmartChoice.PK you can click here to check out all the available PTCL Smart TV package charges and order them right away. To check out other available PTCL packages visit www.smartchoice.pk . Additionally you may call us at 03-111-276-278. The installation time is 7 business days. After that PTCL technical staff will visit your premises for installation and configuration purposes and to setup PTCL Smart TV. You will not have to pay anything at the time of installation and all charges regarding PTCL Smart TV monthly bill will show up in your PTCL landline monthly bill.

That’s all folks, we hope this blog post helped you know all about the PTCL Smart TV features, offers and pricing. To all existing users, please provide us with your experience with PTCL and your feedback in the comments section below!

Khurram Zahid

The post PTCL Smart TV Packages and Pricing Explained! appeared first on Smartchoice.pk.

OmanTel is the largest telecommunications service provider in the Sultanate of Oman. However  WorldCall itself has failed to achieve the same glory here in Pakistan as their services are on the lowest currently, their marketing and retail operations seem to be at their lowest right now and this is because of not having proper infrastructure and offering competitive services and offers as other providers did with the passage of time. WorldCall started its operations in Pakistan in 1996 when it introduced Prepaid Wireless phones and latest introduced Cable Broadband and then Wireless Broadband, Cable TV to Video on Demand, from LDI services and fiber optic network to wireless local loop telephony, it has offered a multitude of services to consumers in Pakistan. WorldCall Telecom Limited became a sister company of Omantel after acquisition of major share holding by Omantel in 2008.

However due to its poor performance and inability to pay back its creditors and stakeholders, it’s rumoured that WorldCall might be acquired by Dunya News Network in the due course of forthcoming few days. If this comes true then it’s a possibility that a media group for the first time in Pakistan would also be offering it’s own Cable TV services. Which leads us to ponder that would it still convey neutral content or become biased? WorldCall being acquired by a media group means that it will no longer be a national service but one that’s affiliated with one group.

However it’s only speculation at the moment and you should take this with a pinch of salt. We hope to learn more about the fate of WorldCall’s future in Pakistan in the coming few days!

Khurram Zahid

The post WorldCall’s Future in Pakistan Seems Unsure! appeared first on Smartchoice.pk.

Lack of Proper Infrastructure:
First of all let’s talk about infrastructure. This is probably the Achilles heel of PTCL. They claim to be offering their services across Pakistan but the fact is that they have obsolete and outdated infrastructure and haven’t tried on improving and refining it with the latest technology advances. Even in major cities like Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad, PTCL services have been downright poor which is a surprise given the amount of customers and revenue they can generate if they give consistent services.

Lack of Investment in Future Technologies:
In wired connectivity PTCL is behind its competitors by still giving DSL broadband via copper cable whereas other competitors like StormFiber, Optix Fiber and Satcomm have already begun successful rollout of Fiber Optics based internet. Whereas other Broadband providers are taking the market by storm and getting a huge chunk of getting a rising number of broadband users onboard, the biggest telecom operator is  biting the dust and literally pays no heed to the need of the consumers and time both.

Then there also comes the issue of scalability I.e the telephone exchanges lack the capacity to handle new connections. Not just that, there are not enough feasibility checks before installing a new connection to ensure that the speeds commited will be delivered.

Trying to Do Too Much at One Time:
The situation is similar when it comes to  wireless technologies. PTCL  offers numerous wireless Mobile Broadband devices such as Evo Wingle and Charji Evo that boast of speeds between 9Mbps to 36Mbps however consumers are getting  speeds that are nowhere near even the promised speeds by the telecom operator. The underlying reason for this is inferior technology such as EV-DO which is  based on CDMA networks whereas every other ISP/Telco is offering services using 3G/4G networks which offer much better speeds and coverage. This is false advertising and the claims are too good to be true. PTCL is busy offering humongous packages ranging from 20-100Mbps however they are unable to give satisfactory speeds to even 2,4 or 8Mbps users.

Customer Service Issues:
In the end let’s talk a little about Customer Services. This is the backbone of any telecom operator as they handle queries and complains by new and existing customers. However due to the lacking quality of services, the customer services and support department are always overburdened with calls with the users complaining about lack of speeds. Obviously the customer support representatives are short on time and are thus forced to give unsatisfactory and pre-written replies that only aggravates the consumer further and thus a customer thinks of switching the ISP.

We believe that PTCL can surely make things better if they do a self-assessment and prioritize resolution of issues to retain existing customers instead of generating new business. Based on our limited understanding, we propose possible solutions to these variety of issues
1)  Discontinue or limit higher speed packages to specific areas in major cities only and  start giving consistent services to 2-8Mbps subscribers.

2) Initiate a roll out of Fiber Optics based internet services as soon as possible in major cities of Pakistan and communicate the rollout plans  to your existing customers.
3) Upgrade the infrastructure where the number of active consumers is the highest to the latest technology along with increasing network capability to offer better quality of services and improved coverage.

4) Offer promotions/packages that are backed by consistent and reliable quality of services that are not just for short term financial gains.
5) Coordinate with the CSR department to know of the complains being faced by customers and setting up technical support in such a way that addresses such qualms in real-time or as soon as possible basis.

5) Put such SOPs in place that once a customer lodges a complain against the service, it reaches the desired department and is effectively resolved by the respective technical and support staff.

Final Word:
In lieu of the above mentioned issues PTCL should now seriously consider and improve at the earliest because it’s high time PTCL got its act right and upped its game and really showed its competitors that it’s Pakistan’s largest telecom operator having the most coverage but at the same time offering consistent and satisfactory speeds to its consumers as well. We do hope that the word is spread and someone at PTCL with the right authority and capability takes notice of these shortcomings and strives to improve on the brand name and bring back loyal customers as well as attract new customers towards choosing PTCL as their telecom and internet services provider.

Khurram Zahid

The post It’s High Time PTCL Got Its Act Together! appeared first on Smartchoice.pk.

TES provides specialized enterprise services of TWA to major enterprise customers of Pakistan. The services are designed to achieve optimum results for mission-critical applications like broadband connectivity, data transmission, voice operations and disaster recovery. However apart from its corporate operations, TES has started offering fiber to home services to residential customers however at this point in time a very limited area in Karachi is being covered with further progress planned in the near future.

It currently offers IP Transit, I-Connect/Domestic MPLS, Data Center services to customers at this point in time.

Company has said that its new visual identity presents TES as modern, evolving, growing and reflects the strength and direction of its brand portfolio. The blue color palette is fresh, vibrant and approachable, representing TES’s commitment to earn “customers for life.” The typeface, however is the same and not changed, presents a modern, clean look.

TES’s new tagline is “Connect. Communicate. Succeed. This tagline invites customers to engage with TES to open up greater opportunities for success with our broader technology and solutions portfolio.

“We’ve rebranded to better tell our story,” says Mr. Kamran Malik, CEO of TES. “Although the company’s identity has changed, TES commitment to its core values and to delivering exceptional value through remarkable service hasn’t changed. Our new identity is a symbol of this promise and just one of many exciting new developments to come.”

“It is a significant milestone”, he added, “But, we have even loftier goals for this year and beyond. We are thrilled about our enhanced brand identity and are looking forward to achieving even more growth and adding to our list of esteemed customers. This is an exciting time for our organization and for our clients.”

We hope that this fresh new vigor will help the company streamline its structure and offer the best of themselves and their services to their clients.

Khurram Zahid

The post TES Flaunts a Brand New Face! appeared first on Smartchoice.pk.

Tariff changes and other details for specific tiers are mentioned below:

Unlimited Packages:

Limited Packages:
The tariffs for limited packages have remained the same however the activation charges have been increased from PKR500 to PKR1000. It seems that Qubee is trying to discourage their users from opting for the limited packages as 20GB is a really small limit and most users hit the limit before the month ends which leads to users opting for additional data bundles which in turn increases the monthly cost. One more reason could be that Qubee recently gave free speed upgrades to existing customers and thus is now facilitating new users to get faster speeds at lower prices. Hence we also feel that it’s better to go for the unlimited packages by spending a wee bit more. We should also inform our readers that all 1.5Mbps packages have been discontinued as of now.

Shuttle(Non-WiFi):
In this tier, the existing Azadi Max package has been rebranded to “Explore Max” whose tariff remains unchanged at PKR900 including service charges but excluding all taxes for 1Mbps speed and a 60GB download limit subject to Fair Usage Policy. For more details on this package click here.

We hope that with the introduction of the newer and faster package, along with the reduced tariffs, Qubee will be able to lure more new subscribers into their camp. However time will tell if other broadband providers will come out with countermeasures or not! Smartchoice.pk is now offering all these packages which you can order by clicking here.

Khurram Zahid

The post Qubee Launches 4Mbps and Reduces Tariff Again! appeared first on Smartchoice.pk.

Earlier, PEMRA held a pre-bidding conference on Friday, 9^th October 2015, at its headquarters in Islamabad. A large number of potential investors including some local companies, mobile network operators and international players including Chinese and Russian companies attended the conference. PEMRA Acting Chairman Kamaluddin Tipu addressed the conference. The bidding/auctioning and the list of provisional winners is scheduled for 7^th December, 2015.

Now, lets take a look at what DTH actually is. DTH, an acronym for Direct-to-Home.  DTH is a digital satellite service that provides television viewing services directly to subscribers through satellite transmission anywhere in the country. It’s a fairly old technology now but finally it’s reaching Pakistan late just like 3G/4G but as the wise man said, ’better late than never’. In this a dish is placed outside a home which helps in receiving the signals and broadcasting the transmission onto a television. The signals are digital by nature and are received directly from the satellite. The digital signals provide optimum quality in all features and make viewing an absolute pleasure. Features like Full HD and Ultra HD 4K resolution, 16:9 Wide Aspect Ratio, 5 Times Digital Picture Quality and HD quality audio add to the incredible experience of television viewing.

The service is state-of-the-art in broadcasting and distribution technologies and has a number of advantages, including enhanced channel carrying capacity, better quality of picture and sound, value-added services such EPG (Electronic Program Guide), Parental Controls, Push,  VoD(Video on Demand), PVR (Personal Video Recorder), Time Scheduling etc. It is also pertinent to mention that PEMRA had hired services of an international consultant i.e. M/s Digital Strategy Consulting & Service Switzerland after a competitive bidding process to ensure transparency in award of DTH Licenses in Pakistan.

Since we’ve described what DTH and it’s features are, let’s have a look at the current market. As we all know, the local market is currently flooded with cheap Dish TVs that are brought in through illegal channels and sources, these are available at cheap rates but the downsides are that no after sales services or support are available for these nor these come with any kind of warranty whatsoever for the hardware offered. On the upside, DTH has a lot of market potential for investors and it is expected that the service will result in a lot of investment & employment opportunities fetching speedy return on investment. It will also help with the fact that availability of legal DTH in Pakistan will also help curbing the proliferation of illegal DTH of neighboring countries in Pakistan which is causing loss of millions of rupees to the national exchequer annually. The launch of this service will be a step forward towards meeting the direction of International Telecommunication Union (ITU) for digitalization of broadcast media & distribution services. Moreover, the service will also stimulate HD/UHD content development in the country and emergence of variety of new channels. Also the latest UHD and FullHD TVs can work at their full potential and show true High-Definition content on the screens and other features of modern devices can also be used to their full potential.

PEMRA efforts in curbing the menace of illegal DTH were also highlighted. Participants were told that an advertisement informing general public and warning cable TV operators to stop using illegal DTH has been widely published in all leading newspapers today. Crackdowns against cable operators who are using illegal DTH for further distribution of channels are also initiated. Though this can take a lot of time and is difficult because of the extensive influx of cable TV in the local market. Also the service providers will have to come up with good packages in terms of pricing to make wider embracement by public possible.

What’s your say on this matter? Do you think it’s finally a good move by PEMRA to bring in a better technology to the public? Voice your opinions to us in the comments below. We personally think that it’s an excellent move and will benefit everyone including public, media and the government authorities in the long term and with competitive pricing this can really be a game changer in the media consumption market.

Khurram Zahid

The post PEMRA to issue 3 DTH (Digital TV) licenses appeared first on Smartchoice.pk.

Along with this new offer there are another few offers already in place for Qubee customers such as getting 2GB of extra bandwidth if bills are payed within the due date, Pay-for-3,Get-1-free which gives you one month free if you pay for three consecutive months at a single time.

As another additional incentive, Qubee has launched QClub which offers loyalty rewards in three tiers namely QNeu under which for staying with the brand for 3-6 months you get 10% additional volume on your base package. Then comes QGuru which offers 20% additional volume for 6-12 months. Finally there is QRoyal which includes 40% additional bandwidth after you’ve been a customer for  1 year.

We personally think these offers are  really compelling as they can be availed altogether as well. Have you tried out any of these? Were there any issues or the offers were available as the company states them to be? Let us know by giving us your reviews here!

Khurram Zahid

The post Qubee Rewards Customers with Free Speed Upgrades appeared first on Smartchoice.pk.

Both new and existing Evo users can now subscribe to the PTCL packages with updated prices and increased data plans that will be valid until 31st December 2015.

[table id=3 /]

*Fair Usage Policy of 300 GB applies

Monthly line rent are inclusive of all taxes (including WHT)

Additional Usage on Evo 9.3 at Rs. 100/GB and 0.15/MB on postpay and prepay respectively

Additional 5 GB volume bucket for Rs. 500 on CharJi Evo prepay and postpay

Downgrade Charges of Rs. 570 apply for the 15 GB EVO 9.3 Package Only. This applies to existing subscribers who wish to change their package to the 15 GB package with Rs. 1,000 MRC. These subscribers will be required to pay the one-time charge of Rs. 570.

These PTCL net packages are only valid for Evo Wingle and Cloud devices of EVO 9.3 and CharJi. The device charges are separate which are as follows:

3G EVO Wingle = Rs. 1,500

3G EVo Nitro Cloud = Rs. 3,000

CharJi EVO Wingle = Rs. 2,500

CharJi EVO Cloud = Rs. 3,500

Frequently Asked Questions

Following are some of the FAQs to answer questions that both new and existing users may have in mind. If you have any question other than listed below, leave a message or call on the number listed in Contact Us part of this blog.

Q1) How will a customer pay downgrade charges?
A1) The downgrade charges apply to existing subscribers who wish to change their broadband package to the 15 GB Package (Rs. 1,000 line-rent). Package change charges of Rs. 570 will apply in this case. Customers will be required to have Rs. 500 balance in their account before applying for package change in the case of Prepaid (Customer upon recharging Rs. 570 will have 500 remaining in his account for package change charges). In the case of postpaid the charges will be included in the subscribers bill i.e Rs. 570 + Rs. 1,000 line-rent.

Q2) What is an existing subscriber wishes to change their package to the Unlimited EVO 9.3 package? Will they pay additional charges?

A2) No. The package change charges apply ONLY for the 15 GB PTCL packages. Standard package change scenario will apply for all other promo packages.

Q3) Is the promotion valid till the 31^st of October, or the 31^st of December?

A3) The promotion is valid for SALES till the 31^st of October, 2015. Subscribers who purchase their devices before October, 31^st will receive the packages described above. These packages with their volumes etc will be valid till the 31^st of December. On the 1^st of January, 2016 the volumes will be revised as presented above.

Q4) Will customer pay 14% WHT in addition to the monthly line-rent?

A4) As mentioned above, all monthly line-rents are inclusive of all taxes including WHT. Customer has to pay only the monthly line-rent stated as per their PTCL internet package.

Q5) What about the additional usage bucket on CharJi? Will the customer pay Rs. 500 for 5 GB or Rs 570 after WHT?

A5) The additional usage charges are also inclusive of WHT. Customer will receive additional 5 GB for Rs. 500 on CharJi.

Khurram Zahid

The post PTCL cuts prices to compete with Zong appeared first on Smartchoice.pk.

Truly Unlimited

Qubee has removed Fair Usage Policy on all Unlimited packages for the month of August. That means all the users who had Fair Usage Policy limit of 40 GB and 70 GB on their connections can now use it without fear of running out of data. It does not apply on non-unlimited connections which will be restricted by the data caps already placed upon them.

Azaadi Offer

Qubee has come out with the new Azaadi Package, 1 Mbps shuttle, with unlimited data for the month of August. Following are the details of the package:

Package: Explore Max (Azaadi)

Monthly Charges: Rs. 800

Data Cap: Truly Unlimited for August 2015 (data cap after August yet to be determined)

Setup Charges: Rs. 1500

Device Type: USB Dongle

The new Azaadi package provides a lot of benefits and ease in very little cost. The 1 Mbps Unlimited will be without data limit for the month of August and data cap for following months will be announced soon. It would have been better if Qubee had announced the removal of data cap for longer time, like 3 months, to make it truly worthwhile experience.

Khurram Zahid

The post Qubee Goes Truly Unlimited appeared first on Smartchoice.pk.