China Mobile Pakistan (CMPak), which operates under the Zong 4G brand, says that it is now logging 7 billion recharge transactions per month via its digital channels, which now account for 40% of prepaid recharges.
Zong 4G first launched its digital customer channels in 2017 as a way for its subscribers to top up their prepaid accounts without having to physically go to retail shops or merchants. Digital options currently include banking apps, fintech apps and websites.
Wasi Ansari, Zong 4G’s director of sales and distribution, said the 7 billion recharges milestone was a testament to the growth of Zong’s digital strategy.
“Over the past seven years, the Alternate Channel has grown exponentially, now holding a 40% volume share in total recharge volume and delivering a YTD growth of 29.81% this year,” he said in a statement.
Zong is Pakistan’s second largest mobile network with 49 million subscribers, behind Veon-owned Jazz, which had 71.4 million subscribers as of May 2024.
In July, Zong 4G said it had deployed over 400 new 4G sites across Pakistan in the first half of this year whilst also completing an extensive network modernisation project to address capacity challenges.
Zong also recently expanded its service coverage to Pakistan’s northern region of Gilgit Baltistan, with 59 4G sites being rolled out in over 15 cities. As of August 2024, services were already accessible to residents in Gilgit, Astore, Skardu, and Hunza.