Telecom History in Pakistan

Before starting my new blog i just wanted to add a little history of telecom like how and from when telecom sector has evolved in Pakistan.This article is taken from http://www.callpakistandirect.com/CallPakistan/pakistan_telecom.html

Telecommunication history began when use of smoke signals and drums were invented in africa, The americans and asian parts. In 1790s the first fixed semaphore systems which were emerged in Europe. however it was not until 1830s come and that electrical telecommunication.

In 1947 Pakistan’s Telecom sector inherited the British Post, Telegraph & Telephone [PTT] Departments with a miniscule base of 7000 telephone lines. For 30 years this entity lumbered and slumbered with its old mechanical, analog ‘Strouger" switches and analog telephone lines, protected in its monopoly, both local and global. By 1962 this PTT Department was split up into the Telephone & Telegraph Department and the Postal Departments. By 1991 this was further re-organized thorough the PTC Act 1991 opening this public sector to the private sector companies. Licenses were granted for non-basic services where the PTT had no experience base. These were Data Network Services, Paging, Manufacturing of Small Telephone Exchanges [ "Digital Communications" being the first company to do so].

Once [ 1995] the Internet exploded onto the Global Telecom scenario, it was evident that the old Pakistan Telecom monopoly was no longer able to cope with the influx of new revolutionary technologies . As recently as 1994, trained basically in voice telecomm technologies , a Divisional Engineer at a PTCL city exchange could not believe that data could also be sent over a telephone line. By 1995 PTCL General Managers were being advised by private sector telecom companies that Voice Mail and Email should be added to the services offered by PTCL.

The Pakistan Telecommunication Ordinance 1994 provides a legal framework for active participation of the private sector in the development of telecommunication services. The Act also provides a legal base for the establishment of the following :

1. Pakistan Telecommunication Authority -- (PTA) mandate was to regulate the telecom sector .

2. The Frequency Allocation Board (FAB) was made responsible for frequency spectrum management and its monitoring..

3. National Telecomm Corporation was set up to provide telecommunication services to public sector (Govt & Defence) organizations.

4. Pakistan Telecommunication Employees Trust (PTET) was created as a trust to takeover statutory function to disburse pension and other benefits to the employees of the PTCL.

5. Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) was incorporated as a public limited company , with the objective of providing domestic and international telecommunication and related services. About 95% of the assets and liabilities of PTC, at net book value, were transferred to PTCL whereas the remaining 5% assets were vested in PTA, FAB, NTC and PTET. The vesting of assets to new entities took place with effect from 1st January 1996.